How IronClaw Secures Your OpenClaw Deployment

OpenClaw gives you a powerful AI assistant that runs on your own infrastructure. But with great power comes great responsibility—and significant security considerations.

Your AI assistant has access to your API keys, your conversations, your files, and potentially your connected services. In the wrong hands, or on a misconfigured system, that's a serious liability.

That's why IronClaw doesn't just deploy OpenClaw. We secure it.

The Security Challenge of Self-Hosted AI

Running your own AI assistant sounds private and secure. And it can be—if configured correctly. But most deployments face real risks:

API Key Exposure: Your Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google keys are worth money. Exposed keys get harvested and abused within minutes.

Network Exposure: A misconfigured server can expose your AI's API to the entire internet, letting anyone run up your bill—or worse, access your conversations.

Secrets in Plain Text: Many quick setups leave API keys in environment files with world-readable permissions.

No Access Control: Without proper configuration, anyone who finds your bot can start chatting with your AI.

Unpatched Systems: Self-managed servers often fall behind on security updates, creating vulnerability windows.

IronClaw addresses every one of these.

How IronClaw Hardens Your Deployment

1. Isolated Infrastructure

Every IronClaw customer gets their own dedicated virtual private server. Not a container. Not a shared instance. A complete, isolated machine running only your AI assistant.

This isolation means:
• No shared resources with other customers
• No "noisy neighbor" performance issues
• Complete filesystem separation
• Your data never touches another customer's system

2. Firewall-First Networking

Before OpenClaw even starts, we configure UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) with a deny-by-default policy:

Inbound: Only SSH (22) and HTTPS (443) allowed

Outbound: Unrestricted for API calls

Gateway: Bound to localhost only—not exposed to the network

Your AI's API endpoint isn't accessible from the internet. The only way to reach it is through the configured channels (like Telegram), which have their own authentication.

3. Token-Based Onboarding

When you complete checkout, we don't just send you a link to enter your API keys. We generate a cryptographically secure, single-use token that:

Is unique to your purchase

Expires after use

Cannot be guessed or enumerated

Prevents non-customers from accessing the onboarding flow

This stops bad actors from harvesting API keys through fake onboarding attempts.

4. Secrets Never Touch Our Database

Here's what happens to your API keys:

1. You enter them in the onboarding form 2. They're transmitted over HTTPS 3. They're written directly to your server's configuration 4. They're deleted from our systems

We don't store your Anthropic key. We don't log your Telegram bot token. These secrets exist only on your server, in files readable only by your AI assistant's system user.

5. Principle of Least Privilege

OpenClaw runs as a dedicated `openclaw` user—not root. This user:

Owns only the directories it needs

Cannot modify system files

Cannot install system packages

Cannot access other users' data

Even if your AI assistant were somehow compromised, the blast radius is contained.

6. Pre-Authorized Access Control

Your Telegram bot doesn't respond to just anyone. During onboarding, we configure it with your specific Telegram user ID in the allowlist. This means:

Only you can message your bot

Random people who find your bot username get ignored

Group chats require explicit mention

No pairing codes. No approval flows. Just security by default.

7. Automated Updates

OpenClaw releases security patches and improvements regularly. Your IronClaw server is configured to:

Pull updates automatically

Restart services cleanly

Maintain your configuration through upgrades

You get the latest security fixes without SSH-ing into anything.

What We Don't Do

Security is as much about what you don't do as what you do:

We don't log your conversations. Your chats with your AI stay on your server.

We don't retain your API keys. They pass through our onboarding once, then they're gone.

We don't share your server. No multi-tenancy means no cross-customer risks.

We don't require inbound ports. Your server initiates all connections; nothing listens on the public internet except SSH for emergency maintenance.

We don't have standing access. We maintain an SSH key for support purposes, but we don't access your server unless you request help.

The IronClaw Security Stack

| Layer | Protection | |-------|------------| | Network | UFW firewall, deny-by-default, localhost-bound gateway | | Authentication | Token-based onboarding, Telegram user ID allowlist | | Secrets | Direct-to-server, no retention, proper file permissions | | Isolation | Dedicated VPS, dedicated system user | | Maintenance | Automated updates, systemd service management |

Why This Matters

A compromised AI assistant isn't just a privacy violation. It's potentially:

Financial: Your API keys have spending limits for a reason

Reputational: Your AI speaks with your voice to your contacts

Legal: Depending on your use case, you may have compliance obligations

Operational: Your assistant has access to your tools and workflows

IronClaw treats security as a feature, not an afterthought. Because your AI assistant should be a trusted ally—not a liability.

Get Started Securely

Ready for an AI assistant that's powerful and protected? Every IronClaw plan includes our full security stack:

Dedicated, isolated infrastructure

Firewall-hardened networking

Token-based secure onboarding

Pre-authorized access control

Automated security updates

Start your secure deployment →

Questions about IronClaw's security practices? Email us at security@ironclaw.co