Data Handling

What data AnomalyArmor accesses and how we protect it

The most common security question: “What data does AnomalyArmor actually see?” Here’s the complete answer.

What We Access

AnomalyArmor queries metadata and aggregate statistics only, never your actual row data. Every query is validated by our open-source Query Gateway before execution.

We Access	We Never Access
Table names	Row data
Column names	Actual values in columns
Data types	PII content
Timestamps (for freshness)	Query results
Row counts	Business-sensitive data
Constraint definitions	File contents

The Queries We Run

During discovery, we query system catalogs:

-- PostgreSQL example
SELECT table_name, column_name, data_type
FROM information_schema.columns
WHERE table_schema NOT IN ('pg_catalog', 'information_schema');

-- For freshness, we query MAX of timestamp columns
SELECT MAX(updated_at) FROM your_table;

We never run:

SELECT * FROM your_table;  -- ❌ Never
SELECT email FROM users;   -- ❌ Never

Freshness Monitoring

For freshness checks, we query the maximum value of your designated timestamp column:

SELECT MAX(created_at) FROM orders;
-- Returns: 2024-01-15 08:30:00
-- We see: "Last update was 30 minutes ago"
-- We don't see: Any actual order data

Data Storage

What We Store

Data Type	Location	Encryption	Retention
Database credentials	AWS (encrypted)	AES-256-GCM	Until you delete
Schema metadata	AWS RDS	AES-256	Account lifetime
Change history	AWS RDS	AES-256	90 days
Audit logs	AWS S3	AES-256	1 year

What We Don’t Store

• Your actual data values
• Query results beyond metadata
• Copies of your database

Data Flow

1. Discovery engine connects via TLS 1.3
2. Runs metadata queries against system catalogs
3. Receives only schema information
4. Stores encrypted in our infrastructure
5. Your actual data never leaves your database

Compliance Implications

For GDPR

• We don’t process personal data (only metadata)
• DPA available if required
• Data deletion on account closure

For HIPAA

• No PHI accessed
• BAA available for healthcare customers
• Enhanced audit logging available

Verification

Want to verify what we access? You have multiple options:

Check Your Database Logs

-- PostgreSQL: Enable query logging
ALTER SYSTEM SET log_statement = 'all';
SELECT pg_reload_conf();

-- Filter for AnomalyArmor user
grep 'anomalyarmor' /var/log/postgresql/postgresql.log

You’ll see only information_schema queries and timestamp aggregations.

Audit the Query Gateway

Our Query Gateway is open source. Your security team can:

1. Review the source code
2. Run the 97+ security tests
3. Verify exactly which queries are allowed at each access level

Common Questions

Can AnomalyArmor employees see my data?

No. We can’t see your data because we never access it. Support staff can see metadata (table names, column names) to help troubleshoot, but never actual data values.

What if I have a column named 'password'?

We see the column name “password” exists and its data type (e.g., varchar). We never see the actual password values stored in that column.

How do I know you're not lying?

1. Audit our open-source Query Gateway
2. Check your database query logs
3. Use a read-only database user with only SELECT on system catalogs
4. Run a network packet capture during discovery

See Also

Query Gateway

Open-source SQL security layer

Security Overview

Full security documentation

Data Retention

How long we keep data