An oversight workflow is the operational process that defines who reviews a decision, who approves it, and who can intervene or stop it. In cyber security, it is used to control high-risk actions such as model outputs, access requests, content moderation, or automated incident response. The workflow should spell out roles, escalation paths, veto authority, and what context the reviewer can see.
This matters because a human reviewer only adds security if they have enough time, information, and authority to challenge bad output. Weak workflows create “rubber-stamp” approvals, where people see a recommendation but cannot meaningfully question it. Attackers can exploit that gap by pushing risky actions through fast-moving systems, while defenders strengthen it by adding clear approval thresholds, logging, exception handling, and tests that verify a reviewer can actually interrupt the machine.