Navigating MCP security: Key considerations and mitigation strategies for the enterprise

TL;DR:

• MCP operates in a dynamic environment, introducing unique security and governance risks
• Enterprises must be mindful of potential vulnerabilities MCP introduces
• Implementing defenses requires a multi-pronged approach
• Fractal recommends seven mitigation strategies for secure enterprise-wide adoption of MCP.

Introduction

The Model Context Protocol (MCP), unlike traditional communication protocols, operates in a far more dynamic environment. AI agents use natural language to independently decide to invoke tools and make decisions. This introduces unique security and governance risks.

To learn more about MCP, why it’s important and how it differs from previous approaches, please check out previous blog post here.

Threat landscape

MCP introduces new types of security risks that need targeted protection.

Compromising the core connection

MCP depends on secure connections between agents, servers, and external services, usually managed with authentication tokens. These tokens become prime targets for attackers.

Manipulating the Agent’s actions

The AI Agent presents a unique attack surface, as attackers can influence its behavior using prompt engineering techniques.

Exploiting Tool Execution

Weak controls at the execution-layer can lead to serious risks, including privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and infrastructure compromise.

Data Exposure and Governance Challenges

MCP implementations introduce new layers of complexity in data governance, primarily due to the dynamic, context-rich nature of how models access and act on data.

Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Setting up and sharing MCP server components creates a window of vulnerability. If not secured, this allows attackers to insert malicious payloads or break into enterprise systems before runtime.

Mitigation Strategies

To tackle the unique security challenges of MCP, a multi-layered approach is essential. Here are some strategies Fractal advises enterprises to implement:

Establishing secure communication channels and architecture

To ensure these multiple actions need to be taken such as:

• Enforce TLS for all MCP communications, use strong cipher suites and validate certificates.
• Allow only specific, approved LLMs to interact with tools.
• Implement strict firewall and web application firewall (WAF) rules

Those are only a subset of the protections that enterprises should put it place.

Robust identity, authentication, and authorization

• Use proven protocols such as OAuth 2.0 or 2.1 and OpenID Connect to manage authentication and authorization securely.
• Validate the identity of the real user behind each agent request and to identify the specific agent instance initiating the request.
• Role-based access control (RBAC) and access control lists (ACLs) should be enforced to manage permissions effectively.

Hardening tool interactions

All parameters should be validated against predefined schemas to ensure input integrity. File paths and system commands must be sanitized to prevent injection attacks and unauthorized access.

Implementing operational safeguards and visibility

To protect against misuse and ensure accountability, prompt users for confirmation before executing sensitive operations. Furthermore, all tool usage should be logged with detailed context These logs should enable centralized monitoring. In addition, enterprises should set up alerts for suspicious activities and develop incident response procedures.

Ensuring supply chain integrity

Organizations should rely only on trusted implementations of the MCP to reduce the risk of compromise. For instance, they should apply integrity checks and enforce artifact signing to ensure that deployed components have not been tampered with.

Recommendations for secure MCP adoption

Fractal’s extensive experience across industries and direct involvement in MCP deployments gives us a unique point of view rooted in real-life deployment experience. To support secure enterprise-wide adoption of this transformative protocol, we recommend the following seven actions:

1. Establish an enterprise-grade MCP governance policy: Define how MCP can be used safely and responsibly across business units.
2. Harden identity and access as a strategic foundation: Invest in fine-grained OAuth implementations, rigorous scope management, and token lifecycle policies.
3. Mandate input/output validation as code hygiene: Embed validation at every layer of the MCP stack.
4. Embed oversight through mandatory human-in-the-loop workflows: Mandate human-in-the-loop verification for sensitive workflows.
5. Build observability into the core: Ensure MCP observability is a native layer from day one, logging every tool invocation, agent decision, and external system interaction.
6. Institutionalize periodic security reviews: Conduct periodic reviews to reassess access scopes, check for privilege creep, and verify security assumptions.
7. Enable and empower technical teams through training: Design role-specific training programs to ensure developers, security teams, and business teams understand and follow good security practices.

Conclusion

MCP is a transformative technology for enabling enterprise-class agentic applications. However, it also brings new and complex security risks that require proactive management. To successfully implement MCP, organizations must think about MCP security from day one, not try to add it later.

For a deeper dive into MCP security considerations and mitigation strategies, read our comprehensive whitepaper on this topic. It provides detailed insights and actionable recommendations to help your organization navigate the complexities of MCP adoption securely and effectively.