diff --git a/.github/workflows/backport.yml b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
index 760c3e9999d..54b5b285097 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backport.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backport.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,13 @@ on:
         description: "The pull request # to backport"
         required: true
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   backport:
+    permissions:
+      contents: write  # for git push to PR branch
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark-tags.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark-tags.yml
index 5831c0f9819..04f5ccdd88d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark-tags.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark-tags.yml
@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@ name: Benchmark Tags
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   sdk-benchmark:
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # for git push to benchmarks branch
     name: Benchmark SDK
     runs-on: self-hosted
     timeout-minutes: 10
diff --git a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
index 1f026b2c654..442f22e0a09 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/benchmark.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@ on:
     branches: [ main ]
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   sdk-benchmark:
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # for git push to benchmarks branch
     name: Benchmark SDK
     runs-on: self-hosted
     timeout-minutes: 10
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-tracecontext-testsuite.yml b/.github/workflows/build-tracecontext-testsuite.yml
index 3470424f594..236e6ad8707 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-tracecontext-testsuite.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-tracecontext-testsuite.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,14 @@ on:
       - main
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   publish:
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-test-containers-daily.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-test-containers-daily.yml
index ba9f627d22b..190737d035b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-test-containers-daily.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-test-containers-daily.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,14 @@ on:
     - cron: "23 3 * * *"
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   copy-images:
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
     strategy:
       matrix:
         include:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-management-feedback-label.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-management-feedback-label.yml
index da9aa75b7bb..dfbba807271 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-management-feedback-label.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-management-feedback-label.yml
@@ -4,8 +4,14 @@ on:
   issue_comment:
     types: [created]
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   issue_comment:
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      issues: write
     if: >
       contains(github.event.issue.labels.*.name, 'needs author feedback') &&
       github.event.comment.user.login == github.event.issue.user.login
diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-management-stale-action.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-management-stale-action.yml
index af57d2e3393..d222695559b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-management-stale-action.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-management-stale-action.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ on:
     # hourly at minute 23
     - cron: "23 * * * *"
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   stale:
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      issues: write  # for actions/stale to close stale issues
+      pull-requests: write  # for actions/stale to close stale PRs
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/stale@v9
diff --git a/.github/workflows/owasp-dependency-check-daily.yml b/.github/workflows/owasp-dependency-check-daily.yml
index 4f346d2848b..5433e10bb08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/owasp-dependency-check-daily.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/owasp-dependency-check-daily.yml
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@ name: OWASP dependency check (daily)
 
 on:
   schedule:
-    - cron: '30 1 * * *'
+    - cron: "30 1 * * *" # daily at 1:30 UTC
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   analyze:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set up gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v4
+
       - name: Check dependencies
         run: ./gradlew dependencyCheckAnalyze
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-markdown-link-check.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-markdown-link-check.yml
index d5444b0afa5..d1b6b7c0e7b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-markdown-link-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-markdown-link-check.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ name: Reusable - Markdown link check
 on:
   workflow_call:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   markdown-link-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-misspell-check.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-misspell-check.yml
index 7876c441a9b..28eb76c5bc9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-misspell-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-misspell-check.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ name: Reusable - Misspell check
 on:
   workflow_call:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 jobs:
   misspell-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest