A checkpoint is a predefined point in a process where work pauses for extra review, testing, or authorization before continuing. In cyber security, checkpoints help prevent unsafe changes, unauthorized actions, or risky automation from moving forward without scrutiny.
Checkpoints matter because they create enforcement points in systems that otherwise run continuously. Defenders use them in secure software releases, access approval flows, model evaluations, and privileged workflows. In AI security, a checkpoint can trigger deeper testing, human review, sandboxing, or a halt to scaling when a system crosses a capability threshold. Attackers may try to bypass or rush past checkpoints by abusing weak approval processes, but well-designed checkpoints reduce the chance that a dangerous action is deployed, executed, or granted access without oversight.