Palantir Data Governance and Handling
Overview
Map the full data path before editing a permission or transform. Foundry discretionary roles, mandatory controls, Ontology row/property policies, and downstream exports protect different boundaries and must be reviewed separately.
Prerequisites
- Identify data owner, purpose, classifications, source datasets, derived resources, Ontology objects and properties, logs, exports, and retention obligations.
- Record the projects, organizations, markings, CBAC policies, groups, and roles governing each stage.
- Read
references/official-docs.mdand involve the information-security or privacy owner for regulated data. - Use synthetic data for policy tests unless a protected test environment is approved.
Current Contract
- Projects and roles provide discretionary access, while organizations, markings, and CBAC remain mandatory and propagate according to their own rules.
- Ontology object and property policies can implement row- and column-level read controls; granular controls do not automatically protect downstream exports.
- Mandatory controls within security policies continue to protect derived data where the documented propagation rules apply.
- Logs and audit exports may contain sensitive or personal data and require explicit access, marking, retention, and audience decisions.
Instructions
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Draw the data-flow and authority map from ingestion through transforms, Ontology, applications, logs, and exports.
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Classify each resource and define the minimum project roles, groups, mandatory controls, and application restrictions.
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Configure Ontology object/property policies for read-time needs and pair them with mandatory controls when downstream propagation is required.
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Define retention, deletion, export, and audit evidence procedures with accountable owners.
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Test authorized, unauthorized, downstream-derived, log-viewing, and export cases before production.
Tool Discipline
- Use Glob to locate candidate repositories, manifests, configurations, and evidence without widening scope.
- Use Grep to find relevant identifiers, declarations, permissions, errors, and stale claims.
- Use Read to inspect the smallest required files and authoritative evidence.
- Use Write only for a new approved local draft, test, manifest, or evidence artifact.
- Use Edit only for a bounded approved change whose rollback is known.
- Do not use file tools as a substitute for authenticated Foundry operations or owner approval.
Approval Boundaries
The data owner approves purpose and access; the security owner approves markings or CBAC; the privacy owner approves retention and deletion; the platform owner approves exports. Do not unmark, broaden roles, or export protected data without those approvals.
Output
A data-flow map, classification inventory, control matrix, lineage/propagation analysis, retention and deletion procedure, test evidence, exceptions, and owner attestations.
Error Handling
| Condition | Response |
|---|---|
| A user has a role but still lacks access | Check organizations, markings, CBAC, resource dependencies, and application restrictions rather than broadening the role. |
| A property policy protects reads but not an export | Add an appropriate mandatory control or redesign the export boundary. |
| Logs expose sensitive values | Stop export or viewing, apply the required markings and audience controls, then review retention. |
| Deletion cannot be proven downstream | Block closure and trace every derived dataset, Ontology resource, export, cache, and audit exception. |
Examples
Example 1
Protect customer contact fields with Ontology property policies while using mandatory markings for derived datasets and exports that must retain the same access requirement.
Example 2
Design a deletion request workflow that resolves the subject, identifies every governed resource and lawful exception, executes approved deletion or retention actions, and records non-sensitive evidence.
Validation
- Authorized and unauthorized personas behave as the policy specifies.
- Lineage demonstrates where mandatory controls propagate and where granular controls stop.
- Logs and exports have explicit markings, audiences, and retention.
- Deletion and retention evidence names every in-scope resource and exception.
- No credential, PII sample, or protected payload appears in the deliverable.
Resources
- Official documentation and contract notes
- Re-check the dated contract before any live operation.
- Treat unresolved or changed vendor behavior as a stop condition.