Security

Ten layers between a question and your data

Defense in depth from physical hardware through identity-based access and continuous endpoint health monitoring. Each layer addresses different threat classes — no single layer carries the full burden.

Security Video

DEFENSE IN DEPTH

Ten layers, zero gaps

AskERP security is layered across ten tiers, from physical infrastructure through identity-based access and continuous operational health monitoring. A Cisco Meraki MX is deployed during provisioning for secure setup and serves as ongoing proof that zero outbound AI traffic leaves the building. The appliance operates independently of the internet — no cloud services, no external API calls, no data egress. The only external path is the encrypted site-to-site management VPN, which carries software updates and monitoring, never ERP data — and which the client can sever at any time without affecting operation. Our compliance suite handles application, AI governance, financial compliance, data, audit, identity, and endpoint health. Together they cover the full stack.

Physical isolation
Your data never leaves your building

Network perimeter
Network security with intrusion detection

Transport security
TLS-only, path-based routing

Application security
OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023)

23 automated tests aligned to the OWASP API Security Top 10. This validates SQL injection defense across multiple attack vectors, business unit authorization isolation, input validation and sanitization, resource consumption limits, SSRF prevention, CORS policy enforcement, stack trace suppression, and endpoint inventory management.

Every user input passes through regex validation and parameterized queries with bind variables before it reaches a database call. No string concatenation. No dynamic SQL.

AI governance
NIST AI Risk Management Framework

17 automated tests aligned to the NIST AI Risk Management Framework across all four functions — Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage. This verifies that every question maps to exactly one approved endpoint, that the AI has no open-ended access to the database, that financial data and general knowledge responses are completely isolated through separate execution paths, and that every AI response is deterministic and reproducible.

Financial compliance
SOX, SOC 2, and GDPR — 53 automated tests

53 automated tests across three financial and privacy compliance frameworks. SOX Section 404 (COSO Framework) validates read-only enforcement, segregation of duties, parameterized queries, and result integrity hashing — 17 tests. SOC 2 Type II (Trust Services Criteria) validates access controls, availability monitoring, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy — 20 tests. GDPR/Data Privacy validates data residency, data minimization, purpose limitation, transparency, and security of processing — 16 tests.

Data governance
governed database views, read-only, isolated

All queries execute against governed database views — read-only, purpose-built for each reporting function. No INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations are possible through the governed path. Business unit isolation is enforced through an access control table checked on every request. Each business unit sees only its own data.

Audit trail
Full traceability from question to answer

Every query generates an audit record: the original question, the exact SQL executed, a SHA-256 hash of the result set, a timestamp, and the model version. An independent party can take any AskERP response, recompute the hash from the underlying data, and verify it matches the audit record. Full chain of custody, every query, every time.

Identity & access control
User-level business unit security

Every user is authenticated by email identity flowing from the chat interface through the API layer to the database. Access is controlled at the user + module + business unit level through a governance table (USER_MODULE_ACCESS). A PeopleSoft security sync script maps 30 PeopleSoft roles to AskERP module grants. Users see only the business units and modules they're authorized for. The identity layer includes an in-memory cache, admin endpoints for grant management, and a dry-run mode for the sync process.

Endpoint health monitoring
Continuous operational validation

Every governed endpoint is automatically tested for availability, data integrity, schema correctness, and response time — nightly. A monthly comprehensive report covers all 70+ endpoints across all modules with row count thresholds, result hashing for drift detection, and cross-endpoint consistency checks. Failures trigger immediate alerts. Monthly reports go to the compliance binder alongside the security test results.

COMPLIANCE TESTING

121 automated tests, eight standards

AskERP ships with an automated compliance test suite that generates a self-contained HTML report. Printable, email-ready, designed for CIO and security team review. Tests run nightly at 2:00 AM. The report covers eight compliance frameworks:

OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023)

23 tests covering SQL injection, authorization isolation, input validation, resource limits, SSRF prevention, CORS, stack trace leakage, and endpoint inventory.

NIST AI Risk Management Framework

17 tests across all four RMF functions — Govern, Map, Measure, Manage. Validates governed endpoints, three-path isolation, result determinism, and AI traceability.

SOX Section 404
(17 tests)

17 tests validating read-only enforcement, segregation of duties, parameterized queries, result integrity hashing, and internal control monitoring across all five COSO components.

SOC 2 Type II
(20 tests)

20 tests across all five trust criteria — Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. Validates access controls, health monitoring, deterministic processing, data isolation, and PII protection.

GDPR/Data Privacy
(16 tests)

16 tests aligned to Article 5 principles. Validates data residency (on-premises only), data minimization, purpose limitation, transparency, security of processing, and accountability.

Audit Trail Validation

10 tests verifying the end-to-end audit chain — prompt capture, SQL logging, SHA-256 result hashing, timestamp ordering, concurrent safety, and PII exclusion.

TRACEABILITY

Reviewable from question to verified answer

Every interaction produces a complete audit chain. Your security team can trace any answer back to the exact query, the exact data, and the exact moment it was generated.

01 Question

User asks in plain language. The question is captured in the audit log.

02 Classification

Intent classifier maps the question to one governed endpoint. No open-ended interpretation.

03 Governed Query

The endpoint executes a parameterized query against a read-only database view. The SQL is logged.

04 Verified Response

Results are formatted for business use. A SHA-256 hash of the result set is computed and stored.

