# Security Policy

## Project Status

**QATAAUM Quantum Assembly Runtime** is currently in **RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT** phase. This is not production-ready software.

## Supported Versions

| Version | Status | Support |
|---------|--------|---------|
| 0.1.0-alpha | Development | Research only |

## Security Considerations

### Clean-Room Development

This project follows strict clean-room development practices:

- ✅ All code based on public specifications only
- ✅ No proprietary IBM code or confidential information
- ✅ Independent implementation from original design
- ✅ Complete source provenance maintained

### Known Limitations

**This software is NOT production-ready:**

- ⚠️ Research phase implementation
- ⚠️ Incomplete feature set
- ⚠️ Limited testing coverage
- ⚠️ No security audit performed
- ⚠️ No formal threat model yet

### Quantum Computing Specific Risks

**Quantum Circuit Execution:**
- Circuits execute on quantum hardware or simulators
- Results may be non-deterministic
- Error rates depend on hardware
- No guarantees of correctness

**Classical Control:**
- IBM i integration requires proper access controls
- Job queues must be properly secured
- Execution receipts contain sensitive data

## Reporting a Vulnerability

### What to Report

Please report:

- Security vulnerabilities in code
- Clean-room boundary violations
- Improper use of proprietary information
- License compliance issues
- Unsafe code patterns
- Cryptographic weaknesses

### How to Report

**DO NOT** open public issues for security vulnerabilities.

Instead:

1. **Email:** security@qataaum-project.org (when available)
2. **Encrypted:** Use PGP key (when available)
3. **Private:** Keep details confidential until patched

### What to Include

- Description of the vulnerability
- Steps to reproduce
- Potential impact
- Suggested fix (if any)
- Your contact information

### Response Timeline

- **Acknowledgment:** Within 48 hours
- **Initial Assessment:** Within 1 week
- **Fix Timeline:** Depends on severity
- **Public Disclosure:** After fix is available

## Security Best Practices

### For Users

**DO:**
- ✅ Review all code before use
- ✅ Understand quantum circuit behavior
- ✅ Validate execution receipts
- ✅ Use proper access controls
- ✅ Keep dependencies updated

**DON'T:**
- ❌ Use in production systems
- ❌ Execute untrusted circuits
- ❌ Share credentials
- ❌ Bypass verification checks
- ❌ Disable safety features

### For Contributors

**DO:**
- ✅ Follow clean-room methodology
- ✅ Document all sources
- ✅ Write secure code
- ✅ Add tests for security features
- ✅ Review dependencies

**DON'T:**
- ❌ Copy proprietary code
- ❌ Use confidential information
- ❌ Introduce unsafe code
- ❌ Skip security reviews
- ❌ Commit secrets or credentials

## Threat Model

### In Scope

- Code execution vulnerabilities
- Input validation issues
- Memory safety violations
- Cryptographic weaknesses
- Access control bypasses
- Clean-room violations

### Out of Scope (Currently)

- Physical quantum hardware attacks
- Side-channel attacks on quantum operations
- Quantum algorithm vulnerabilities
- Performance degradation attacks
- Social engineering

## Dependencies

### Security Scanning

We use:
- `cargo audit` for Rust dependencies
- Dependabot for automated updates
- Manual review of all dependencies

### Dependency Policy

- ✅ Only use well-maintained crates
- ✅ Prefer crates with security audits
- ✅ Review all dependency updates
- ✅ No Python in production (by design)

## Cryptographic Components

### Current Use

- Execution receipt hashing (planned)
- Proof witness verification (planned)
- Deterministic replay verification (planned)

### Standards

- Use standard cryptographic libraries
- No custom crypto implementations
- Follow NIST recommendations
- Document all cryptographic choices

## Compliance

### Clean-Room Compliance

All code must:
- Be based on public specifications
- Have documented source provenance
- Not contain proprietary information
- Pass clean-room review

### License Compliance

- Apache 2.0 license
- Compatible dependencies only
- Proper attribution
- No license violations

## Audit Trail

### Source Provenance

See `RESEARCH_LEDGER.md` for complete source provenance.

### Clean-Room Boundary

See `CLEAN_ROOM_BOUNDARY.md` for legal and ethical constraints.

### Architecture Decisions

See `ADRs/` directory for all architecture decisions.

## Future Security Work

### Planned

- [ ] Formal threat model
- [ ] Security audit
- [ ] Penetration testing
- [ ] Fuzzing infrastructure
- [ ] Static analysis integration
- [ ] Dynamic analysis tools
- [ ] Security documentation
- [ ] Incident response plan

### Research Areas

- Quantum circuit validation
- Proof system security
- Receipt chain integrity
- IBM i security integration
- WASM sandbox security

## Contact

**Project:** QATAAUM Quantum Assembly Runtime  
**Status:** Research Phase  
**Security Contact:** TBD  
**Website:** TBD  
**Repository:** TBD

## Acknowledgments

We thank the security research community for their contributions to quantum computing security and clean-room development practices.

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**Last Updated:** 2026-07-21  
**Version:** 0.1.0-alpha  
**Status:** Research Phase

**Remember: This is research software. Do not use in production systems.**