MCP or A2A? What to Know Before You Connect AI

This guide explains Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent‑to‑Agent (A2A) standards for connecting AI systems, describes four downstream security risks (cascading errors, expanded attack surface, reduced auditability, and sensitive data movement), and provides six validation questions to help security teams evaluate whether and how to integrate AI; it also notes ReliaQuest’s approach of using A2A for agent coordination and MCP for tool access.