Security & Privacy Overview
Overview
Defense Catalyst is built with security and privacy as core principles. This document explains how we protect your data, what security features are available, and best practices for secure automation.
Note: This is a public-friendly overview. For detailed security documentation, compliance certifications, and technical security details, contact our security team.
Data Handling
Where Your Data Lives
Infrastructure:
- Self-hosted on Railway platform
- Data stored in secure cloud infrastructure
- Geographic location: [Specify region]
- Compliant with data residency requirements
Data Types:
- Flow Configurations: Your workflow definitions
- Run Data: Execution history and logs
- Connection Credentials: Encrypted authentication data
- User Information: Account and workspace data
Data Flow
Your Browser
↓ HTTPS (TLS 1.3)
Defense Catalyst Frontend
↓ HTTPS (TLS 1.3)
Defense Catalyst Backend
↓ Encrypted Connection
External Services (via your connections)
Key Points:
- All data encrypted in transit
- No data stored on your device
- External services accessed with your credentials
- Data isolated between workspaces
Data Encryption
In Transit:
- TLS 1.3 encryption
- HTTPS for all connections
- Certificate pinning
- Perfect forward secrecy
At Rest:
- AES-256 encryption
- Encrypted database storage
- Encrypted backups
- Encrypted file storage
Key Management:
- Industry-standard key management
- Regular key rotation
- Secure key storage
- No customer access to encryption keys
Secrets & Credentials
How Connections Are Stored
OAuth Tokens:
- Encrypted at rest
- Automatically refreshed
- Revocable anytime
- Scoped to minimum permissions
API Keys:
- Encrypted at rest
- Never logged or displayed
- Masked in UI (shows last 4 characters)
- Rotatable
Passwords:
- Encrypted at rest
- Never displayed after entry
- Hashed using bcrypt
- Not recoverable (must reset)
Who Can Access Connections
Workspace Admins:
- Can view connection names
- Can test connections
- Can delete connections
- Cannot view credentials
Workspace Editors:
- Can use existing connections
- Can create new connections
- Cannot view credentials
- Cannot delete others’ connections
Workspace Viewers:
- Can see connection names
- Cannot use connections
- Cannot view credentials
- Cannot modify connections
Credential Rotation
Best Practices:
- Rotate API keys every 90 days
- Regenerate OAuth tokens annually
- Update passwords regularly
- Remove unused connections
How to Rotate:
- Generate new credentials in external service
- Update connection in Defense Catalyst
- Test connection
- Revoke old credentials
- Monitor for issues
Access Controls
User Roles
Admin
Can:
- Manage workspace settings
- Invite/remove users
- Assign roles
- View all flows
- Edit all flows
- Delete flows
- Manage connections
- View billing
- Access audit logs
Cannot:
- View connection credentials
Editor
Can:
- Create flows
- Edit own flows
- View all flows
- Create connections
- Use connections
- View run history
- Test flows
Cannot:
- Manage users
- Delete others’ flows
- View billing
- Access audit logs
- View connection credentials
Viewer
Can:
- View flows
- View run history
- View connections (names only)
Cannot:
- Create/edit flows
- Create connections
- Execute flows
- Manage workspace
- View credentials
Inviting Team Members
Process:
- Admin sends invitation
- User receives email
- User creates account or signs in
- User joins workspace with assigned role
Security:
- Invitation expires after 7 days
- Email verification required
- Can be revoked before acceptance
- Audit log entry created
Removing Access
When User Leaves:
- Admin removes user from workspace
- User loses access immediately
- User’s flows remain (can be reassigned)
- User’s connections remain (can be deleted)
- Audit log entry created
Best Practices:
- Remove access same day
- Review and reassign flows
- Rotate shared credentials
- Audit user’s activities
Compliance
Defense-Focused Features
DoD Compliance:
- Enhanced security controls
- Audit logging
- Data residency options
- Air-gapped deployment support
- Compliance documentation available
Security Features:
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Single sign-on (SSO) - Enterprise
- IP whitelisting - Enterprise
- Advanced audit logs - Enterprise
Air-Gapped Deployment
What It Means:
- No internet connectivity required
- Fully isolated network
- On-premises deployment
- Complete data control
Available For:
- Enterprise customers
- Government agencies
- High-security environments
Contact: Enterprise sales for air-gapped deployment options
Audit Logging
What’s Logged:
- User authentication
- Flow creation/modification
- Connection creation/deletion
- User management actions
- Configuration changes
- API access
Retention:
- Standard: 30 days
- Enterprise: 1 year
- Exportable for compliance
Access:
- Workspace admins only
- Read-only
- Tamper-proof
- Timestamped
Authentication
Password Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
- 12 characters minimum
- Mix of uppercase and lowercase
- At least one number
- At least one special character
- Not in common password list
Best Practices:
- Use password manager
- Unique password for Defense Catalyst
- Change if compromised
- Don’t share passwords
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Supported Methods:
- Authenticator app (TOTP)
- SMS (not recommended)
- Hardware security key (Enterprise)
Setup:
- Go to Account Settings
- Enable MFA
- Scan QR code with authenticator app
- Enter verification code
- Save backup codes
Recovery:
- Use backup codes
