LabSecurity & deployment
Define where information goes, what a system is allowed to do, and how its behavior is tested. Make the boundaries visible before the build.
Identity, approved information, and permitted actions.
Model hosting, logs, and backups are agreed as part of the architecture.
Choose the boundary.
Then choose the stack.
Private AI describes data access and deployment boundaries. It does not require a proprietary model, and an open model alone does not make a system private.
Data residency requirements, provider terms, cost, model performance, and the ability to operate the environment all shape the choice.
Compare the tradeoffs.
These are architecture options to assess, subject to technical feasibility and an agreed engagement scope.
| Option | Where it runs | What needs deciding | Operational consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed cloud | Selected application and model providers | Provider access, terms, residency, retention, and logging | Less infrastructure to operate; external dependencies remain |
| Customer-controlled cloud | Your cloud account or private network | Network boundaries, identities, inference endpoints, and backups | Shared responsibilities between your IT team and engineering partners |
| On premises | Suitable hardware in your environment | Model fit, hardware capacity, updates, integration, and physical access | Hardware and ongoing maintenance need a clear owner |
| Isolated environment | A restricted environment where technically supported | Allowed connectivity, model and package availability, update process | Additional constraints may affect performance and maintainability |
Make the requirements concrete.
Where does our data go?
Map source data, retrieval, model inference, application logs, and backups. The design should make every external destination visible before deployment.
Which providers can access it?
That depends on the selected model endpoint, hosting, logging, and support arrangements. Provider terms and information flows need to be reviewed against your requirements.
Can the system run in our environment?
Customer-controlled cloud and private-network deployments can be evaluated. On-premises or isolated operation depends on model availability, hardware, integrations, and operational feasibility.
How are document permissions respected?
Use the user’s identity to filter retrieval before information reaches the model. Test revoked access, team boundaries, and index updates; do not rely on a prompt to enforce permissions.
What can an agent do, and what requires approval?
Give each tool explicit permissions and action limits. Read-only retrieval, draft preparation, and record updates need different boundaries. High-impact actions require appropriate authorization and oversight.
How are actions logged?
Define an application-level record of requests, retrieval, tool calls, approval decisions, and outcomes. Balance traceability with data minimization, access restrictions, and retention requirements.
How are quality and failure modes tested?
Use representative tasks, difficult cases, permission tests, and adversarial inputs. Validate outputs against rules before downstream actions and define safe escalation behavior.
What happens when a provider or model changes?
Track application and model versions, rerun regression evaluations, and agree rollback or fallback behavior. Provider changes should pass the same acceptance criteria as the initial release.
How are retention and deletion handled?
Specify retention separately for source data, indexes, prompts, traces, and backups. Assign ownership of deletion and verify what provider or infrastructure constraints apply.
Controls belong
inside the workflow.
Security requirements are scoped for the application and deployment. Specialist cybersecurity services or certifications are not implied.
Access
Identity, least privilege, retrieval permissions, and secrets management.
Validation
Structured-output checks, business rules, and authorization before action.
Evaluation
Normal, difficult, and adversarial cases; regression tests for changes.
Operation
Traceability, monitoring, escalation, and agreed responsibility for updates.
Have a project in mind?
Tell us what you want to build.