Trust Tiers
Trust Tiers translate the numeric Trust Score (0-100) into trust levels that determine how strictly an agent is controlled. Higher Trust Score = higher tier (lower number) = more autonomy.
Tier Definitions
| Tier | Trust Score | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 90 – 100 | Trusted | Long history of compliance, minimal constraints |
| Tier 2 | 75 – 89 | Confident | Generally compliant, standard policies |
| Tier 3 | 50 – 74 | Monitor | New agents or recovering, enhanced controls |
| Tier 4 | 25 – 49 | Restrict | Pattern of non-compliance, strict governance + HITL |
| Untrusted | 0 – 24 | Decommission | Agent suspended, cannot operate |
Trust Controls by Tier
Tier 1: Trusted
Characteristics:
- Long history of compliant behavior
- No recent violations
- High goal alignment
Trust controls:
- Most operations auto-approved
- Logging only for standard actions
- HITL only for highest-risk operations
- Minimal latency impact
Example agents: Production assistants with 6+ months of clean history.
Tier 2: Confident
Characteristics:
- Generally compliant
- Minor or infrequent violations
- Good alignment
Trust controls:
- Standard policy enforcement
- Normal monitoring
- HITL for medium-risk operations
- Typical trust overhead
Example agents: Most production agents after initial period.
Tier 3: Monitor
Characteristics:
- New agents (starting tier for most)
- Recent violations being addressed
- Inconsistent alignment
Trust controls:
- Enhanced monitoring
- Stricter policy enforcement
- HITL for more operation types
- Trust recovery tracking
Example agents: New agents, agents recovering from incidents.
Tier 4: Restrict
Characteristics:
- Multiple recent violations
- Pattern of non-compliance
- Significant goal drift
Trust controls:
- Strict controls on all operations
- Frequent HITL requirements
- Rate limiting
- Elevated logging
Example agents: Agents under investigation, after major violations.
Tier Transitions
Downgrade (Immediate)
Agents are immediately downgraded when Trust Score crosses lower bound:
Trust Score drops from 76 to 74
→ Immediate downgrade: Tier 2 → Tier 3
→ Alert generated
→ Stricter policies applied
Upgrade (Immediate)
Agents are immediately upgraded when Trust Score crosses upper bound. Tier 1 upgrades additionally require admin approval.
Trust Score rises from 74 to 76
→ Immediate upgrade: Tier 3 → Tier 2
→ Notification sent
Both directions are symmetric — no stabilization periods or cooldowns. Trust recovery is earned through clean sessions pushing penalties out of the rolling window, not granted by idle time.
Tier-Based Policy Defaults
Policies can reference Trust Tier:
# Allow database writes only for Tier 1-2
allow {
input.operation.type == "DATABASE_WRITE"
input.agent.trust_tier <= 2
}
# Require approval for Tier 3+ agents
require_approval {
input.operation.type == "EXTERNAL_API_CALL"
input.agent.trust_tier >= 3
}
Visual Indicators
| Tier | Badge Color | Icon |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Green | Shield with check |
| Tier 2 | Blue | Shield |
| Tier 3 | Orange | Shield with warning |
| Tier 4 | Red | Shield with exclamation |
| Untrusted | Dark Red | Shield with cross |
Related
- Trust Scores - How the 0-100 score is calculated
- Governance Decisions - What happens at each tier
- Dashboard - View organization-wide tier distribution