NIST agent identity concept paper

Distinguish workload identity, agent identity, owner, origin grant and delegated scope at every consequential action

01 / Source and scope

Who acts, and what changes?

Principal and authority origin

Software or AI agent operating for an organization. Accountable owner and bounded grant.

Consequential action

Access a service or delegate a task.

02 / Action-time control

Make the requested effect testable.

NCCoE concept material is exploratory, not a mandatory standard or product endorsement. Distinguish workload identity, agent identity, owner, origin grant and delegated scope at every consequential action.

OriginAccountable owner and bounded grant
RequestAccess a service or delegate a task
DecisionEvaluate and enforce before effect

03 / Evidence and responsibility

Permission, execution, and outcome are separate.

Identity lineage, grant chain, revocation and execution trace.

ProofGrid aligns with the control problem; the concept paper does not certify a ProofGrid implementation.

Primary source

Check the governing material.

Architecture discussion

Map one consequential action from origin to observed outcome.

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