05 Audit Record

Question, SQL, result hash, timestamp, model version — all recorded. Independently verifiable.

DATA ISOLATION

Three paths that never cross

AskERP maintains strict separation between governed financial data, PeopleBooks documentation, and general knowledge. These are three completely different execution paths. They never mix.

Path 1 — Governed Financial Data

User question → Intent classification → Approved service endpoint → database governed view → Structured response with executive summary. Every step is audited. Data comes from live ERP, not the AI model.

Path 2 — PEOPLEBOOKS RAG

PeopleSoft documentation questions — answered through semantic search over locally-stored PeopleBooks PDFs using ChromaDB vector database. Source citations included with every answer. The PDFs, embeddings, and search index all run locally. No external API calls. Clearly labeled as documentation, never mixed with financial data.

Path 3 — General Knowledge

Industry benchmarks, best practices, and regulatory context — answered from the local AI model’s training data only. Clearly labeled. Never mixed with financial data. Never sent to a cloud API.

The key point: Your financial data is never used to answer documentation or general questions. PeopleBooks answers come from locally-stored documentation with source citations. General knowledge comes from the AI model’s training data. These three paths never cross.

Testing Evalops

121 automated tests before every release

Security, AI governance, and audit integrity are validated automatically — not assumed. Every release runs through eight compliance standards with a printable report for your security team.

Testing Evalops

WHY IT MATTERS

AI changes should be tested, not assumed

Compliance Automation

121 tests across OWASP, NIST, SOX, SOC 2, GDPR, and Audit validation run as a single automated suite. One command, one report.

Candidate Benchmarking

New model versions are evaluated against the full prompt library and compliance suite before they replace the production model. No casual swaps.

Release Gates

Changes move through structured approval paths. The compliance report must pass before any model or prompt change reaches users.

Monthly Reporting

Compliance scorecards support enterprise review and executive visibility. Historical reports show security posture trending over time.

COMPLIANCE SUITE

What gets tested

The automated compliance suite covers eight standards in a single run. Each standard maps to a specific threat surface.

OWASP API Security Top 10 — 23 Tests

Application-layer security against the 2023 OWASP API standard:

  • SQL injection defense — multiple attack vectors per input field
  • Business unit authorization isolation — no cross-tenant data leaks
  • Input validation and sanitization on all parameters
  • Resource consumption limits — bounded queries, response time thresholds
  • SSRF and path traversal prevention
  • CORS policy enforcement and stack trace suppression
  • Endpoint inventory — no shadow or undocumented endpoints

NIST AI Risk Management Framework — 17 Tests

AI governance across all four NIST RMF functions:

  • Govern — Read-only architecture, business unit allowlisting, governed view enforcement, no dynamic SQL
  • Map — Structured data classification, model version tracking, error classification, dual-path isolation
  • Measure — Result determinism, SHA-256 hashing, response bounding, unanswered question tracking
  • Manage — Graceful degradation, error audit logging, export governance, health monitoring

Audit Trail Validation — 10 Tests

End-to-end traceability from question to verified answer:

  • Audit record creation on every query (success, error, and unanswered)
  • SHA-256 result hash — independently reproducible by any auditor
  • Prompt metadata and generated SQL captured in every record
  • Timestamp ordering and concurrent request safety
  • PII exclusion — audit stores codes and hashes, never raw customer data

EVALUATION FLOW

A controlled path from test to release

Model changes and prompt updates move through repeatable testing and review — not casual production swaps.

01 Test

Run the full 121-test compliance suite against the candidate model or prompt change. OWASP, NIST AI RMF, and audit validation in a single automated pass.

02 Benchmark

Compare candidate output against the governed prompt library — every approved question re-tested for accuracy, format consistency, and governance compliance.

03 Score

Generate a compliance scorecard: pass/fail/warn per test, remediation notes on every finding, overall compliance status (Compliant / Conditional Pass / Needs Remediation).

04 Approve

The compliance report goes to the security team and stakeholders. No release proceeds without a passing score. Findings are addressed before promotion.

05 Release

Approved changes are promoted to production with rollback capability. The previous model version is retained for immediate reversion if needed.

RELEASE DISCIPLINE

No casual model swaps

Model changes remain controlled, reviewable, and reversible. Enterprise reliability requires discipline at every transition point.

Controlled Release Gates

Every model promotion requires a passing compliance report. The 121-test suite must clear before any change reaches production users.

Model Evaluation

Candidate models are benchmarked against the full prompt library. Accuracy, response format, governance compliance, and performance are measured before any promotion decision.

Reviewable Deployment Decisions

Every release decision is documented — what was tested, what scored, who approved, what changed. Rollback to the previous model version is immediate.

REPORTING

Compliance reports built for your security team

The compliance suite generates a self-contained HTML report designed for CIO and security team review. No external dependencies. Print it, email it, present it in a meeting.

Each report includes:

  • Overall compliance status — Compliant, Conditional Pass, or Needs Remediation
  • Pass rate and test counts across all eight standards
  • Per-test results with status, category, timing, and remediation notes
  • Test configuration snapshot — what was tested, against which service, with which parameters
  • Standards coverage summary — all eight compliance standards.

Monthly scorecards track compliance posture over time. Historical reports show trending — whether the security posture is improving, stable, or has regressions that need attention.

Review the security architecture with your team

Walk through the ten-layer security model, the automated compliance report, and the full audit trail with your CIO and security team.