Delegated Authentication

Overview

Delegated authentication allows AI agents to act on behalf of users while maintaining complete audit trails and security boundaries. This enables scenarios like:

Support agents handling tickets on behalf of customers
Automated services performing scheduled tasks for users
Administrative operations with proper authorization chains

The Delegation Triangle

   Delegator (User/Principal)
         /\
        /  \
       /    \
      /      \
   Grant    Audit
    /          \
   /            \
Delegate      Resource
(Agent)       (System)

Key Concepts

Delegation Token

A cryptographically signed credential containing:

Field	Description
Delegator	The principal granting authority
Delegate	The agent receiving authority
Scope	Specific operations and resources allowed
Expiration	Time limit for the delegation
Purpose	Human-readable reason for delegation
Chain	For multi-hop delegations

Delegation Chain

Tracks the full authorization path for audit:

User → Support Agent → Automation Bot

Each hop is recorded, validated, and can be revoked.

Scope Definition

Precisely defines what the delegate can do:

Operations: read, update, create_note
Resources: customer_profile, support_tickets
Conditions: max_amount, time_window, ticket_ids

Security Model

Principle of Least Privilege

Delegated permissions are the intersection of:

What the delegator grants
What the delegate already possesses

This prevents privilege escalation through delegation.

Security Guarantees

Cryptographic verification: Tokens are signed and validated
Scope enforcement: Delegates cannot exceed granted permissions
Audit trail: Complete "who did what for whom" tracking
Expiration handling: Time-based security boundaries
Chain limits: Prevent deep delegation chains

Use Cases

Customer Support

Support agents access customer data with:

Scoped permissions (view profile, update billing)
Time-limited access (shift duration)
Full audit trail for compliance

Microservices

Services maintain user context across calls:

User → API Gateway → Order Service → Payment Service
Each hop tracked in delegation chain
Original user identity preserved

Scheduled Jobs

Background processes run with user permissions:

User authorizes nightly backup
Automation service acts on user's behalf
Time-windowed access (2am-4am only)

Compliance Benefits

Audit Trail

Every delegated operation records:

Who: Complete identity chain (delegator → delegate)
What: Exact operations and data accessed
When: Precise timestamps
Why: Purpose and context

Regulatory Support

HIPAA: Patient data access with delegation context
PCI-DSS: Financial operations with approval chains
GDPR: Data access with clear legal basis
SOX: Financial controls with separation of duties