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HeliosDB Nano

HeliosDB Nano Security Policy

HeliosDB Nano 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 Nano to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

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

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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