Security, privacy, & compliance

Security by default, on-device and in the cloud.

Security is central to Viam’s design. Our platform safeguards data on machines and in the cloud with strict protection measures that can’t be disabled or evaded, while giving users full control over data governance.
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Key pillars of Viam’s security framework

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Authentication

Real usernames and passwords that must be used for both cloud and device access.
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Encryption

Comprehensive encryption across all data and communications with no backdoors.
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Compliance

SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliant, verified by independent auditors.
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Data privacy

Viam does not use customer data to train generic AI or ML models. Your data remains entirely yours.

Compliance with global security standards

Viam’s processes are designed to meet various objectives required by service commitments as well as local and international laws, including the following regulations:
SOC2 Compliant Badge

SOC 2 Type 2 auditing

Viam undergoes annual SOC 2 Type 2 audits to ensure security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Evaluated controls include, among others:
  • Employee background checks
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Continuous security monitoring
  • Incident response procedures
  • Change management processes
  • Disaster recovery protections
  • Access controls
Hipaa Compliance Badge

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

HIPAA regulates US healthcare-related activities, driving stringent patient data security and privacy requirements. Viam undergoes annual HIPAA compliance audits. Evaluated controls include:
  • Restricting data access with predefined privileges and roles
  • Protecting against data disclosure, loss, or damage
  • Separation of duties for data access and processin
  • Recording activities of users, staff, and applications
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GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

GDPR protects information privacy in the European Union, governing data collection, storage, processing, retention, and sharing for personal data. There is no official certification, but compliance is legally required, and any organization managing data within Europe can be held legally responsible for violations.
Viam adheres to GDPR through regular data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), contractual clauses for data processors, and detailed records of processing activities. This ensures compliance with requests for obtaining or erasing personal data.
An icon representing the California Privacy Rights Act

CPRA (California Privacy Rights Act)

CPRA, similar to GDPR, sets stringent requirements for handling personal data of California residents, including data location, detailed records, and access controls. While both of these laws technically only apply to residents of their respective regions, Viam treats them as a standard to drive protection of user data globally.
Viam ensures compliance with GDPR and CPRA through:
  • Data encryption and strict access controls
  • Strict controls and authentication for database access by default
  • Proactive security management tools and incident response plans
  • Identity and access management to restrict employee access to data
  • Data loss prevention tools for resilience and disaster recovery
  • Tools for data discovery, retrieval, removal, and deletion

Solution architecture that prioritizes machine security

Viam's security architecture ensures compliance and robust protection. Secure keys are mandatory for access and use. Users must also create their own credentials before they can utilize the platform; no defaults are available. Connecting a machine to Viam involves the steps shown in the image below:
A diagram of Viam's Security architectureA diagram of Viam's Security architectureA diagram of Viam's Security architecture
1

Users connect to Viam using secure authentication

Admins control access to locations and machines.
2

Smart machines connect with Viam

Every smart machine uses a unique machine secret to connect with app.viam.com.
3

Smart machines connect with each other

3A – Within a local network, machines use location certificates to establish TLS connections.

3B – Across the internet via WebRTC, machines share location secrets to connect within the same location.
4

Smart machines connect with client application

Client applications use the same location secret to connect with machines locally or over the internet via WebRTC.

A shared responsibility model for data security

Viam follows a shared responsibility model for data security, outlining the roles of service providers and customers in securing a cloud environment.
While Viam monitors and responds to security threats related to the cloud and its infrastructure, customers are responsible for protecting data stored in the cloud, including tasks such as creating users and roles, selecting providers, enabling backups, performing audits, and providing encryption keys.

Reporting a security incident

If you find a serious security issue such as any of the following, please file a report via security@viam.com with the steps to reproduce:
  • Anything from the OWASP Top 10 Project
  • Database injection attacks
  • Authentication or session problems
  • Improper access to sensitive data
  • Cross-site scripting
  • Email spoofing, SPF, DKIM, or DMARC errors
Upon discovering a vulnerability, we ask that you work with us to close the vulnerability before disclosing it to others.
Viam does not offer bug bounties for discovered vulnerabilities. We hope that if you discover vulnerabilities you will share them with us so that we can improve the health of the overall internet ecosystem.