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Security Guide

Overview

VoxaCommunications-NetNode implements comprehensive security measures across multiple layers to ensure secure, private, and resilient communications. This guide covers the security architecture, best practices, and configuration options for maintaining a secure node deployment.

Security Architecture

Multi-Layer Security Model

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                Application Layer Security                │
│  ✓ Container Isolation    ✓ Resource Limits            │
│  ✓ Sandboxing            ✓ Registry Validation         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Network Layer Security                 │
│  ✓ Request Splitting     ✓ Dynamic Routing             │
│  ✓ End-to-End Encryption ✓ Anonymous Communication     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                Transport Layer Security                 │
│  ✓ TLS 1.3               ✓ Certificate Validation      │
│  ✓ Perfect Forward Secrecy ✓ HSTS                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│               Authentication & Authorization            │
│  ✓ Token-based Auth      ✓ Role-based Access           │
│  ✓ Rate Limiting         ✓ IP Whitelisting              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                Infrastructure Security                  │
│  ✓ Secure Defaults       ✓ Minimal Attack Surface      │
│  ✓ Security Monitoring   ✓ Audit Logging               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Core Security Features

1. Request Splitting Technology

VoxaCommunications' signature security feature splits requests across multiple paths:

How Request Splitting Works

Original Request: GET /api/sensitive-data
                      ↓
              [Split into parts]
                      ↓
    Part 1 + Hash → Node A → Relay 1 → Destination
    Part 2 + Hash → Node B → Relay 2 → Destination  
    Part 3 + Hash → Node C → Relay 3 → Destination
                      ↓
              [Reassembled securely]
                      ↓
             Complete Request Processed

Security Benefits

  • No Single Point of Compromise: No individual node sees the complete request
  • Hash Verification: Each part includes cryptographic hashes for integrity
  • Dynamic Routing: Routes change dynamically to prevent pattern analysis
  • Traffic Obfuscation: Request patterns are obscured across the network

Configuration

{
  "request_splitting": {
    "enabled": true,
    "min_parts": 3,
    "max_parts": 7,
    "hash_algorithm": "SHA256",
    "routing_algorithm": "random_path"
  }
}

2. Container Security

Application Sandboxing

All deployed applications run in isolated containers with strict security policies:

{
  "container_security": {
    "no_privileged_containers": true,
    "read_only_root_filesystem": true,
    "no_new_privileges": true,
    "drop_all_capabilities": true,
    "user_namespace": true,
    "network_isolation": true,
    "resource_limits": {
      "memory": "512m",
      "cpu": "1.0",
      "processes": 100,
      "file_descriptors": 1024
    }
  }
}

Security Scanning

class SecurityScanner:
    def scan_container_image(self, image_name):
        """Scan container image for vulnerabilities"""
        vulnerabilities = []

        # Check for known vulnerabilities
        vulnerabilities.extend(self._scan_cve_database(image_name))

        # Verify image signatures
        if not self._verify_image_signature(image_name):
            vulnerabilities.append("Unsigned image")

        # Check for malware
        vulnerabilities.extend(self._malware_scan(image_name))

        return vulnerabilities

3. Cryptographic Security

Key Management

class CryptoManager:
    def __init__(self):
        self.rsa_key_size = 2048
        self.ec_curve = "secp256k1"
        self.symmetric_algorithm = "AES-256-GCM"

    def generate_node_keypair(self):
        """Generate RSA keypair for node identity"""
        private_key = rsa.generate_private_key(
            public_exponent=65537,
            key_size=self.rsa_key_size
        )
        return private_key, private_key.public_key()

    def encrypt_data(self, data, public_key):
        """Encrypt data with public key"""
        return public_key.encrypt(
            data,
            padding.OAEP(
                mgf=padding.MGF1(algorithm=hashes.SHA256()),
                algorithm=hashes.SHA256(),
                label=None
            )
        )

