# ACT-07 Kill switch (Critical)

Domain: ACT Action & Tool Use Controls · HI-AAF v1.3 · Public review · https://humanintel.net/standard/act/act-07

A kill switch allows authorized operators to immediately suspend any agent in production. Propagation behavior across multi-agent chains is governed by MAS-08.

Emergency suspend can be invoked by the risk owner or authorized operator and takes effect within a documented latency. The kill switch is the last line of defense: when all other controls have failed, this is what prevents ongoing harm. Propagation behavior across multi-agent chains is governed by MAS-08. The kill switch is tested at a documented cadence.

Critical control: a Critical failure precludes HI-AAF Certification regardless of the maturity level achieved on any other control.

## Maturity

- L1 Ad hoc: Controls exist informally; documentation is incomplete; no consistent review.
- L2 Documented: Controls are written down; ownership is assigned; review cadence is defined.
- L3 Operated: Controls are followed in practice; evidence is collected; deviations are tracked. Published criterion for ACT-07: Kill switch exists and is operational for all production agents; the switch has been tested in a drill or live incident within the documented cadence; documented latency from invocation to full suspension is measured and within SLA.
- L4 Measured: Control effectiveness is measured against documented thresholds; trends are reported.
- L5 Continuously Improved: Controls evolve based on incident learning; maturity gains are evidenced over time.

## Evidence an assessor asks for

- Kill switch exists and is operational for all production agents.
- The switch has been tested in a drill or live incident within the documented cadence.
- Documented latency from invocation to full suspension is measured and within SLA.

## Framework mappings

- NIST AI RMF: MANAGE 4.2
- SOC 2 (TSC): CC7.4, A1.2
- EU AI Act: Art. 14(4), Art. 15(3)
- MITRE ATLAS: Impact
- Singapore: MAIGF Operations Management, AI Verify Human Agency & Oversight

Mappings are directional: meeting this control evidences but does not by itself satisfy the external requirement.

## Related

- Cites MAS-08 Suspend propagation: https://humanintel.net/standard/mas/mas-08
- Cited by OUT-15 Model availability & continuity: https://humanintel.net/standard/out/out-15
- Cited by MAS-08 Suspend propagation: https://humanintel.net/standard/mas/mas-08

## Cite this control

Human Intelligence. HI-AAF v1.3, ACT-07 Kill switch. Public review edition, July 2026. https://humanintel.net/standard/act/act-07