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Governance, Security & Compliance (GSC) Principles
Enterprise Architecture principles for AI tool permissions, sandboxing, access controls, and compliance.
Category
GSC
Principles
10
Focus
AI Tool Permissions, Sandboxing, Access Controls, and Compliance
Status
π Under Peer Review
Category Overview
flowchart TB
subgraph AIAgent["AI Coding Agent"]
Agent["AI Agent"]
end
subgraph PermBoundary["Permission Boundary (GSC-002)"]
Perm["What AI can access"]
end
Agent --> Perm
subgraph Resources["Controlled Resources"]
direction LR
Files["Files<br/>GSC-003"]
Terminal["Terminal<br/>GSC-003"]
Git["Git<br/>GSC-004"]
Network["Network<br/>GSC-003"]
Data["Data<br/>GSC-005"]
end
Perm --> Files
Perm --> Terminal
Perm --> Git
Perm --> Network
Perm --> Data
GSC Principles:
ID
Principle
Focus
GSC-001
Governance Framework
Accountability & oversight
GSC-002
Permission Boundaries
AI access limits
GSC-003
Sandboxing & Isolation
Execution environment
GSC-004
Git Access Controls
Version control restrictions
GSC-005
Data Classification
Data exposure controls
GSC-006
Audit & Traceability
Logging and compliance
GSC-007
Responsible AI Ops
Ethical operations
GSC-008
Network Security
AI network access controls
GSC-009
AI Agent Identity
Service account management
GSC-010
Secret Management
Credential protection
Principles in This Category
GSC-001: Governance Framework
Statement
Establish clear accountability structures where humans remain responsible for all AI tool operations, with documented ownership chains and approval requirements.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Clear accountability reduces risk and enables confident AI adoption
Technical Foundation
Structured governance enables safe scaling of AI tool capabilities
Risk Mitigation
Defined ownership prevents gaps in responsibility for AI operations
Human Agency
Humans remain in control; AI tools operate under human supervision
Implications
flowchart TB
Board["AI Governance Board<br/><i>Policy, standards, oversight</i>"]
Board --> Tool["Tool Approval<br/>β’ Evaluate<br/>β’ Approve<br/>β’ Retire"]
Board --> Security["Security Controls<br/>β’ Sandboxing<br/>β’ Permissions<br/>β’ Git access"]
Board --> Compliance["Compliance Controls<br/>β’ Audit logs<br/>β’ Data class<br/>β’ Reporting"]
Area
Implication
Development
All AI tool usage attributed and governed
Governance
AI governance board or equivalent established
Skills
Governance training for all AI tool users
Tools
Tooling supports governance workflows and tracking
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Manual governance; documented AI tool policies
Medium (L2)
Automated tracking; defined approval workflows
High (L3)
Integrated governance; predictive risk management
Governance
Compliance Measures
AI governance board established
AI tool policies documented
Approval workflows defined
Exception process established
Governance training completed
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
New AI tool adoption
Governance Board
Risk assessment
Policy exception
Director
Exception rationale
Emergency tool usage
Manager
Post-hoc review
GSC-002 : Permission Boundaries (governance defines permissions)
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability (governance requires auditability)
TSI-001 : Evaluation Framework (governance drives evaluation)
GSC-002: Permission Boundaries
Statement
Define explicit permission boundaries for AI agents, limiting access to file systems, terminals, networks, and sensitive resources based on operational requirements.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Controlled permissions prevent unintended consequences and data loss
Technical Foundation
Explicit boundaries enable safe AI tool operation
Risk Mitigation
Limited permissions reduce blast radius of AI errors
Human Agency
Humans define boundaries; AI operates within them
Implications
Permission Matrix
Permission Type
Restriction
Rationale
File System Read
Workspace only
Limit context exposure
File System Write
Workspace only
Prevent system damage
Terminal Read
Allowed
Needed for feedback
Terminal Execute
Approval req.