Supported Algorithms

  • Asymmetric: RSA-2048, ECDSA (secp256k1), Ed25519
  • Symmetric: AES-256-GCM, ChaCha20-Poly1305
  • Hashing: SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE2b
  • Key Exchange: ECDH, X25519

4. Network Security

TLS Configuration

{
  "tls": {
    "enabled": true,
    "version": "1.3",
    "cipher_suites": [
      "TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384",
      "TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256",
      "TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256"
    ],
    "certificate_path": "/etc/ssl/certs/voxa.crt",
    "private_key_path": "/etc/ssl/private/voxa.key",
    "verify_peer_certificates": true,
    "hsts": {
      "enabled": true,
      "max_age": 31536000,
      "include_subdomains": true,
      "preload": true
    }
  }
}

P2P Security

class P2PSecurityManager:
    def establish_secure_channel(self, peer_id):
        """Establish encrypted P2P channel"""
        # 1. Verify peer identity
        if not self.verify_peer_identity(peer_id):
            raise SecurityError("Peer identity verification failed")

        # 2. Perform key exchange
        shared_secret = self.perform_key_exchange(peer_id)

        # 3. Derive encryption keys
        encryption_key = self.derive_key(shared_secret, "encryption")
        mac_key = self.derive_key(shared_secret, "authentication")

        return SecureChannel(encryption_key, mac_key)

Authentication and Authorization

Token-Based Authentication

JWT Token Structure

class AuthToken:
    def generate_token(self, user_id, permissions):
        payload = {
            "user_id": user_id,
            "permissions": permissions,
            "issued_at": time.time(),
            "expires_at": time.time() + 3600,
            "node_id": self.node_id
        }
        return jwt.encode(payload, self.private_key, algorithm="RS256")

    def verify_token(self, token):
        try:
            payload = jwt.decode(token, self.public_key, algorithms=["RS256"])
            if payload["expires_at"] < time.time():
                raise AuthError("Token expired")
            return payload
        except jwt.InvalidTokenError:
            raise AuthError("Invalid token")

Permission System

{
  "permissions": {
    "node.read": "Read node information",
    "node.write": "Modify node configuration", 
    "app.deploy": "Deploy applications",
    "app.manage": "Manage deployed applications",
    "data.read": "Read stored data",
    "data.write": "Write data to storage",
    "admin.full": "Full administrative access"
  }
}

Role-Based Access Control

class RBAC:
    def __init__(self):
        self.roles = {
            "viewer": ["node.read", "data.read"],
            "developer": ["node.read", "app.deploy", "app.manage"],
            "operator": ["node.read", "node.write", "app.manage"],
            "admin": ["admin.full"]
        }

    def check_permission(self, user_role, required_permission):
        if "admin.full" in self.roles.get(user_role, []):
            return True
        return required_permission in self.roles.get(user_role, [])

Security Hardening

Production Security Checklist

System Hardening

  • Disable unnecessary services
  • Configure firewall rules
  • Enable fail2ban for brute force protection
  • Set up intrusion detection (AIDE/OSSEC)
  • Configure secure SSH access
  • Enable automatic security updates
  • Implement log monitoring

Application Hardening

  • Enable TLS 1.3 with strong cipher suites
  • Configure HSTS headers
  • Set security-focused HTTP headers
  • Enable rate limiting
  • Configure IP whitelisting
  • Disable debug modes in production
  • Set up security monitoring

Container Hardening

  • Use minimal base images
  • Scan images for vulnerabilities
  • Run containers as non-root
  • Enable read-only root filesystem
  • Drop unnecessary capabilities
  • Set resource limits
  • Enable security profiles (AppArmor/SELinux)

