Low Risk

get_historical_data

Get historical time series (20+ years) for a country and indicator pair.

Part of the Statistics of the World server.

get_historical_data is read-only, but an agent in a loop can still rack up calls and cost. PolicyLayer caps every call before it runs. Live in minutes.

SECURE STATISTICS OF THE WORLD →

Free to start. No card required.

AI agents call get_historical_data to retrieve information from Statistics of the World without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.

Even though get_historical_data only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.

Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_historical_data": {}
  }
}

See the full Statistics of the World policy for all 7 tools.

Get this rule live on your own Statistics of the World server in minutes. PolicyLayer enforces it on every call, before it runs.

ENFORCE ON MY STATISTICS OF THE WORLD →

These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_historical_data gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:

Browse the full MCP Attack Database →

Every attack above starts with a tool call. PolicyLayer checks each one against your policy first, so get_historical_data only ever does what you allow.

SECURE STATISTICS OF THE WORLD →

Other read tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: allow, with a rate cap to control cost.

What does the get_historical_data tool do? +

Get historical time series (20+ years) for a country and indicator pair.. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Statistics of the World MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_historical_data? +

Register the Statistics of the World MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_historical_data: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Statistics of the World. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_historical_data? +

get_historical_data is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_historical_data? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_historical_data rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block get_historical_data completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_historical_data. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides get_historical_data? +

get_historical_data is provided by the Statistics of the World MCP server (https://statisticsoftheworld.com/api/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Statistics of the World tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 7 Statistics of the World tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

Free to start. No card required.

4,600+ MCP servers and 31,000+ tools scanned and risk-classified.

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