Commands have effects
Git Read
Allowed
Needed for context
Git Write (feature)
Allowed
Normal development
Git Write (main/master)
NEVER
Protected branches
Git Merge
NEVER
Human-only operation
Network Outbound
Filtered
Prevent exfiltration
Network Inbound
Blocked
No external access
Secrets/Credentials
NEVER
Security requirement
Production Systems
NEVER
Safety requirement
Permission Modes by Capability
Capability Level
Suggestion Mode
Auto-Edit Mode
Basic
Code completion only
Edit with explicit approval
Standard
Multi-file awareness
Edit with diff preview
Advanced
Full context access
Agent mode (file + terminal)
Autonomous
PR/MR creation
Auto-commit (feature only)
Area
Implication
Development
Configure AI tools with minimal necessary permissions
Governance
Permission policies documented and enforced
Skills
Train developers on permission configuration
Tools
Use tools that support permission controls
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Manual permission configuration; documented policies
Medium (L2)
Centralized permission management; automated enforcement
High (L3)
Dynamic permission adjustment; context-aware controls
Governance
Compliance Measures
Permission matrix documented for each AI tool
Default permissions set to minimum required
Permission escalation process defined
Regular permission audits conducted
Violations tracked and remediated
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Extended file access
Tech Lead
Scope justification
Terminal auto-execute
Manager
Risk acknowledgment
Network access expansion
Security Team
Security review
GSC-003 : Sandboxing (permissions within sandbox)
GSC-004 : Git Access Controls (git-specific permissions)
DC-004 : Agentic Development (agent permissions)
GSC-003: Sandboxing & Isolation
Statement
Execute AI agents in sandboxed environments that isolate them from production systems, sensitive data, and critical infrastructure.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Isolation protects business-critical systems from AI errors
Technical Foundation
Sandboxing provides defense-in-depth for AI operations
Risk Mitigation
Contained execution limits damage from malicious or erroneous AI
Human Agency
Humans control sandbox boundaries and escape conditions
Implications
flowchart TB
subgraph Untrusted["π΄ UNTRUSTED ZONE"]
Sandbox["AI Agent Sandbox<br/>β’ Containerized execution<br/>β’ Network filtering<br/>β’ Resource limits (CPU, memory, disk)<br/>β’ Time limits for operations"]
end
subgraph Gateway["π‘ PERMISSION GATEWAY"]
Validation["Request validation"]
Approval["Approval workflow"]
Audit["Audit logging"]
end
subgraph Trusted["π’ TRUSTED ZONE"]
Prod["Production systems<br/><i>NO AI access</i>"]
Secrets["Secrets/credentials<br/><i>NO AI access</i>"]
Protected["Protected branches<br/><i>Human-only</i>"]
end
Sandbox --> Validation
Validation --> Approval
Approval --> Audit
Audit -.->|"Controlled Access"| Trusted
Sandboxing Capability Assessment
Capability
Required for L1
Required for L2
Required for L3
Built-in Sandbox
Recommended
Required
Required
Network Control
Recommended
Required
Required
Resource Limits
Optional
Recommended
Required
Audit Logging
Required
Required
Required
Area
Implication
Development
Use AI tools with sandboxing support when possible
Governance
Sandboxing requirements documented by risk level
Skills
Train teams on sandbox configuration and monitoring
Tools
Evaluate sandboxing capabilities during tool selection
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Workspace isolation; no production access
Medium (L2)
Container-based sandboxing; network filtering
High (L3)
Full isolation with approval gateways; resource limits
Governance
Compliance Measures
Sandboxing requirements defined by use case
Tools evaluated for sandboxing capabilities
Production isolation verified
Resource limits configured
Sandbox escapes monitored and investigated
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Reduced isolation
Security Team
Risk acceptance
Extended resource limits
Manager
Justification
Network filter exception
Security Lead
Security review
GSC-002 : Permission Boundaries (permissions within sandbox)
TSI-001 : Evaluation Framework (evaluate sandboxing)
TQC-002 : Security Scanning (scan sandbox outputs)
GSC-004: Git Access Controls
Statement
Restrict AI agent git operations to feature branches, prohibit direct commits to protected branches, and NEVER allow AI merge authority.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Protected branches ensure code quality and review processes
Technical Foundation
Git controls prevent unauthorized changes to production code
Risk Mitigation
Merge restrictions ensure human review of all AI-generated code
Human Agency
