Security and team policy
What leaves a managed Mac, what policy blocks, and how to export audit records.
Switchboard's engine runs automation locally. Account sign-in and licence refresh contact the account server. Optional AI sends selected prompts and attachments to the relay or your own model provider; iCloud library sync uses your private Apple CloudKit database.
| Path | Data | Managed control |
|---|---|---|
| Account service | Email when supplied, device name, salted hardware hash, licence and sign-in credentials | A signed LicenceFile permits an offline team installation. |
| Model requests | Prompt, selected context and attachments | AIAllowed=false; RelayAllowed=false separately blocks the Switchboard relay. |
| iCloud library sync | Macro library records | iCloudSyncAllowed=false. |
| Sharing and exports | Macro content | SharingAllowed=false; audit export remains an explicit local action. |
| Scripts | What your shell, AppleScript or CLI step sends | ShellStepsAllowed=false. HTTP steps are not covered by this key. |
| Extensions | What their permissions allow | ExtensionAllowlist restricts installs and exposed calls. Review permissions and existing extensions. |
| MCP | Agent integration and model-context tools | MCPAllowed=false. |
| Public updater | Release-host requests | UpdateChannel=none. |
Managed preferences are read from com.payablesdesk.switchboard by both app and engine. Settings shows managed controls as unavailable; an invalid policy is logged and disables restricted features.
Audit records #
Activity › Export Audit Log and switchboard trace export --since 2026-11-01T00:00:00Z --until 2026-11-30T23:59:59Z --format jsonl export local retained runs and the broker's retained approval decisions. Run lines include macro, trigger, steps and outcome, plus the cached email and Mac name captured at first write.
Older records have unknown identity. Offline licence-file runs do not identify a person. Approval decisions are separate lines; the broker retains at most 200, and does not associate every approval with a run ID. Exports may contain sensitive inputs and outputs.
Owners/admins can export server team events from Account > Team. Removing a person in SCIM or Team does not delete all account history and cannot revoke a licence file on an offline Mac.
The public trust page, provider list and DPA draft describe the review and deployment limits. There is no SOC 2 certificate or independent penetration-test report.