- Contact support if locked out
- Verify identity required
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Available For: Enterprise customers
Supported Providers:
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Azure AD
- Okta
- Auth0
- Custom SAML 2.0
Benefits:
- Centralized access control
- Automatic provisioning/deprovisioning
- Compliance with corporate policies
- Reduced password fatigue
Network Security
IP Whitelisting
Available For: Enterprise customers
What It Does:
- Restricts access to specific IP addresses
- Blocks unauthorized access attempts
- Adds layer of security
Use Cases:
- Office network only
- VPN required
- Known locations only
Firewall Rules
Inbound:
- HTTPS (443) only
- DDoS protection enabled
- Rate limiting active
- Geographic restrictions available
Outbound:
- Connections to external services
- Webhook deliveries
- API calls
- All encrypted
TLS/SSL
Configuration:
- TLS 1.3 preferred
- TLS 1.2 minimum
- Strong cipher suites only
- HSTS enabled
- Certificate transparency
Data Privacy
What We Collect
Account Data:
- Email address
- Name
- Workspace information
- Usage statistics
Flow Data:
- Flow configurations
- Run history
- Input/output data
- Error logs
Connection Data:
- Connection names
- Encrypted credentials
- Usage metadata
What We Don’t Collect
- ❌ Passwords (stored hashed only)
- ❌ Connection credentials (stored encrypted, never viewed)
- ❌ Sensitive data from your flows (not analyzed)
- ❌ Personal information beyond account needs
Data Sharing
We Never:
- Sell your data
- Share with third parties for marketing
- Use your data to train AI models
- Access your data without permission
We May Share:
- With your explicit consent
- To comply with legal requirements
- With service providers (under strict agreements)
- Anonymized, aggregated analytics
Your Rights
You Can:
- Access your data
- Export your data
- Delete your data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Opt out of analytics
- Request data processing details
How to Exercise Rights:
- Contact: privacy@defensecatalyst.com
- Response time: 30 days
- Verification required
Best Practices
For Workspace Admins
User Management:
- ✅ Use principle of least privilege
- ✅ Assign appropriate roles
- ✅ Review access quarterly
- ✅ Remove inactive users
- ✅ Enable MFA for all users
Connection Management:
- ✅ Use service accounts for production
- ✅ Rotate credentials regularly
- ✅ Delete unused connections
- ✅ Audit connection usage
- ✅ Document connection purposes
Monitoring:
- ✅ Review audit logs monthly
- ✅ Monitor for suspicious activity
- ✅ Set up security alerts
- ✅ Track failed login attempts
- ✅ Review API usage
For All Users
Account Security:
- ✅ Use strong, unique password
- ✅ Enable MFA
- ✅ Don’t share credentials
- ✅ Log out on shared devices
- ✅ Report suspicious activity
Flow Security:
- ✅ Don’t hardcode secrets in flows
- ✅ Use connections for credentials
- ✅ Validate external data
- ✅ Handle errors securely
- ✅ Test flows in non-production first
Data Handling:
- ✅ Minimize sensitive data in flows
- ✅ Sanitize logs
- ✅ Use encryption when possible
- ✅ Follow data retention policies
- ✅ Document data flows
For Developers
API Security:
- ✅ Use API keys securely
- ✅ Rotate keys regularly
- ✅ Implement rate limiting
- ✅ Validate all inputs
- ✅ Handle errors gracefully
Integration Security:
- ✅ Use HTTPS for webhooks
- ✅ Verify webhook signatures
- ✅ Validate external data
- ✅ Implement timeouts
- ✅ Log security events
Incident Response
If You Suspect a Security Issue
Immediate Actions:
- Change your password
- Revoke suspicious connections
- Review recent activity
- Contact security team
Report To:
- Email: security@defensecatalyst.com
- Include: What you observed, when, affected resources
- Response time: 24 hours for security issues
If Your Account Is Compromised
Steps:
- Reset password immediately
- Enable MFA if not already enabled
- Review and revoke all connections
- Check audit logs for unauthorized activity
- Contact support
- Rotate all external credentials
Our Response
We Will:
- Investigate promptly
- Contain the issue
- Notify affected users
- Provide remediation steps
- Document and learn
Timeline:
- Initial response: 24 hours
- Investigation: 48-72 hours
- Resolution: Varies by severity
- Post-mortem: Within 1 week
Compliance & Certifications
Current Certifications
- SOC 2 Type II (in progress)
- GDPR compliant
- CCPA compliant
- DoD security requirements
Compliance Documentation
Available:
- Security whitepaper
- Data processing agreement
- Business associate agreement (BAA)
- Compliance questionnaires
Request: Contact compliance@defensecatalyst.com
Related Documentation
- Privacy Policy - Full privacy policy
- Terms of Service - Terms and conditions
- Acceptable Use Policy - Usage guidelines
- Contact Support - Get help
Security Contact
For Security Issues:
- Email: security@defensecatalyst.com
- PGP Key: [Available on request]
- Response time: 24 hours
For Privacy Questions:
- Email: privacy@defensecatalyst.com
- Response time: 30 days
For Compliance:
- Email: compliance@defensecatalyst.com
- Response time: 5 business days
Quick Reference
Security Checklist
Account:
- Strong password set
- MFA enabled
- Recovery codes saved
- Email verified
Workspace:
- Users have appropriate roles
- Inactive users removed
- Audit logs reviewed
- Security alerts configured
Connections:
- Using service accounts
- Credentials rotated regularly
- Unused connections deleted
- Connection usage documented
Flows:
- No hardcoded secrets
- Error handling implemented
- External data validated
- Tested before production