Humans retain final authority over what enters the codebase
Implications
Git Permission Matrix
Operation
AI Agent
Human Dev
Lead/Admin
Clone/Fetch
β
β
β
Create Branch
β
β
β
Commit (feature)
β
*
β
β
Commit (main/master)
β
β
β
Push (feature)
β
β
β
Push (protected)
β
β
β
Create PR
β
β
β
Approve PR
β
β
β
Merge PR
β
β οΈ**
β
Force Push
β
β
β οΈ
Delete Branch
β
β
β
Modify Branch Rules
β
β
β
* AI commits must include attribution (e.g., βCo-authored-byβ)
** Requires approval from another human
Branch Naming for AI
Pattern: ai/<task-type>/<description>
Examples:
ai/bugfix/fix-auth-validation
ai/feature/implement-user-auth
ai/refactor/optimize-api-handler
Commit Attribution
Required trailer for AI-generated commits:
Co-authored-by: AI Assistant <ai@organization.com>
AI-Tool: <tool-identifier>
AI-Session: <session-id>
Area
Implication
Development
AI tools configured to use feature branches only
Governance
Branch protection rules enforced at repository level
Skills
Train developers on AI branch naming and attribution
Tools
Configure git hooks to enforce AI commit attribution
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Protected branches; manual attribution
Medium (L2)
Automated branch rules; commit hooks for attribution
High (L3)
Integrated attribution; automated compliance checks
Governance
Compliance Measures
Branch protection rules configured
AI branch naming convention enforced
Commit attribution required and validated
Merge authority limited to humans
Regular audits of AI commit activity
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Direct push to protected
Never allowed
N/A
AI merge authority
Never allowed
N/A
Attribution waiver
Tech Lead
Temporary only
GSC-002 : Permission Boundaries (git permissions)
DC-004 : Agentic Development (agent git operations)
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability (git audit trail)
GSC-005: Data Classification
Statement
Classify all data according to sensitivity levels and enforce restrictions on what data can be exposed to AI tools based on classification.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Data protection prevents breaches and maintains customer trust
Technical Foundation
Classification enables consistent data handling policies
Risk Mitigation
Restricted data never reaches AI tools that could expose it
Human Agency
Humans define classifications; AI operates within data boundaries
Implications
Data Classification Matrix
Classification
AI Tool Usage
Controls
PUBLIC
Unrestricted
Standard logging
INTERNAL
Approved tools only
Enhanced logging, no cloud
CONFIDENTIAL
On-premise AI only
Air-gapped, full audit
RESTRICTED
NO AI TOOLS
Prohibited
SECRETS
NEVER
Technical enforcement
PII/PHI
Special approval
Privacy controls, no cloud
Secrets That Must NEVER Reach AI
API keys and tokens
Database credentials
Private keys and certificates
Connection strings with credentials
OAuth client secrets
Encryption keys
Area
Implication
Development
Check data classification before including in context
Governance
Data classification policy documented and enforced
Skills
Train developers on data classification rules
Tools
Use tools with data classification awareness
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Manual classification check; secret scanning
Medium (L2)
Automated classification; pattern detection
High (L3)
Integrated data catalog; AI-aware classification
Governance
Compliance Measures
Data classification policy documented
Secret scanning enabled in AI tools
PII/PHI detection configured
Classification violations tracked
Regular data exposure audits
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Confidential in cloud AI
Never allowed
N/A
PII exposure
Privacy Officer
Privacy review
Internal data exception
Manager
Business case
GSC-002 : Permission Boundaries (data access permissions)
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability (data access logging)
TQC-002 : Security Scanning (secret detection)
GSC-006: Audit & Traceability
Statement
Maintain comprehensive audit trails of all AI tool activities, enabling traceability, compliance verification, and incident investigation.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Audit trails enable compliance and build stakeholder trust
Technical Foundation
Logging infrastructure supports investigation and improvement
Risk Mitigation
Traceability enables rapid incident response and root cause analysis
Human Agency
Audit trails ensure human oversight of AI activities
Implications
Minimum Audit Fields
Field
Description
Timestamp
When the AI activity occurred
User ID
Who initiated the AI operation
Tool Name
Which AI tool was used
Tool Version
Version of the AI tool
Activity Type
Completion, chat, agent, etc.
Input Hash
Hash of input for traceability
Output Hash
Hash of output for traceability
Files Accessed
Which files were read/written
Commands Run
Terminal commands executed
Git Operations
Commits, branches, PRs created
Review Status
Pending, approved, rejected
Reviewer ID
Who reviewed (if applicable)
Retention Requirements
Standard activities: Minimum 1 year
Compliance-relevant activities: Minimum 7 years
Storage: Immutable for audit integrity
Access: Searchable for incident investigation
Area
Implication
Development
AI tools configured with audit logging enabled
Governance
Audit requirements documented and verified
Skills
Train teams on audit log interpretation
Tools
Select tools with comprehensive logging capabilities
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Basic logging; manual audit review
Medium (L2)
Centralized logging; automated compliance reports
High (L3)
Real-time monitoring; anomaly detection; AI forensics
Governance
Compliance Measures
Audit logging enabled for all AI tools
Retention policies configured
Regular audit reviews conducted
Compliance reports generated
Incident investigation procedures documented
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Reduced logging
Security Team
Risk acceptance
Shortened retention
Compliance Lead
Regulatory review
Log deletion
Never allowed
N/A
GSC-007: Responsible AI Operations
Statement
Operate AI tools ethically, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability in all AI-assisted development activities.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Responsible operations build trust and prevent reputation damage
Technical Foundation
Ethical guidelines translate into operational controls
Risk Mitigation
Proactive ethics prevents harm and regulatory issues
Human Agency
Humans define ethical boundaries; AI operates within them
Implications
Operational Ethics Principles
1. TRANSPARENCY
Disclose AI assistance in code and documentation
Be clear about AI capabilities and limitations
2. ACCOUNTABILITY
Humans remain responsible for all AI outputs
No βthe AI did itβ excuses
3. FAIRNESS
Equal access to AI tools within teams
Consider accessibility in AI tool selection
4. SECURITY
Prioritize security over convenience
Never bypass security controls for AI efficiency
Prohibited Practices
β Prohibited
Rationale
Using AI to bypass code review
Undermines quality controls
Claiming AI code as solely human-written
Violates transparency
Using AI on unauthorized data
Data classification violation
Disabling AI safety controls
Security risk
Using AI to generate malicious code
Ethical violation
Area
Implication
Development
Follow responsible AI practices in daily work
Governance
Responsible AI guidelines documented and enforced
Skills
Ethics training for all AI tool users
Tools
Select tools that support responsible AI practices
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Documented guidelines; basic training
Medium (L2)
Integrated into workflows; regular reinforcement
High (L3)
Culture of responsibility; proactive improvement
Governance
Compliance Measures
Responsible AI guidelines documented
Training completed by all AI tool users
Prohibited practices communicated
Ethics violations tracked and addressed
Regular ethics assessments conducted
Exception Process
Condition
Approval Required
Documentation
Ethics guideline waiver
Ethics Board
Ethical review
New use case evaluation
Governance Board
Ethics assessment
Reported violation
HR + Legal
Investigation
GSC-001 : Governance Framework (ethics governance)
TTA-002 : Adoption Governance (responsible adoption)
DC-001 : AI-Human Collaboration (ethical collaboration)
Category Summary
Key Takeaways
Permissions define boundaries - Explicit limits on what AI can access
Sandboxing contains risk - Isolate AI from critical systems
Git controls protect code - AI never gets merge authority
Data classification prevents exposure - Secrets never reach AI
Audit trails enable oversight - Log everything for accountability
Responsible operations build trust - Ethics are non-negotiable
Network controls prevent exfiltration - AI cannot access unauthorized endpoints
Identity management enables accountability - Every AI action has an identity
Secret management protects credentials - No credentials in AI context
GSC-008: Network Security
Statement
Control and monitor all network communications for AI coding tools, preventing unauthorized data transmission and ensuring secure connectivity.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Prevents intellectual property and sensitive data leakage
Technical Foundation
Network controls are fundamental security layer
Risk Mitigation
Blocks data exfiltration and unauthorized API access
Human Agency
Humans define network boundaries; AI operates within them
Implications
flowchart TB
subgraph AITool["AI Coding Tool"]
Agent["AI Agent"]
end
subgraph NetworkControls["Network Security Layer"]
Egress["Egress Filtering"]
TLS["TLS/mTLS"]
DNS["DNS Controls"]
end
subgraph Endpoints["Authorized Endpoints"]
Approved["Approved AI APIs"]
Internal["Internal Services"]
end
subgraph Blocked["Blocked"]
Unauthorized["Unauthorized APIs"]
External["External Destinations"]
end
Agent --> NetworkControls
NetworkControls --> Endpoints
NetworkControls -.->|"BLOCKED"| Blocked
Network Controls Matrix
Control Type
Requirement
Purpose
Egress Filtering
Required
Block unauthorized destinations
TLS Encryption
Required
Protect data in transit
DNS Control
Recommended
Prevent rogue endpoint access
Network Segmentation
Recommended
Isolate AI workloads
Rate Limiting
Required
Prevent abuse and exfiltration
Traffic Logging
Required
Enable security monitoring
Area
Implication
Development
Configure allowed endpoints for AI tools
Governance
Network policies documented and enforced
Skills
Train teams on network security configuration
Tools
Use tools that support network isolation
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Basic egress filtering; TLS required
Medium (L2)
Network segmentation; traffic logging
High (L3)
Zero-trust network; real-time threat detection
Governance
Compliance Measures
Allowed endpoint list maintained
Network policies configured and tested
Traffic monitoring enabled
Incident response procedures defined
GSC-003 : Sandboxing & Isolation
GSC-005 : Data Classification
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability
GSC-009: AI Agent Identity
Statement
Assign distinct, managed identities to all AI agents and tools, enabling accountability, access control, and audit trail attribution.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Enables accountability for all AI-initiated actions
Technical Foundation
Identity is the foundation of access control
Risk Mitigation
Prevents over-privileged AI operations
Human Agency
Humans control identity assignment and permissions
Implications
flowchart TB
subgraph IdentityMgmt["Identity Management"]
Managed["Managed Identity"]
ServicePrincipal["Service Principal"]
OAuth["OAuth Tokens"]
end
subgraph AIAgent["AI Agent"]
Agent["Agent Instance"]
end
subgraph Controls["Access Controls"]
RBAC["Role-Based Access"]
Conditional["Conditional Access"]
Scope["Scope Limits"]
end
subgraph Resources["Resources"]
Code["Code Repositories"]
APIs["APIs"]
Data["Data Stores"]
end
IdentityMgmt --> AIAgent
AIAgent --> Controls
Controls --> Resources
Identity Requirements
Requirement
Base (L1)
Medium (L2)
High (L3)
Distinct AI Identity
Required
Required
Required
No Shared Credentials
Required
Required
Required
Identity Lifecycle Mgmt
Manual
Automated
Automated
Scope Limitation
Basic
Granular
Dynamic
Activity Attribution
Required
Required
Required
Area
Implication
Development
Configure AI tools with managed identities
Governance
Identity policies and lifecycle documented
Skills
Train teams on identity configuration
Tools
Use tools that support managed identity
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Distinct identities; no embedded credentials
Medium (L2)
Managed identities; automated lifecycle
High (L3)
Just-in-time access; continuous identity validation
Governance
Compliance Measures
AI identity inventory maintained
No embedded credentials in tools
Identity lifecycle procedures documented
Regular access review conducted
GSC-001 : Governance Framework
GSC-002 : Permission Boundaries
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability
GSC-010: Secret Management
Statement
Protect all credentials, API keys, and tokens used with AI tools through centralized secret management, automatic rotation, and strict access controls.
Rationale
Dimension
Justification
Business Value
Prevents credential compromise and unauthorized access
Technical Foundation
Secrets are primary attack vector for AI tool abuse
Risk Mitigation
Automatic rotation limits exposure window
Human Agency
Humans control secret policies and access
Implications
flowchart TB
subgraph SecretMgmt["Secret Management"]
Vault["Secret Vault"]
Rotation["Auto-Rotation"]
Audit["Access Audit"]
end
subgraph AITool["AI Tool"]
Agent["AI Agent"]
Config["Configuration"]
end
subgraph NEVER["NEVER IN"]
Prompts["Prompts"]
Context["Context Windows"]
Logs["Log Output"]
end
Vault --> Agent
Agent -.->|"NEVER"| NEVER
Rotation --> Vault
Audit --> Vault
Secret Handling Rules
Secret Type
Storage
Rotation
AI Exposure
API Keys
Secret Vault
90 days
NEVER
Service Credentials
Managed Identity
Automatic
NEVER
Database Passwords
Secret Vault
90 days
NEVER
Encryption Keys
Key Management
Annual
NEVER
Session Tokens
Memory Only
Per-session
NEVER
Area
Implication
Development
Use environment variables for secret injection
Governance
Secret policies and rotation schedules documented
Skills
Train teams on secure secret handling
Tools
Use tools with secret vault integration
Maturity Alignment
Level
Requirements
Base (L1)
Centralized vault; no hardcoded secrets
Medium (L2)
Automatic rotation; access logging
High (L3)
Just-in-time secrets; anomaly detection
Governance
Compliance Measures
All secrets in centralized vault
Rotation schedules configured
No secrets in prompts or context
Secret access audited
GSC-005 : Data Classification
GSC-006 : Audit & Traceability
GSC-009 : AI Agent Identity
Category Summary
License