Former Microsoft and Cisco security leader Edna Conway joins Known’s advisory council

Known, a company working on AI governance themes tied to “agent identity and accountability,” said it has added Edna Conway to its advisory council. The announcement, published through Yahoo Finance, positions Conway as a senior voice with decades of security leadership experience, spanning enterprises and technology ecosystems.

The post links Conway’s background to security leadership at both Microsoft and Cisco, describing her as having held global security responsibilities. Conway’s appointment is framed as relevant to a challenge that Known highlights repeatedly: as AI agents are deployed across organizations, they need a way to establish identity, and they must be answerable for actions taken in operational environments.

Known’s description of the problem is broad and cross-industry. It suggests that accountability needs to extend beyond a single company boundary, across platforms, and even across borders, implying that identity and accountability mechanisms are meant to work in heterogeneous environments rather than within a single vendor stack.

The announcement does not provide details on what specific advisory work Conway will do, nor does it outline any near-term deliverables. It also does not describe changes to Known’s product roadmap, partnerships, or regulatory posture resulting from the appointment.

From Known’s perspective, the appointment reflects a common pattern in the AI industry: organizations building around agent behavior and governance are increasingly staffing advisory and leadership roles with security executives who understand how identity, access control, auditing, and incident response are operationalized.