Understanding IBM Paver security and data protection

Learn how IBM® Paver isolates your work in dedicated execution sandboxes, what you are responsible for when Paver acts on your behalf, and how your data is encrypted.

Paver is a cloud-hosted AI assistant service. Because Paver is a managed service, the hosting provider is responsible for the underlying infrastructure security, which includes network hardening, OS hardening, patch management, physical security, and service-level encryption. This topic focuses on what you need to know to configure and use Paver securely within your environment, regardless of which product or platform delivers Paver to you.

Execution sandbox#

Paver executes commands and scripts in sandboxes that are dedicated to you. Each conversation runs in a separate sandbox container with its own processes and temporary workspace. The sandbox is temporary, but work saved for reuse is kept separately. After a period of inactivity, your sandbox is removed along with its temporary file system, and a fresh one is created when you return. Files that are saved to the persistent files folder, conversation history, memory, and skills remain available under the data retention policy.

Your persistent files are available across your own conversations. Paver verifies your identity when you access them and limits each sandbox's access to your file storage. Other users cannot access your files through Paver.

Your responsibilities#

Paver acts on your behalf, so you are responsible for the actions you take through it.

Actions taken through Paver#

If you use Paver to access data or make changes to resources, those actions are your responsibility. Read Paver's warnings about risky actions carefully and use your own judgment before you approve them.

Paver can't do anything that you aren't permitted to do. Follow the principle of least privilege so that your access, and therefore Paver's access, is limited to what your work needs. When you work with sensitive resources or accounts, use Safe mode so that Paver can't make changes in your environment. For more information, see Managing access and risk controls in Paver.

Sensitive and personal data#

Paver doesn't ask for personal information (PI) or sensitive personal information (SPI). If you use Paver to handle that kind of data, you are responsible for it. Any data that you work with through Paver can be stored in your conversation history, files, and other Paver data, and is subject to the data retention policy.

Your prompts, context, and operational data are never used to train foundation models.

Reviewing Paver's work#

Like all AI agents, Paver can make mistakes. Paver attempts to correct its mistakes automatically, but it can get stuck. If that happens, help Paver by suggesting a different way to approach the problem. Pay particular attention to actions that Paver Guard rates as high risk.

Upload files and skills from trusted sources#

Upload files only from trusted sources. Files from untrusted sources can contain hidden instructions, known as prompt injection, that try to make Paver take actions you didn't ask for. Review a file's contents before you upload it, and don't upload files that you don't trust. For more information, see Sharing files with Paver.

Similarly, add skills only from sources that you trust, including skills from public GitHub repositories. Skills can contain malicious content that might expose your data or cause unwanted actions. Review a skill before you add it. When you add a skill from GitHub, Paver downloads it one time. The skill isn't automatically updated when the GitHub source changes. For more information, see Extending Paver with skills.

Encryption#

All Paver service data, including conversations, memories, and files, is stored within the Paver appliance or for SaaS offers in the cloud. All data in transit between the Paver client (CLI or web UI) and the Paver service is encrypted using TLS.

CLI installation#

The Paver CLI (paver) is downloaded directly from your Paver service instance. There is no third-party package registry involved.

Use the following best practices for CLI installation:

• Always keep the CLI up to date. The CLI prompts you when a newer version is available. Keeping the CLI current ensures you have the latest security and feature updates.
• Download the CLI only from the URL provided by your Paver service instance.
• Verify any automated installation scripts come from a trusted internal source before running them.

Web UI#

The Paver web UI is delivered as a cloud-hosted application and is updated automatically. There is nothing to install or maintain. Authentication for browser access follows the same identity system as the CLI.