How to secure an MCP server.

Baseline controls

Require authentication where the transport supports it, isolate credentials, minimize tool scope, pin dependencies and remove tools that are not required for the workflow.

A server with broad shell, filesystem or network access should be treated as privileged infrastructure.

Tool-level constraints

Allow only expected tools, validate parameters and set response-size limits. For filesystem tools, constrain paths. For network tools, constrain domains. For write operations, consider cooldowns or review.

The goal is to keep useful capability while removing ambient authority.

Cloud-governed enforcement

Place Oktsec between the agent and MCP backend. Scan calls and responses, enforce allowlists and create an audit trail for every decision.