Concepts
Enforcement modes
Observed, evaluated, decision returned, advisory, unmanaged and enforced mean different things. ECZ-ID only says enforced when an inline enforcement point demonstrably mediated the action.
Posture: what is true of an organisation or entity
Posture is computed by ECZ-ID Core, never claimed by an enforcement point. It is one of four values (plus NOT_APPLICABLE where the question does not arise).
| Posture | When it applies |
|---|---|
UNMANAGED | No relevant control integration: no published policy applies. |
OBSERVED | Every applicable policy is in monitor mode. Actions run whatever the outcome; ECZ-ID observes but is not a gate. |
EVALUATED | Policies are evaluated and decisions are returned, but no inline enforcement point holds fresh mediation evidence. |
ENFORCED | An active, inline enforcement point reported mediating actions within the last 24 hours, and Core judged those reports consistent with its decisions. |
Six terms, kept apart
| Term | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Observed | A posture: policies run in monitor mode. | A gate. Nothing is blocked. |
| Evaluated | A posture: decisions are made and returned. | Enforcement. A returned decision can be ignored. |
| Decision returned | One outcome handed to the caller. | Evidence that anyone acted on it. |
| Advisory | A mediation mode: the point advises its caller. | A posture. Advisory reports never make posture enforced. |
| Unmanaged | A posture: no policy applies. | A failure, or a judgement about the entity. |
| Enforced | A posture backed by fresh inline mediation evidence. | Universal. It never covers actions that bypass the point. |
What ECZ-ID never claims
- That an evaluated decision was enforced.
- That an allow means the action happened, or succeeded.
- That a fail-open that ran was enforcement. It is reported as such and never counts.
- That local-only decisions evidence enforcement. They have no Core record and are never reported.
- Universal safety, guaranteed prevention or guaranteed compliance.
Related
This page is explanation, not authority. Current state is only ever the live Resolver record. Live facts on this page were measured read-only on 2026-10-10.