> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.portkey.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Security

> Compare SaaS and Hybrid security postures, data flows, and controls

Portkey provides two enterprise deployment models with identical feature parity—**SaaS Enterprise** and **Hybrid**. This page explains the security posture, data flows, and shared-responsibility boundaries for each model—so InfoSec teams can assess risk quickly and choose confidently.

<Warning>
  **Air-gapped deployment is no longer offered.** Portkey no longer provisions new fully air-gapped deployments. This content is retained for reference and for customers with an existing air-gapped deployment, which remains supported.

  [Contact us](https://www.paloaltonetworks.in/ai-security/ai-gateway#contact?utm_source=portkey\&utm_medium=referral\&utm_campaign=prisma_airs\&utm_content=docs_footer) to discuss deployment options.
</Warning>

Air-gapped columns are retained below for reference and for customers with an existing air-gapped deployment.

## Security Comparison (at a glance)

| Control                    | SaaS Enterprise                                                                                                      | Hybrid (Recommended)                                                                                                          | Airgapped *(legacy — not offered)*                    |
| :------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Data residency**         | Runtime in region of choice; customer data stored in region-specific shards (e.g., EU)                               | All data (requests, responses, logs) stays in your VPC/on‑prem; control-plane metrics region is customer’s choice             | Fully offline; all data stays inside isolated network |
| **Runtime data path**      | Requests hit nearest regional edge gateway (e.g., EU only when EU is chosen)                                         | Gateway runs inside your network; model calls stay local                                                                      | Gateway and model calls run entirely offline          |
| **Control‑plane metadata** | Minimal operational metadata in Portkey control plane                                                                | Metrics are always sent to Portkey ClickHouse; ClickHouse region can be customer’s choice; IP/URL redaction supported         | None (no outbound traffic)                            |
| **Logs & retention**       | Logs 90 days; metrics 365 days by default; zero‑retention available; PII scrubbing and “metrics‑only” mode supported | Logs in customer S3 or any S3‑compatible store; IRM/lifecycle policies; native export to SIEM/observability                   | Same as Hybrid, fully offline                         |
| **Secrets & KMS**          | Provider keys in Portkey vault (envelope encryption) with KMS support; BYOK                                          | BYOK; integrate with AWS KMS/Azure Key Vault/GCP KMS                                                                          | BYOK; same KMS integrations offline                   |
| **Identity & access**      | SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM, fine‑grained RBAC                                                                             | Same; plus local gateway RBAC                                                                                                 | Same; plus local gateway RBAC                         |
| **Egress**                 | To Portkey control plane and model providers in chosen region(s)                                                     | To Portkey control‑plane public APIs and container registry; data‑plane↔control‑plane over Internet or private tunnel/peering | None (no outbound calls required)                     |
| **Subprocessors exposure** | Yes (published list and notifications)                                                                               | Minimal (control‑plane only)                                                                                                  | None                                                  |
| **Supply chain**           | Signed images, SBOMs, standard vulnerability SLAs                                                                    | Same                                                                                                                          | Same                                                  |
| **BCP/DR**                 | Published RTO/RPO; multi‑AZ/region architecture                                                                      | Customer‑owned backups/DR; Portkey provides guidance and tooling                                                              | Customer‑owned backups/DR, offline procedures         |
| **Feature parity**         | Full                                                                                                                 | Full                                                                                                                          | Full                                                  |

## What leaves your environment?

* SaaS: Runtime traffic remains in the selected region. Minimal control‑plane metadata is stored centrally; customer data (logs/metrics) retained per policy (90/365 by default) with zero‑retention and PII scrubbing options.
* Hybrid: Application data, prompts, responses, and logs stay entirely in your VPC/on‑prem. Metrics are always emitted to Portkey’s control plane (ClickHouse) and can be hosted in your region of choice. IP/URL redaction supported.
* Air‑gapped *(legacy — existing deployments only)*: No outbound network calls for any purpose (including licensing and updates). All data remains inside the isolated environment.

## Data flows (per model)

<Steps>
  <Step title="SaaS Enterprise" icon="network-wired">
    * Control plane is centrally hosted (no customer data resides here).
    * AI Gateway is deployed on regional edge; requests are served in the chosen region (e.g., EU‑only when EU is selected).
    * Persistent data stores (logs, metrics) are created in the customer’s chosen region (e.g., separate EU shards for enterprise customers).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Hybrid (Recommended)" icon="cloud-lock">
    * Gateway runs inside your VPC/on‑prem; prompts, responses, and logs never leave your environment.
    * Operational metrics are always sent to Portkey’s control plane (ClickHouse); the ClickHouse DB can be hosted in your region of choice.
    * IP and URL redaction supported; data‑plane↔control‑plane connectivity can be Internet or private tunnel/VPC peering.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Air‑gapped (Legacy — Not Offered)" icon="shield">
    * Fully disconnected deployment—no outbound traffic required for licensing or updates.
    * Container images are delivered via private registry or offline media; updates applied offline on your schedule.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common security questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where does our data stay?">
    <p>
      *SaaS*: Customer data is stored in your selected region (e.g., EU). Runtime requests are served in‑region via edge gateways.

