---
title: "Credential Brokering vs. Runtime Authorization: 4 Questions to Ask Your Vendor"
description: "Understand the differences between credential brokering and runtime authorization for AI agents, machine identities, and zero standing privileges."
author: "Jeff Carpenter"
publisher: "Delinea"
canonical_url: "https://delinea.com/blog/credential-brokering-vs-runtime-authorization"
content_type: "article"
topics:
  - Runtime Authorization
  - Credential Brokering
  - AI Agent Security
  - Machine Identities
  - Zero Standing Privileges
video:
  name: "How Runtime Authorization Eliminates Standing Privileges for Good"
  url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMoBVdxK3Xc"
  embed_url: "https://www.youtube.com/embed/IMoBVdxK3Xc"
  thumbnail_url: "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IMoBVdxK3Xc/maxresdefault.jpg"
  author: "Delinea"
  upload_date: "2026-08-17T13:09:07-07:00"
  duration: "PT478S"
  genre: "Science & Technology"
---

# Credential Brokering vs. Runtime Authorization: 4 Questions to Ask Your Vendor

Source: [Read the full article on Delinea](https://delinea.com/blog/credential-brokering-vs-runtime-authorization)

## Overview

Credential brokering provides temporary access to credentials, reducing reliance on long-lived secrets and standing access. However, credential brokering alone does not necessarily evaluate individual actions after a session has been established.

Runtime authorization extends access control by evaluating policies at the time an action is requested. This is particularly important for autonomous AI agents, machine identities, and non-human identities operating across cloud and enterprise environments.

## Four Questions to Ask Security Vendors

### 1. Is the action recorded, or just the connection?

Credential brokering typically records connections and endpoints. Runtime authorization provides visibility into individual commands, statements, and tool calls, including the identity responsible.

### 2. Is authorization evaluated per tool call or per session?

Session-level authorization approves access at connection time. Runtime authorization evaluates each action against applicable policy before execution.

### 3. Is every action tied to a named identity?

Shared service accounts can obscure accountability. Runtime authorization associates actions with identifiable human, machine, or AI agent identities.

### 4. Is every protocol covered, or just HTTP?

AI agents interact with databases, SSH, Kubernetes, MCP, and cloud consoles. Delinea describes a unified authorization approach across these protocols.

## How Delinea Approaches Runtime Authorization

The Delinea Platform combines policy evaluation at the time of action, identity-based accountability, credential protection, and visibility into individual actions.

This approach supports zero standing privileges (ZSP), reducing persistent access and limiting the potential impact of compromised credentials or unintended agent behavior.

## Related Video

### How Runtime Authorization Eliminates Standing Privileges for Good

- **Publisher:** Delinea
- **Published:** August 17, 2026
- **Duration:** 7 minutes, 58 seconds
- **Category:** Science & Technology
- **Watch:** [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMoBVdxK3Xc)

![Video thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IMoBVdxK3Xc/maxresdefault.jpg)

### Video Summary

Machine identities and AI agents can greatly outnumber human users in cloud environments, increasing the challenges of managing standing permissions.

This video explains runtime authorization and how access can be granted only when required, evaluated against identity and security context, and revoked after the task is complete.

### Topics Covered

1. Runtime authorization versus standing permissions.
2. Growth of machine identities and AI agents.
3. Evaluation of roles, credentials, SSH keys, and certificates.
4. How zero standing privileges limit exposure from compromised credentials.
5. Granting and revoking access based on real-time need.

**Watch the video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMoBVdxK3Xc

## Additional Resources

- [Full article: Credential Brokering vs. Runtime Authorization](https://delinea.com/blog/credential-brokering-vs-runtime-authorization)
- [Delinea Platform](https://delinea.com/platform)
- [Delinea Website](https://delinea.com)