AIHOT

AIHOT Security Hardening Guide

Least-privilege permissions

• Restrict API keys by scope: Give the AI agent only read-only access to news sources and LLM services; disable write or delete permissions it doesn't need. Rotate keys monthly.
• Separate credentials for each service: Use different API keys for your LLM provider, news feeds, and publishing tool so one breach doesn't expose all connections.
• Limit file system access: Configure the agent to read only from designated folders for news sources and write only to a single output directory; block access to sensitive company files or logs.
• Require approval before publishing: Never let the agent publish reports automatically; route all output to human review first, with a clear sign-off step.

Network isolation

• Run on a dedicated machine or container: Deploy AIHOT on an isolated server separate from your main office network or internal systems; use a firewall to block inbound connections.
• Whitelist API endpoints only: Allow the agent to connect only to specific, trusted API domains (your LLM provider, approved news sources); block all other outbound traffic.
• No internet browsing beyond configured sources: Disable the agent's ability to visit arbitrary websites; it should fetch data only from pre-approved news feeds you control or vet.
• Air-gap sensitive outputs: Store final reports on a separate internal drive or system that doesn't connect to the internet if they contain confidential analysis.

Monitoring

• Log all API calls and news sources fetched: Record what the agent requests and which articles it processes; review logs daily for unexpected or repeated failures that might signal a compromised feed.
• Version-control your configuration and prompts: Store your custom news selection criteria and instructions in git with change history; flag any uncommitted secrets in the repo (use automated secret-scanning tools).
• Alert on unusual report changes: Set up notifications if the tone, length, or topic of generated reports shifts suddenly, which could indicate prompt injection or malicious input.
• Audit content before publication: Spot-check 10% of generated reports weekly for accuracy, bias, or signs of altered recommendations compared to the original articles.

Red flags to watch for

• Credentials appearing in logs or error messages: If you see API keys or passwords in readable text anywhere, stop the agent immediately and rotate those secrets.
• Reports discussing topics never found in your source feeds: This suggests injected prompts or a compromised news source feeding fake instructions to the LLM.
• Sudden changes to report recommendations or sentiment: If the agent suddenly starts praising or warning about companies/products it previously ignored, a news feed may have been hacked or switched.
• Scraping paywalled or copyrighted content: Monitor whether reports include full text from premium articles instead of summaries; this creates legal and ethical liability.