One sentence
Microsoft governs the Microsoft seat. Cyphrex proves the act: who approved, what was touched, and what stayed blocked.
Who each is for
Microsoft
Agent identity and Microsoft-estate governance
Entra Agent ID governs the agent identity lifecycle in the Microsoft estate: sponsors, access packages, Conditional Access, and Identity Protection. Copilot Studio creates those Entra Agent IDs for agents, the default after May 2026, and connector permissions appear on that identity so Conditional Access can target them. Purview covers DSPM for AI, audit of prompts and responses, DLP, retention, and eDiscovery for Copilot Studio interactions. Foundry and Agent 365 also use Entra Agent IDs.
Admit the seat → govern Microsoft AI activity.
Cyphrex
Compliance infrastructure for agents
A decide-and-prove layer for teams who will instrument an agent or route its MCP traffic, and who need each decision kept as tamper-evident evidence.
Enforce the action → tamper-evident evidence.
Capability comparison
| Capability | Microsoft (Entra + Copilot Studio + Purview) | Cyphrex |
|---|
| First-class agent identity in the IdP | Strong fit (Entra Agent ID) | Per-agent identity you register |
|---|
| Build / publish enterprise agents (low-code) | Strong fit (Copilot Studio) | Not a builder studio |
|---|
| DSPM / DLP / retention / eDiscovery on AI interactions | Strong fit (Purview) | Not a full Purview suite |
|---|
| Conditional Access / access packages for agents | Strong fit (Entra) | Policy profiles on instrumented path |
|---|
| Runtime policy on actions you instrument / route (any stack) | Microsoft-estate controls | check() + MCP gateway |
|---|
| Tamper-evident, independently verifiable decision record | Unified audit log / Purview exports for Microsoft services | Ed25519-signed packages + public /verify |
|---|
| Who approved / what touched / what stayed blocked durable receipt | Microsoft compliance tooling for Microsoft AI activity | Compliance receipt for auditors, insurers, legal — a third party can verify without a Microsoft login |
|---|
When Microsoft is the better fit
- Agents live primarily in Copilot Studio, Foundry, or Agent 365, and you want Entra-native identity.
- Compliance already standardizes on Purview for audit, DLP, retention, and eDiscovery.
- The buying center is Microsoft 365, Entra, or compliance, and the choice is to stay in the Microsoft stack.
- You need sponsors, access packages, and Conditional Access on agent identities.
- The gap is Microsoft-estate governance, not cross-vendor decide-and-prove evidence.
When Cyphrex is the better fit
- Legal, risk, or compliance asks for a receipt a third party can verify without a Microsoft login.
- Agents or MCP run outside pure Microsoft surfaces, or you want one prove path across stacks.
- Builders will instrument agents or route MCP through a gateway and want decide, enforce, and prove in one path.
- You already have Entra and Purview. On high-stakes actions, the missing piece is the durable decide-and-prove trail.
- Regulated buyers want signed, hash-bound packages, not only unified audit exports.
Better together
Microsoft admits the seat with Entra Agent ID and governs Microsoft AI activity with Purview. Cyphrex proves the act on the steps you route through decide-and-prove, including agents that leave the Microsoft bubble.
What Cyphrex evidence proves
What a signed report contains
- Agent
- Action and resource
- Allowed or blocked
- Rule and violations
- Timestamp
How verification works
Every Cyphrex evidence package is signed with Ed25519 and bound with SHA-256. On /verify, someone can check it without a Cyphrex login.
Compliance mapping
Evidence artifacts map toward SOC 2 / EU AI Act / HIPAA / SR 26-2 style reporting — not certification; details on Trust.
Limits
Cyphrex signs what flows through the SDK check() or the MCP gateway. It does not invent coverage for a path it never saw. Cyphrex is not your auditor.
Frequently asked
Is this a comparison with Microsoft Security Copilot?▾
No. Security Copilot helps analysts. This page compares agent identity and Purview governance: Entra Agent ID, Copilot Studio, and Purview.
Does Cyphrex replace Entra, Purview, or Copilot Studio?▾
No. Microsoft admits the seat and governs Microsoft AI activity. Cyphrex proves the act on the steps you route through decide-and-prove. Cyphrex does not replace Entra, Purview, or Copilot Studio.
Can a third party verify a Cyphrex decision without a Cyphrex login?▾
Yes. A Cyphrex package is Ed25519-signed and SHA-256-bound. On /verify, someone can check the decision without a Cyphrex login.