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A “zero egress” statement is only verifiable when it defines which data and workloads it covers, which destinations are allowed, and which network paths and exceptions are in scope. Check that written boundary against the deployed architecture, effective outbound policies, and independent telemetry; then test both an allowed connection and one the policy should block.
Make “zero egress” a claim you can test
“Zero egress” is not a universal technical guarantee with one standard definition. Cloud-provider documentation describes controls for specific services and architectures; it does not establish what an unnamed AI vendor means contractually or how its deployment is configured. Ask the vendor and your service owner to define the boundary in writing before evaluating the claim.
| Scope item | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Workloads and data | Which applications, model endpoints, data classes, prompts, responses, retrieved content, and stored artifacts are covered? |
| Destinations | Which services, regions, subprocessors, tools, telemetry endpoints, and support systems can receive traffic or data? |
| Traffic direction | Does the claim cover outbound connections, inbound access, responses, and control-plane traffic as well as data-plane traffic? |
| Dependencies and exceptions | Which identity, storage, retrieval, DNS, logging, administration, and service-management paths are necessary, and what exceptions are permitted? |
| Boundary and evidence | Where is each connection enforced, and what configuration or logs would demonstrate that the stated policy was applied? |
Keep the contractual definition and architecture diagram alongside this scope. A general statement without named destinations, exceptions, and covered paths cannot be matched reliably to network policy or telemetry.
Map every way data and traffic can move
Trace the full request and response path, not just the connection to the model endpoint. Include retrieval and storage dependencies, agent tools, telemetry, support channels, DNS, and administrative access. For each connection, record its source, destination, direction, purpose, and network enforcement point.
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Architecture matters because different components can take different routes. Microsoft’s Baseline Microsoft Foundry Chat Reference Architecture places a data proxy on the egress path for service dependencies and most external knowledge or tool connections. Its hosted-agent outbound behavior differs and should be mapped through the dedicated network interface described for that architecture. DNS logs can help audit and troubleshoot name lookups, but they do not by themselves show that every other traffic path is blocked.
Inspect effective controls, not just diagrams
Check the policies actually applied to the workload and its dependencies. A private connection or perimeter can reduce exposure, but it answers a narrower question than whether all unapproved outbound paths are denied.
Default-deny egress and explicit exceptions
Look for a deny-by-default outbound policy with specific allow rules for required destinations. Google Cloud’s Multi-agent private networking patterns in Google Cloud describes specific allow rules followed by a general deny rule. Verify the effective rules at the enforcement point for each mapped path, including any routes or exceptions that could bypass it.
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Perimeters and private routes
For Google Cloud workloads, check whether the relevant resources are within the intended VPC Service Controls perimeter, how ingress and egress rules are configured, and whether restricted VIP or private-access routing is used where applicable. Google Cloud’s Overview of VPC Service Controls describes perimeter controls that can prevent copying data to resources outside the perimeter and notes that they complement network egress controls. Its dry-run mode can surface requests before enforcement. The separate guidance VPC Service Controls with Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform covers private routes and perimeter use for that platform; it should not be generalized to every service.
For Azure Private Link, verify that the private endpoint maps to the intended resource instance and that the relevant network policies and rules are effective. Microsoft’s Secure your Azure Private Link deployment recommends monitoring private endpoint bytes in and out, diagnostic logs for access decisions, and activity-log changes to endpoint state. A private endpoint establishes a private connectivity path to a resource; it is not, on its own, evidence that every other outbound destination is blocked.
Traffic visibility
AWS Prescriptive Guidance on the data perimeter for Amazon Bedrock describes using VPC Flow Logs to capture traffic metadata and help identify anomalous patterns, such as unusual volume or unexpected destinations. Confirm the logs cover the relevant interfaces and paths, and check their retention, delivery, and alerting in your environment. A flow log is evidence about traffic within its configured coverage, not proof that unobserved paths do not exist.
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Run controlled allow-and-deny tests
Use a non-production or otherwise controlled environment to validate the policy. Google Cloud’s dry-run capability can help surface requests before enforcement; where another platform offers observe-only controls, use them before changing to enforcement. The test method below is a general verification approach, not a provider-specific command or a claim that packet-level testing has been performed.
- Choose two cases: a known required destination that policy should allow, and a controlled destination that policy should block.
- Record the setup: identify the workload, destination, applicable policy, environment, region, configuration version, and test time.
- Exercise each path: make the allowed request and the denied request using the workload or a representative test process. Do not send sensitive data to an unapproved destination.
- Check the outcome and evidence: confirm whether the request succeeded or was blocked, then find the corresponding firewall or perimeter decision and relevant flow, DNS, diagnostic, or audit event.
- Repeat under enforcement: after enabling the intended policy, repeat both cases and preserve the observed results. Investigate any mismatch between expected behavior, request outcome, and logs.
A missing log event is not automatically evidence that no connection occurred: first establish that the relevant source, path, event type, and time period were covered by logging. Do not describe a configuration review or an allow/deny application test as packet-level validation unless packet-level inspection was actually performed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check identity and data controls too
Network restrictions do not prevent every form of authorized misuse. Review service identities, least-privilege permissions, access to source data, and audit events alongside network policy. Microsoft’s Data exfiltration protection – Azure Databricks describes layered protection that includes data governance and audit logging, and warns that network controls alone do not stop authorized users from misusing access.
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Keep an evidence record tied to the claim
For each covered workload and exception, retain:
- The written scope and contractual definition, including covered data, destinations, traffic directions, dependencies, and exclusions.
- The architecture and path diagram, with the enforcement point for each connection.
- Exports or records of effective network, perimeter, endpoint, DNS, and identity configuration.
- Log-source coverage, retention and delivery settings, and the alerts used to detect unexpected traffic.
- Test cases, timestamps, expected and observed allow/deny outcomes, and the matching policy and telemetry evidence.
- Exceptions, the owner responsible for each, and the configuration version, region, and review date.
Cloud features and deployments can change, so tie evidence to the environment and date it describes. Keep a configuration export distinct from a test result: one shows what was set; the other records what happened under a defined test.
Decide what the evidence supports
A defensible assessment connects three things: a clearly bounded claim, effective deny-by-default enforcement with documented exceptions, and telemetry plus controlled tests that cover the mapped paths. State any unverified dependency, unobserved route, or contractual ambiguity as an explicit limitation. If a path or exception has not been mapped and tested, the evidence supports only a narrower claim—not a universal assertion that no data can leave.
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