Glossary · Blast radius

What is blast radius?

Blast radius is the set of systems and data affected if a single identity, credential or component is compromised or misused.

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cron agentNightly
report agentFinance
sync agentCRM sync
backup-writerShared identity
BLAST RADIUS

In practice

For an AI agent, the blast radius is everything reachable through its identities and credentials, including systems several steps away. Shared identities enlarge it: if three agents use one service account, compromising any of them gives the combined access.

Reducing blast radius usually means splitting shared identities, scoping roles and removing standing access nobody uses.

DEFINITION

Blast radius is the set of systems and data affected if a single identity, credential or component is compromised or misused.

HOW IT WORKS

How it works. Step by step.

The parts that make it up, in an environment with AI agents.

01Direct access

What the compromised identity can touch itself.

02Reachable access

What it can reach through roles and credentials further along.

03Shared identities

Everything other agents on the same identity can reach.

04Standing access

Access that exists all the time, whether it is used or not.

EXAMPLE

What it looks like in Elmoz

A real path shape, drawn the way the Elmoz security graph shows it.

Security GraphFocus: cron agentAll assetsIdentitiesData stores
ATTACK PATH3 agents on one identity · 2 access steps
cron agentAI agent · nightlyreport agentSame usersync agentSame user3!backup-writerService accountawsprod-accountAWS account!OwnerLeft the companyaws!prod-backup roleWrite and delete3Findings3 issuesProd backupsS3 bucketDatabase dumpsCustomer dataConfig exportsSecrets inside
FAQ

Questions, answered.

Short answers about Blast radius.

How do you reduce the blast radius of an AI agent?

Give each agent its own identity, scope roles to the task, remove standing access nobody uses and keep production credentials out of reach.

What is the difference between blast radius and an attack path?

An attack path is the route from an entry point to a target. The blast radius is everything that would be affected if one identity on that route were compromised.

Why do shared identities matter so much?

If three agents use one service account, compromising any of the three gives the attacker the combined access of all of them.

See what your agents can reach. Before someone else does.

Book a demo and we walk through the access paths in an environment like yours.