Security Configuration

Secure Defaults Configuration

{
  "security": {
    "enable_tls": true,
    "require_auth": true,
    "default_permissions": "minimal",
    "session_timeout": 3600,
    "max_login_attempts": 5,
    "lockout_duration": 900,
    "password_policy": {
      "min_length": 12,
      "require_uppercase": true,
      "require_lowercase": true,
      "require_numbers": true,
      "require_symbols": true
    },
    "rate_limiting": {
      "enabled": true,
      "requests_per_minute": 60,
      "burst_size": 10
    },
    "ip_filtering": {
      "enabled": true,
      "whitelist": ["10.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.168.0.0/16"],
      "blacklist": []
    }
  }
}

Security Headers

def add_security_headers(response):
    """Add security headers to HTTP responses"""
    response.headers.update({
        "X-Content-Type-Options": "nosniff",
        "X-Frame-Options": "DENY",
        "X-XSS-Protection": "1; mode=block",
        "Strict-Transport-Security": "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains",
        "Content-Security-Policy": "default-src 'self'",
        "Referrer-Policy": "strict-origin-when-cross-origin",
        "Permissions-Policy": "geolocation=(), microphone=(), camera=()"
    })
    return response

Threat Modeling

Attack Vectors and Mitigations

1. Network Attacks

Attack Type Mitigation
Man-in-the-Middle TLS 1.3 with certificate pinning
Traffic Analysis Request splitting and onion routing
DDoS Rate limiting and traffic shaping
Replay Attacks Nonce-based authentication

2. Application Attacks

Attack Type Mitigation
Container Escape Strict sandboxing and minimal privileges
Code Injection Input validation and parameterized queries
Privilege Escalation Principle of least privilege
Data Exfiltration Data encryption and access controls

3. Infrastructure Attacks

Attack Type Mitigation
System Compromise OS hardening and monitoring
Credential Theft Multi-factor authentication
Physical Access Disk encryption and secure boot
Supply Chain Signature verification and checksums

Security Monitoring

Real-time Monitoring

class SecurityMonitor:
    def __init__(self):
        self.alert_thresholds = {
            "failed_logins": 5,
            "unusual_traffic": 100,
            "container_anomalies": 3
        }

    def monitor_security_events(self):
        """Monitor for security events and alerts"""
        while True:
            # Check for failed login attempts
            failed_logins = self.get_failed_logins()
            if failed_logins > self.alert_thresholds["failed_logins"]:
                self.send_alert("High number of failed logins detected")

            # Monitor network traffic patterns
            traffic_anomalies = self.detect_traffic_anomalies()
            if traffic_anomalies:
                self.send_alert("Unusual network traffic detected")

            # Check container behavior
            container_anomalies = self.detect_container_anomalies()
            if container_anomalies:
                self.send_alert("Suspicious container activity detected")

            time.sleep(60)

Audit Logging

{
  "audit_logging": {
    "enabled": true,
    "log_level": "info",
    "events": [
      "authentication",
      "authorization",
      "app_deployment",
      "configuration_changes",
      "admin_actions"
    ],
    "format": "json",
    "retention_days": 90,
    "encryption": true
  }
}

Privacy Protection

Data Privacy Features

Anonymous Communication

class AnonymityLayer:
    def create_anonymous_circuit(self, destination):
        """Create anonymous communication circuit"""
        # Select random intermediate nodes
        circuit_nodes = self.select_random_nodes(count=3)

        # Establish layered encryption
        encrypted_payload = self.create_onion_encryption(
            payload, circuit_nodes
        )

        return encrypted_payload

    def create_onion_encryption(self, payload, circuit_nodes):
        """Create layered encryption for onion routing"""
        encrypted = payload
        for node in reversed(circuit_nodes):
            encrypted = self.encrypt_for_node(encrypted, node.public_key)
        return encrypted

Data Minimization

class DataMinimizer:
    def minimize_log_data(self, log_entry):
        """Remove or hash sensitive data from logs"""
        sensitive_fields = ["ip_address", "user_id", "email"]

        for field in sensitive_fields:
            if field in log_entry:
                # Hash sensitive data instead of storing plaintext
                log_entry[field] = self.hash_data(log_entry[field])

        return log_entry

GDPR Compliance

Data Processing Rights

class GDPRCompliance:
    def handle_data_request(self, user_id, request_type):
        """Handle GDPR data requests"""
        if request_type == "access":
            return self.export_user_data(user_id)
        elif request_type == "deletion":
            return self.delete_user_data(user_id)
        elif request_type == "portability":
            return self.export_portable_data(user_id)