      <br />

      *Hybrid*: All prompts, responses, and logs remain in your VPC/on‑prem stores that you control.

      <br />

      *Air‑gapped*: All data remains entirely within your offline environment.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does Portkey see?">
    <p>
      *SaaS*: Minimal control‑plane metadata and region‑pinned logs/metrics per your retention policy.

      <br />

      *Hybrid*: Only operational metrics are sent to Portkey’s ClickHouse (always). IP/URL redaction supported. Your LLM logs explicitly reside in your databases; the control plane has no access to them.

      <br />

      *Air‑gapped*: No outbound telemetry; Portkey receives nothing.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do we handle PII and retention?">
    <p>
      *SaaS*: Default retention is 90 days (logs) and 365 days (metrics). Zero‑retention and PII scrubbing are available; a metrics‑only mode is supported.

      <br />

      *Hybrid/Air‑gapped*: Logs live in your S3/S3‑compatible store with your lifecycle and IRM policies. Fully offline for Air‑gapped.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Secrets and KMS">
    <p>
      *SaaS*: Provider keys are stored in Portkey’s vault with envelope encryption; KMS is supported (BYOK).

      <br />

      *Hybrid/Air‑gapped*: Bring your own KMS (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, GCP KMS) for envelope encryption.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Identity, SSO, and RBAC">
    <p>
      All models support SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM, and fine‑grained RBAC. Hybrid and Air‑gapped include local gateway RBAC.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Network egress and connectivity">
    <p>
      *Hybrid*: Outbound destinations are Portkey control‑plane public APIs and the container registry. Data‑plane→control‑plane can be over the Internet or a private tunnel/peering. Control‑plane→data‑plane can use a tunnel/peering as well.

      <br />

      *Air‑gapped*: No egress—period.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="SIEM and observability">
    <p>
      Native exports (e.g., syslog/OpenTelemetry) and documentation are provided. In Hybrid/Air‑gapped, all integrations run from your environment.
    </p>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Compliance, pen tests, and subprocessors">
    <p>
      SOC 2 Type II and other certifications are available via the <a href="https://trust.portkey.ai">trust portal</a>. Pen test cadence and reports are available. Subprocessors are published with a notification policy (SaaS); Hybrid exposure is minimal; Air‑gapped has none.
    </p>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Shared responsibility

| Area                     | SaaS Enterprise                                        | Hybrid                                                            | Air‑gapped *(legacy — not offered)*           |
| :----------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------- |
| Data storage & residency | Portkey implements region pinning; you set retention   | You own storage, residency, and lifecycle                         | You own storage, residency, offline lifecycle |
| Metrics & telemetry      | Portkey stores minimal metadata and metrics per policy | Metrics always sent to Portkey control plane; redaction supported | None                                          |
| Secrets & KMS            | Portkey vault with KMS support                         | Customer KMS integrations                                         | Customer KMS integrations                     |
| Identity & RBAC          | SSO/SCIM/RBAC in SaaS console                          | SSO/SCIM + local gateway RBAC                                     | SSO/SCIM + local gateway RBAC                 |
| Patching & CVEs          | Portkey SLAs                                           | Portkey supplies signed images/SBOM; you apply updates            | Same, offline process                         |
| Backups & DR             | Portkey managed                                        | Customer managed (guidance provided)                              | Customer managed (offline)                    |

## Why Hybrid is the right choice

<Steps>
  <Step title="Data stays put" icon="lock">
    Keep prompts, responses, and logs in your VPC/on‑prem while still benefiting from a managed control plane.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enterprise velocity" icon="rocket">
    Teams reach production faster, adopt the platform broadly, and realize value sooner—without compromising security controls.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Operational safety" icon="shield-check">
    Avoid the patch debt and stagnation risk common in fully offline stacks while maintaining strict network boundaries and redaction.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## References

* Hybrid deployment guide: <a href="https://github.com/portkey-ai/helm">GitHub (Helm)</a>
* Trust & compliance portal: <a href="https://trust.portkey.ai">trust.portkey.ai</a>
* Contact: <code>[support@portkey.ai](mailto:support@portkey.ai)</code>

***

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