How Porcia Works

Porcia combines identity-provider, mailbox, browser, and workspace signals to help teams understand which applications are present, who has access, and where usage or access needs review. The public product experience focuses on application-level visibility rather than exposing private message or browsing content.

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The product at a glance

Porcia brings together four kinds of context:

• Application context — which SaaS or AI tools are present.
• Identity context — which users and groups are associated with access.
• Activity context — whether an application appears to be actively used.
• Governance context — whether access, OAuth grants, findings, or requests need review.

The exact screens and capabilities available to a workspace depend on its enabled integrations, permissions, and plan.

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Discovery sources

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Provider-based discovery

Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra can provide organization-wide discovery through the supported administrator setup. These connections help Porcia understand directory users and groups, application access, authentication activity, and delegated access. Google organization-wide discovery uses a service account with domain-wide delegation. Microsoft organization-wide discovery uses administrator consent in Microsoft Entra. Their required permissions and one-line purposes are documented on the provider pages:

• Google Workspace setup
• Microsoft Entra setup
• Organization Integrations

Okta connects through the administrator credential dialog described in the Okta setup guide.

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Provider mailbox signals

A connected Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra provider can surface relevant vendor signals such as signups, invoices, renewals, and OAuth notifications. These signals help identify tools that may not appear in an identity-provider application catalog. See the provider integration guides for access requirements and limitations.

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Browser signals

The browser extension adds usage and security context for applications that may be accessed outside the identity provider, including Shadow AI tools. Depending on enabled controls, it can provide domain-level usage, extension inventory, and security-signal categories. See the extension privacy and usage guides for user controls.

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How Porcia creates visibility

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Governance workflows

• Findings help teams review security and access concerns with evidence and remediation context.
• OAuth visibility helps identify delegated third-party access and review risky grants.
• Shadow Apps helps teams review applications discovered outside expected workflows.
• Rules can notify or route supported events according to workspace configuration.
• Playbooks provide guided operational steps where enabled.
• Pulses help verify usage with employees through configured delivery channels.
• Access Requests provide a controlled way to request and review application access. Approval records a governance decision; it does not automatically provision access inside the external application.

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Pia — AI assistant

Pia can answer questions about workspace information available to the current user and can perform supported actions when the user has permission and confirms the action. Available actions and data visibility depend on workspace configuration and role scope.

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Privacy and security principles

• Provider connections request the access needed for their supported discovery workflow.
• Provider connections use provider-specific permissions; relevant mailbox signals are part of the provider workflow where supported.
• Browser controls provide user and administrator controls for enabled signals.
• Public product workflows use application-level and organizational context rather than exposing private page content or general browsing history.
• Detailed security, retention, and compliance evidence is available only through approved product or trust materials.

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Next steps