Agent Skills vs MCP vs Plugins: What Each Is and When to Use It
An agent skill is a SKILL.md folder an agent loads on demand; MCP is a live protocol to tools and data; a plugin bundles both. What to use when.
#agent-skills
5 articles with this tag.
OpenClaw Shows Why Agents Need a Bill of Materials
An Agent Bill of Materials lists every skill, plugin, MCP server, credential and paired device an agent can reach. OpenClaw's ClawJacked bug is why you need one.
Vercel's Skills API Turns Agent Skills Into Infrastructure
Vercel's skills.sh API exposes 600,000+ agent skills to any tool holding an OIDC token. Pin the content hash, not the name, before you let an agent install one.
NSA MCP Guidance: Inventory Agent Tools Before They Drift
The NSA's May 2026 MCP guidance treats agent tooling as infrastructure: inventory every server, verify tool changes, and scan before trust drifts.
MCP RCE Debate: Treat Agent Plugins Like Executable Code
OX Security found a remote code execution design flaw in MCP's official SDKs: 10 CVEs, 30+ disclosures, 7,000+ exposed servers. Treat MCP servers as code.