Academy
What is an authority path?
Glossary · AI agent and machine identity security
Short answer
An authority path is the route along which an agent or identity gains the right to act on a resource, step by step.
Why it matters
Authority moves through grants, roles and credentials. Following it step by step shows where access actually comes from, not where it was meant to come from.
What it looks like
An agent is allowed to call a tool. The tool runs with a service account. The service account holds a broad role. Authority reaches the data through all three.
In nerl0
In the Security Graph, an authority path runs from an agent through a credential and a role to a crown-jewel data store. Every step is an observed relationship. See Security Graph.