OpenClaw Security: How Self-Hosted AI Protects Your Data

The Security Advantage of Self-Hosting

The most fundamental OpenClaw security feature is its deployment model. When you self-host OpenClaw, your data never leaves your infrastructure. There's no third-party server processing your conversations, no corporate database storing your files, and no terms-of-service granting a company rights to your data.

The only external communication is between your OpenClaw instance and the AI model API (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google) — and even that can be eliminated by running local models. For organizations handling regulated data (healthcare, legal, financial), this architecture makes compliance dramatically simpler.

OpenClaw Session Isolation

By default, OpenClaw creates isolated sessions per sender. Every person who interacts with your agent gets their own sandboxed session with separate context, permissions, and memory. Conversations don't bleed between users, and one user's session can't access another's data.

This isolation extends to the skills system. Each skill operates within the permissions granted to it, and you can configure which users have access to which capabilities.

OpenClaw Access Controls

OpenClaw provides granular access controls through its configuration file at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

• User allowlists — Restrict which phone numbers, usernames, or accounts can interact with your agent.
• Group mention requirements — In group chats, require @mentions before the agent responds, preventing accidental activation.
• Skill permissions — Control which capabilities are available to which users. Give yourself full system access while limiting others to read-only operations.
• Sandbox mode — Run OpenClaw with restricted system access for maximum safety.

Encrypted Connections

All communication between your messaging apps and the OpenClaw Gateway is encrypted in transit. The OpenClaw control dashboard is served over HTTPS with valid SSL certificates. API calls to AI model providers use TLS encryption.

When deployed through OneClickClaw, every instance gets automatic SSL via Let's Encrypt — no self-signed certificates, no browser warnings, no manual configuration.

OpenClaw Security with OneClickClaw

OneClickClaw adds additional security layers on top of OpenClaw's built-in protections:

• Dedicated VPS — Every user gets their own isolated virtual private server. No shared hosting, no multi-tenant risks.
• EU infrastructure — All servers run on Hetzner's GDPR-compliant data centers in Germany and Finland.
• Firewall configuration — Only the ports OpenClaw needs are exposed. Everything else is locked down by default.
• Stripe payment security — We never see your credit card details. All payment data goes directly to Stripe's PCI-compliant servers.
• Google OAuth — No passwords to manage or leak. Authentication is handled entirely through Google's secure OAuth flow.

OpenClaw Security Best Practices

To get the most out of OpenClaw's security features:

1. Enable user allowlists. Don't leave your agent open to anyone who discovers the Telegram bot. Restrict access to known users.
2. Use separate API keys. Create dedicated API keys for your OpenClaw instance instead of reusing keys from other projects.
3. Review skill permissions. Only enable the skills your agent actually needs. Disable file system access if your use case doesn't require it.
4. Keep OpenClaw updated. The OpenClaw team regularly releases security patches. Stay on the latest version.
5. Monitor the dashboard. Periodically check the control dashboard for unexpected sessions or unusual activity.

OpenClaw Security vs Cloud AI Security