Who Should Trust MCP?
Evaluating if MCP is right for your security requirements. Risk assessment framework.
This article is part of our Security series.
Read the complete guide: Is MCP Safe?Not everyone should use MCP. That's not a sales pitch—it's an honest assessment. This article helps you evaluate whether MCP fits your security requirements, risk tolerance, and use case. No pressure, just clarity.
The Trust Question
When you ask "Should I trust MCP?" you're really asking three things:
Is the protocol itself secure? (Yes, local-first).
Is Anthropic trustworthy to process your data?
Will you use it responsibly and grant focused permissions?
MCP can be technically secure but still inappropriate for your specific legal or compliance context.
MCP Is Likely Right For You If...
You use Gmail, Drive, Slack, Notion for standard business tasks in a non-regulated industry.
You control your own data. The time savings outweigh theoretical risks.
You understand the local architecture and can verify the code/tools yourself.
Proceed With Caution If...
Consult your compliance team. Some use cases may be permitted; others prohibited.
Consider if these specific files need to be connected. Maybe isolate them.
Probably Not Right For You If...
If data cannot leave your premise, MCP (which uses Claude API) is not compatible.
If your organization has a blanket ban, don't use Shadow IT. Wait for policy change.
Risk Assessment Framework
Evaluate your own situation with this 5-step process:
Low Value + High Sensitivity = STOP
Trust But Verify
For those proceeding, you don't have to operate on blind faith.
- MCP is open source—audit the code.
- Local-first architecture—you can verify network calls.
- Permissions are explicit—you control scopes.
- Read-only modes available for safe testing.
Common Trust Concerns
Real risk for any cloud service (Slack, Gmail, Salesforce). Anthropic is enterprise-grade. The risk is comparable to other SaaS tools you already use.
Credentials stay local. This risk depends on your device security. Encrypt your hard drive and use a strong password.
User error is the biggest risk. Start slowly, understand what you connect, and review AI outputs before sending.
The Honest Bottom Line
Most knowledge workers in standard business contexts should feel comfortable using MCP. The security model is sound, and if you already trust cloud tools like Gmail and Slack, this doesn't dramatically alter your risk profile.
Regulated or high-security roles should pause. MCP might still work for you, but it requires a formal evaluation, not a quick install.
Decision Checklist
Made Your Decision?
If it's not right for you, that's okay. Bookmark us and revisit later.