What is an Air-Gap?
An air-gap is a security measure that physically isolates a computer or network from unsecured networks, including the internet. It's the only way to guarantee that data cannot be accessed remotely.
No Cable, No Connection, No Access
The term "air-gap" refers to the physical gap of air between a secure system and any network connection. If there's no cable connecting the system to the internet, there's no way for remote attackers—or foreign courts—to access the data.
This isn't a software firewall. This isn't a VPN. This isn't encryption (though we use that too). This is the physical absence of a network connection.
You cannot hack what you cannot reach.
Why Air-Gap Matters for Data Sovereignty
Immune to Remote Attacks
Ransomware, nation-state hackers, zero-day exploits—none of these matter if the system has no network connection.
Immune to Legal Compulsion
The CLOUD Act allows US courts to compel American companies to produce data. But they can only compel access to data they can reach.
Verifiable Security
With cloud services, you trust the provider's claims. With an air-gapped system, you can physically verify that no network cable is connected.
Complete Audit Trail
All data that enters or leaves an air-gapped system must be physically transferred, creating an inherent audit trail.
How Air-Gap Works in Practice
An air-gapped AI system like the Tacitus Cortex requires thoughtful workflows for data transfer.
Data Ingestion
Documents are collected on a secure workstation and copied to an encrypted USB drive.
The USB drive is physically carried to the Cortex and inserted.
The Cortex scans, verifies, and ingests the documents.
Software Updates ("Supply Drop")
Without internet access, updates are delivered via signed packages on encrypted USB drives.
Security Beyond the Air-Gap
The air-gap is the foundation, but the Cortex includes multiple additional security layers:
Encryption at Rest
All data stored on the Cortex is encrypted with AES-256.
TPM 2.0
Hardware-based key storage and boot-time integrity verification.
RAID Storage
Mirrored drives ensure data survives hardware failure.
Common Questions
Isn't this inconvenient compared to cloud?
There's a trade-off. Cloud is more convenient; air-gap is more secure. For most document workflows, the extra step of USB transfer is minimal.
What about AI model updates?
Model updates are part of the Supply Drop system. When better AI models become available, we package them into signed update bundles.
What if I need something less extreme?
That's what Cloud Bridge is for. It provides jurisdictional sovereignty without the operational overhead of an air-gapped system.
Ready for Maximum Security?
The Cortex brings air-gapped AI infrastructure to your server room.