The Connector Is More Dangerous Than the Model

Debate focuses on which model is safest. The connector often deserves more attention.

It can search inboxes, retrieve files, update records, send messages and create users. A modest model with broad connectors can create greater consequence than a powerful model with no tools.

Inventory connector authority

- Sources readable.

- Actions writable.

- User identity represented.

- Permission propagation.

- Logging and administrator access.

- Revocation.

Value object — The Connector Permission Card

- Business purpose.

- Minimum scopes.

- Data domains.

- Allowed actions.

- Approval and rate limits.

- Test and expiry.

Separate read from act

Use different credentials and services for retrieval and execution. Shorten token lifetimes and prevent cross-domain joins not required by the task.

The model proposes. The connector touches reality. Govern the second accordingly.

Where this breaks

Connectors often receive broad scopes because narrow configuration is inconvenient. Those scopes persist after the experiment and become invisible machine authority.

The operating move

Issue task-specific credentials with short lifetimes. Separate connectors by domain and make every write path independently approve and log consequence.

Inventory active tokens and scopes.

Separate read and write identities.

Restrict network destinations.

Revoke unused experiments.

The test

Compromise a test connector identity. The maximum accessible data and action should match one bounded workflow, not the institution.