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Runtime Enforcement

Reviewed 19 July 2026Canonical definitionPart of: Runtime Control & Guardrail Terms →

Runtime enforcement is the application of security and governance policies while an agent is actively running. It lets teams block, pause, sandbox, or reroute actions at the moment policy conditions are violated.

Looking for the applied side? Read How runtime enforcement works.

§01 / QUESTIONSterm: Runtime Enforcement
Questions

Common questions.

What is Runtime Enforcement?

Runtime enforcement is the application of security and governance policies while an agent is actively running.

Why does Runtime Enforcement matter for AI agents?

It lets teams block, pause, sandbox, or reroute actions at the moment policy conditions are violated.

Which terms are related to Runtime Enforcement?

Closely related concepts include Runtime Policy, Policy Enforcement Point, Jailbreak (AI Agent), Agent Behavior Policy. Each is defined in the Prefactor glossary.

Where can I read more about Runtime Enforcement in practice?

The guide "How runtime enforcement works" covers the applied side in depth.

§02 / RELATEDnext: where this fits

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