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Validator Security
& Operations Policy

Validator Security
& Operations Policy

Validator Security
& Operations Policy

Last Updated: June 2025

At Noders, we take validator security and operational integrity seriously.

Below is an overview of our current practices:

1. Introduction

Noders LLC is a professional validator and infrastructure provider operating across multiple blockchain networks. Security is central to our mission. We are committed to delivering resilient, secure, and compliant services for delegators, projects, and the broader Web3 ecosystem. This policy outlines our security architecture and practices, aligned with international standards, including ISO/IEC 27001.

2. Infrastructure & Physical Security

Our infrastructure is hosted in geographically distributed, ISO 27001-compliant, enterprise-grade data centers with physical access controls, network isolation, and high availability SLAs. Redundant architecture is implemented using sentry nodes and backup validators to ensure high availability. All validator and sentry nodes are protected by firewalls, private networking, and IP whitelisting.

Key elements include:

  • Firewalled and segmented network topologies

  • Physical access controls at hosting providers

  • Cold-standby infrastructure for failover scenarios

  • Hardware and hosting environments evaluated for uptime SLAs and location redundancy

All systems are regularly patched and hardened using baseline security benchmarks.

3. Key Management & Slashing Protection

We strictly follow a one-active-validator-per-network model. All validator keys:

  • Are generated offline and stored in secure, isolated environments

  • Are managed via encrypted offline storage or HSM-based signing solutions

  • Are never stored on internet-facing systems

  • Are rotated using tested key migration workflows (where supported)

  • Undergo regular integrity checks

We enforce strict access controls for key storage environments, actively monitor slashing risks (e.g., missed signatures, double signing), and apply alert thresholds to enable preventative action.

4. Access Control & Authentication

We implement a strict access model based on role-based privileges:

  • All production systems require SSH key authentication and MFA

  • Access is granted following the principle of least privilege

  • User permissions are reviewed and rotated quarterly

  • Offboarding includes immediate credential revocation and audit logging

Access is limited exclusively to our internal senior DevOps team.

5. Monitoring, Observability & Alerting

Our observability stack includes:

  • Prometheus and Grafana for metrics

  • Loki for centralized log aggregation

  • Alerta for deduplicated alert routing

  • Uptime Kuma for external uptime checks

We monitor:

  • Block production, missed slots, peer connectivity, validator health

  • CPU, memory, disk usage, peer count, missed blocks

  • Signing errors, slashing risks, network latency

Critical alerts are delivered to on-call engineers via Telegram and email.

6. Automation, CI/CD & Orchestration

We manage infrastructure using:

  • Ansible for infrastructure-as-code

  • Docker for containerized deployments

  • GitHub Actions for CI/CD automation

This ensures low-touch, consistent deployments with rollback capability, reducing human error.

7. Backup & Disaster Recovery

We maintain an encrypted, versioned, and geo-redundant backup strategy:

  • Automated encrypted backups of node states and configurations

  • Daily snapshots of configurations and system states

  • Restoration drills in staging environments

  • Cold-standby validators for emergency activation

All backups are encrypted at rest and transferred over secure channels.

8. Compliance & ISO 27001 Alignment

We are actively finalizing our ISO/IEC 27001 certification. Implemented controls include:

  • Documented risk assessment and treatment plans

  • A formal Information Security Management System (ISMS)

  • Staff training, incident reporting procedures, and periodic audits

  • Role-based access control and asset management policies

All documentation is aligned with Annex A of ISO/IEC 27001.

9. Incident Response & Communication

We maintain an incident response playbook, which includes:

  • Severity-based incident classification

  • SLA-driven response and mitigation timelines

  • Transparent communication with delegators and affected parties

  • Post-incident reviews for root cause analysis and process improvement

To report an issue with our validator nodes, contact security@noders.team. Communication channels include our website, email, and Discord (where applicable).

10. Vulnerability Disclosure Program

We support responsible security research. Our Vulnerability Disclosure Policy outlines:

  • Systems in scope

  • Submission guidelines

  • Expectations for ethical, non-disruptive behavior

We commit to:

  • Acknowledging valid submissions

  • Avoiding legal action against good-faith researchers

  • Offering optional public credit

We do not currently offer a paid bug bounty program.

11. Data Privacy & User Information

While our staking services are non-custodial, we collect limited data via our website. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details.

Collected data includes:

  • Contact form submissions

  • Google Analytics usage data

  • Cookie-based interaction logs

We do not collect validator keys, wallet information, or staking-related user data.

12. Continuous Improvement & Change Management

Security is a continuous process. We:

  • Monitor upstream CVEs and validator client advisories

  • Rotate secrets and access credentials regularly

  • Conduct quarterly internal reviews of observability and incident readiness

  • Improve processes based on community feedback and compliance audits

13. Contact & Updates

To report a security issue, contact: security@noders.team

General inquiries: tech@noders.team

This policy is reviewed and updated at least twice per year and published at: https://noders.team/security-policies

Noders LLC

Exempted Company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with Limited Liability

© 2025 Noders LLC. All rights reserved.