Model Context Protocol (MCP)

MCP is the foundational communication standard that enables consistent, secure interaction between AI agents and tools. Developed by Anthropic, MCP provides:

• Standardized Communication: One protocol for all agent-to-tool interactions
• Security Built-in: Authentication and authorization at the protocol level
• Tool Discovery: Agents can discover and understand available capabilities
• Context Preservation: Maintain state across interactions

Learn More About MCP

• What is MCP? - Introduction to the Model Context Protocol
• MCP Specification - Complete technical specification

How MCP Works

1. Tool Registration: Tools expose their capabilities through MCP schemas
2. Agent Discovery: Agents query available tools and their functions
3. Request/Response: Agents send structured requests, tools return structured responses
4. Context Management: Protocol handles context preservation and state management

Security Model

Multi-layered security protecting agents, data, and infrastructure:

Authentication & Authorization

• OAuth 2.1: Industry-standard authentication
• API Keys: For programmatic access
• Service Accounts: Non-human identity management
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Fine-grained permissions

Isolation & Sandboxing

• Process Isolation: Each execution in separate process
• Network Isolation: Controlled network access
• Filesystem Isolation: Virtual filesystems per execution
• Resource Isolation: CPU, memory, and I/O limits

Compliance & Governance

• Audit Logging: Complete activity trails
• Data Residency: Control where data is processed and stored
• PII Protection: Automatic detection and masking
• Compliance Standards: SOC2, GDPR ready

Next Steps

• MCP Gateways - The intelligent routing layer
• Capabilities - Available tools and services
• WebAssembly - Secure plugin execution