Incident Response

Security Incident Handling

Incident Classification

class IncidentClassifier:
    def classify_incident(self, incident_data):
        severity_levels = {
            "low": ["failed_login", "minor_config_change"],
            "medium": ["suspicious_traffic", "container_anomaly"],
            "high": ["unauthorized_access", "data_breach"],
            "critical": ["system_compromise", "crypto_failure"]
        }

        for severity, incident_types in severity_levels.items():
            if incident_data["type"] in incident_types:
                return severity

        return "unknown"

Automated Response

class AutomatedResponse:
    def respond_to_incident(self, incident):
        """Automated incident response"""
        if incident.severity == "critical":
            self.isolate_compromised_systems()
            self.notify_administrators()
            self.preserve_evidence()
        elif incident.severity == "high":
            self.increase_monitoring()
            self.block_suspicious_ips()
            self.notify_security_team()

Security Testing

Penetration Testing

Automated Security Testing

class SecurityTester:
    def run_security_tests(self):
        """Run comprehensive security tests"""
        test_results = []

        # Test authentication bypass
        test_results.append(self.test_auth_bypass())

        # Test container escape
        test_results.append(self.test_container_escape())

        # Test network security
        test_results.append(self.test_network_security())

        # Test cryptographic implementation
        test_results.append(self.test_crypto_implementation())

        return test_results

Vulnerability Scanning

#!/bin/bash
# Security scanning script

echo "Running security scans..."

# Network vulnerability scan
nmap -sV -sC --script vuln localhost

# Container security scan
docker run --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  aquasec/trivy image voxa-netnode:latest

# SSL/TLS configuration test
testssl.sh --severity HIGH localhost:9999

# Application security scan
zap-baseline.py -t http://localhost:9999

echo "Security scans completed"

Best Practices

Development Security

  1. Secure Coding Practices - Input validation and sanitization - Parameterized queries - Principle of least privilege - Error handling without information disclosure

  2. Dependency Management - Regular dependency updates - Vulnerability scanning - License compliance - Supply chain verification

  3. Code Review - Security-focused code reviews - Automated security analysis - Peer review requirements - Security checklist validation

Operational Security

  1. Access Control - Multi-factor authentication - Regular access reviews - Principle of least privilege - Segregation of duties

  2. Monitoring and Alerting - Real-time security monitoring - Log analysis and correlation - Anomaly detection - Incident response procedures

  3. Backup and Recovery - Encrypted backups - Regular backup testing - Disaster recovery planning - Business continuity procedures

Security Updates

Update Management

#!/bin/bash
# Security update script

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Update Python dependencies
pip install --upgrade -r requirements.txt

# Update container images
docker pull python:3.12-slim
docker pull nginx:alpine

# Restart services
sudo systemctl restart voxa-netnode

echo "Security updates completed"

Vulnerability Disclosure

If you discover a security vulnerability:

  1. Do not disclose publicly
  2. Email security@voxacommunications.com
  3. Include detailed reproduction steps
  4. Expect acknowledgment within 24 hours
  5. Allow 90 days for resolution before disclosure

Compliance and Auditing

Security Compliance

VoxaCommunications-NetNode supports compliance with: - GDPR: European data protection regulation - SOC 2: Security and availability controls - ISO 27001: Information security management - NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Risk management

Security Auditing

Regular security audits should include: - Code security review - Infrastructure assessment - Penetration testing - Compliance verification - Documentation review

This comprehensive security guide ensures that VoxaCommunications-NetNode deployments maintain the highest security standards while providing the privacy and anonymity features that make the platform unique.

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