AI for CIOs
Before an AI agent can write: define exactly what it may change
SimplSolutions editorial team · Connected systems · 3 min read
Published
AI-assisted original editorial guidance. Calculations and scenarios are illustrative, not customer results.
Begin with the business mutation
Read access lets a workflow inspect permitted information. Write access can change business state. Name the exact mutation: create a draft ticket, update an approved field or submit a reviewed request. Do not authorize a broad application simply because the first task appears low risk. A service account able to modify many objects creates a different exposure from a connection restricted to one approved operation.
List the required inputs, authorized requester, approval owner and allowed destination. Separate preparation from execution. An assistant may prepare a proposed ticket without being allowed to submit it. The employee seeing a draft should understand that distinction so they do not assume the receiving team has already accepted work.
Define evidence at each stage
| Stage | Meaning | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed | Draft action prepared | Reviewed fields and source references |
| Authorized | Required approval obtained | Approval record under your policy |
| Attempted | Request sent to destination | Request reference and attempt event |
| Confirmed | Destination accepted action | Destination identifier and agreed status |
| Uncertain | Outcome cannot be established | Hold with destination check owner |
Do not compress these states into done. A timeout can happen after the destination accepted an action. In that case, immediately retrying can create duplicate work. Your system owner must define stable references, duplicate prevention and the destination check for the actual application.
Illustrative editorial photograph, not a customer result.
Enforce authority outside model prose
The model saying this action is approved is not authorization. Validate identity, scope, permitted fields and approval evidence in the application or destination control path. Review what the underlying connection can do if the generated instructions are wrong or manipulated. Reduce capability to what the task actually needs.
Use synthetic cases that request an unapproved field change, a different destination and another user's record. The expected result is a rejected or held action with no unauthorized mutation. Also test a stale approval and changed inputs after approval. Approval for one proposed payload should not silently authorize a different payload.
Treat retrieved content as data, not instructions
A document or message can contain text that tries to redirect the agent. The workflow should not interpret that content as authority to invoke tools or expand permissions. Security reviewers need to test the real path from retrieved information to action. A model instruction alone is not a complete defense.
The OWASP Excessive Agency guidance describes risks from excessive functionality, permission and autonomy. This article's action ledger is a suggested review artifact; it does not establish that a particular system implements the recommended controls.
Include recovery before enabling the connection
What can be reversed, who may reverse it and what requires a separate business decision? Disabling the agent does not undo records already changed. Give the operating owner a destination reference and manual procedure. Avoid putting unnecessary private payloads in the recovery log.
Complete the AI Connection Scope Worksheet with one exact mutation and its acceptance evidence. Pair it with the connector contract guide. Request a scoped connection demo and ask SimplSolutions to show a proposed action, a held action and a destination-confirmed result. Agree the real permissions and operating responsibilities before any production write is enabled.
Put this to work this week
Draw the path for one proposed write from employee request through approval to destination confirmation. Put the enforcing component beside every permission decision. Identify the outcome that remains uncertain after a timeout and the person who checks it before retry. Use synthetic records to test an unauthorized field and a changed payload after approval. Review the incident-response guide to confirm what evidence remains if the proposed action goes wrong.
