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HeliosDB-Lite Security Policy

HeliosDB-Lite Security Policy

Version 1.0 Effective Date: 2024-01-01 Last Review: 2026-01-24

1. Purpose

This Security Policy establishes the security requirements, controls, and procedures for HeliosDB-Lite to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

  • All HeliosDB-Lite source code and binaries
  • All deployment environments (development, staging, production)
  • All users, contributors, and administrators
  • All data processed by HeliosDB-Lite

3. Security Principles

3.1 Defense in Depth

Multiple layers of security controls are implemented:

  1. Network Layer: TLS 1.3 encryption for all communications
  2. Application Layer: Authentication, authorization, input validation
  3. Data Layer: Encryption at rest (TDE/ZKE), row-level security
  4. Infrastructure Layer: Secure configuration, hardening

3.2 Least Privilege

  • Users receive minimum permissions required for their role
  • Row-level security (RLS) enforces data access restrictions
  • Administrative functions require explicit privilege grants

3.3 Secure by Default

  • Encryption enabled by default
  • Strong authentication required
  • Secure defaults for all configuration options

4. Data Classification

ClassificationDescriptionHandling Requirements
PublicOpen source code, documentationStandard handling
InternalConfiguration, operational dataAccess controls required
ConfidentialCustomer data, credentialsEncryption required
RestrictedEncryption keys, secretsHSM/KMS required

5. Access Control

5.1 Authentication Requirements

Authentication MethodUse CaseStrength
Password + SCRAM-256Interactive usersHigh
JWT (RS256/ES256)API/service accessHigh
mTLSServer-to-serverVery High
API KeysLegacy/simple accessMedium

5.2 Password Policy

  • Minimum length: 12 characters
  • Complexity: Uppercase, lowercase, number, special character
  • History: Cannot reuse last 10 passwords
  • Expiration: 90 days (configurable)
  • Lockout: 5 failed attempts, 30-minute lockout

5.3 Authorization

  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for system access
  • Row-Level Security (RLS) for data access
  • Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) for fine-grained policies

6. Encryption

6.1 Data at Rest

LayerAlgorithmKey Management
TDEAES-256-GCMServer-managed (KeyManager)
ZKEAES-256-GCMClient-managed
Field-LevelAES-256-GCMPer-field keys

6.2 Data in Transit

  • TLS 1.3 required for all connections
  • Minimum cipher suite: TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
  • Certificate validation enforced
  • HSTS enabled for web interfaces

6.3 Key Management

  • Keys stored in secure memory (zeroized on drop)
  • Key rotation supported with zero downtime
  • Key derivation: Argon2id (standard) or PBKDF2 (FIPS)
  • HSM/KMS integration for enterprise deployments

7. Secure Development

7.1 Secure Coding Standards

  • OWASP Top 10 prevention
  • Input validation on all user data
  • Output encoding for all responses
  • Parameterized queries (SQL injection prevention)
  • No unwrap() in production code

7.2 Code Review Requirements

  • All changes require peer review
  • Security-sensitive changes require security team review
  • Automated security scanning (Clippy, cargo-audit)

7.3 Dependency Management

  • Regular dependency updates
  • Vulnerability scanning on all dependencies
  • License compliance verification
  • No GPL-licensed dependencies

8. Vulnerability Management

8.1 Vulnerability Reporting

Report security vulnerabilities to: security@heliosdb.io

Do NOT report vulnerabilities through:

  • Public GitHub issues
  • Social media
  • Mailing lists

8.2 Response Timeline

SeverityResponse TimePatch Time
Critical4 hours24 hours
High24 hours7 days
Medium72 hours30 days
Low1 week90 days

8.3 Disclosure Policy

  • 90-day coordinated disclosure window
  • Credit given to reporters (if desired)
  • Public advisory after patch release

9. Incident Response

See: INCIDENT_RESPONSE.md

9.1 Incident Classification

SeverityDescriptionResponse
P1Data breach, system compromiseImmediate (24/7)
P2Service outage, security bypass1 hour
P3Degraded security, partial outage4 hours
P4Minor security issueNext business day

10. Audit and Monitoring

10.1 Logging Requirements

All security-relevant events must be logged:

  • Authentication attempts (success/failure)
  • Authorization decisions
  • Data access (read/write/delete)
  • Administrative actions
  • Configuration changes

10.2 Log Retention

Log TypeRetention Period
Security events1 year
Access logs90 days
Audit logs7 years
Debug logs30 days

10.3 Monitoring

  • Real-time alerting for security events
  • Anomaly detection for access patterns
  • Regular log review and analysis

11. Business Continuity

See: DISASTER_RECOVERY.md

11.1 Recovery Objectives

MetricTarget
RTO (Recovery Time Objective)< 5 minutes
RPO (Recovery Point Objective)< 1 hour
Availability99.9%

12. Compliance

12.1 Regulatory Compliance

  • GDPR: Data protection and privacy controls
  • SOC 2: Trust services criteria
  • FIPS 140-3: Cryptographic module validation (optional)

12.2 Compliance Evidence

  • Automated compliance reporting
  • Audit trail maintenance
  • Regular compliance assessments

13. Training and Awareness

13.1 Security Training

  • Annual security awareness training
  • Role-specific security training
  • Incident response drills

13.2 Documentation

  • Security documentation maintained and current
  • Runbooks for common security procedures
  • Incident response playbooks

14. Policy Review

14.1 Review Cycle

  • Annual policy review
  • Review after significant incidents
  • Review after major system changes

14.2 Change Management

  • All policy changes require security team approval
  • Changes communicated to affected parties
  • Version control maintained

15. Enforcement

Violations of this policy may result in:

  • Revocation of access
  • Removal of contributions
  • Legal action (if applicable)

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