Delegated User Account Access

Delegated user account access occurs when a synthetic subject is granted access to organizational systems through a human employee’s account authorization. This may include OAuth consent, connected application approval, browser authorization, account linking, or delegated access granted through a productivity, development, or business platform.

This configuration creates an elevated exposure condition because the synthetic subject can use permissions that were originally assigned to the employee. The employee may approve the connection once, while the synthetic subject continues to retrieve data, call tools, summarize content, or perform actions within the scope of that delegated grant.

The primary risk is inherited access without equivalent oversight. A synthetic subject may access mail, documents, repositories, records, or application data through the employee’s authorization, even where the employee does not review each retrieval or action.

Investigators should review OAuth grants, connected applications, user consent records, delegated permissions, application scopes, access logs, revocation history, and vendor integrations. Particular attention should be given to broad scopes, persistent grants, third-party AI services, and delegated access that bypasses central synthetic subject governance.

Investigative Relevance

Delegated user account access is relevant because it allows a synthetic subject to operate using permissions granted to a human account. This sub-section is especially relevant where employees authorize AI tools to access mailboxes, calendars, cloud drives, source repositories, customer records, or productivity suites.