# The hard part of an MCP gateway is auth

DevFeed: [The hard part of an MCP gateway is auth](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-hard-part-of-an-mcp-gateway-is-auth-16029.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://workos.com/blog/mcp-gateway-hard-part-is-auth>)

Author: WorkOS

Published: 2026-09-11T15:22:28Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [WorkOS Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/workos-blog.md>)

Topics: [MCP Server](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mcp-server.md>), [Authorization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authorization.md>), [Model Context Protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/model-context-protocol.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>)

Tags: [audit](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/audit.md>), [auth](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/auth.md>), [github](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/github.md>), [integration](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/integration.md>), [mcp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp.md>), [mcp-gateway](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp-gateway.md>), [mcp-server](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mcp-server.md>), [salesforce](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/salesforce.md>), [scopes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scopes.md>), [slack](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/slack.md>), [warehouse](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/warehouse.md>)

## AI overview

The article examines Sierra's internal MCP gateway and argues that its most difficult challenges are authentication, identity, per-tool scopes, consent, and audit rather than MCP protocol design. It also discusses integration work and the lack of standardized gateway behavior.

## Source excerpt

Sierra's MCP gateway iceberg is a field report on agent auth: identity, per-tool scopes, consent, and audit are the submerged mass, and they ship off the shelf.