8bit.tr Journal
Secure Prompt Routing: Keeping Sensitive Inputs Isolated
How to route prompts securely across models and tools without leaking sensitive data.
Why Prompt Routing Needs Security
Routing decisions can expose sensitive data to the wrong model or tool.
Secure routing enforces data boundaries and compliance rules.
Classification and Redaction
Classify prompts by sensitivity and redact risky fields before routing.
Use policy-based routing to ensure compliance.
Model and Tool Isolation
Route sensitive prompts to vetted models with stronger controls.
Isolate tools with least-privilege permissions.
Auditability
Log routing decisions and policy evaluations.
Audit logs must be tamper-resistant for compliance reviews.
Operational Monitoring
Monitor routing errors and policy violations.
Use alerts to catch unexpected data flow patterns.
Routing Architecture
Use a centralized router so routing logic is consistent across services.
Keep allowlists per model to prevent accidental exposure.
Tag requests with sensitivity labels for auditability.
Cache routing decisions for repeat requests to reduce overhead.
Use policy checks before and after tool execution.
Separate routing for system prompts and user inputs when needed.
Log routing decisions with minimal sensitive data retained.
Validate routing rules in staging before production rollout.
Introduce shadow routing to evaluate new rules safely.
Keep routing rules small and composable for easier review.
Map routing rules to data classification policies explicitly.
Use deterministic routing for regulated workflows to ease audits.
Incident Response
Define escalation paths for suspected data leaks.
Freeze routing changes during active incidents.
Capture incident traces to support root-cause analysis.
Notify compliance teams when sensitive data is exposed.
Add temporary deny rules while fixes are implemented.
Review classifier performance after each incident.
Run postmortems to update routing policies and tests.
Track incident trends to prioritize hardening work.
Maintain a contact list for rapid notification across teams.
Record time-to-containment to improve response playbooks.
Preserve affected logs with tamper-evident storage.
Define customer communication templates for faster response.
FAQ: Secure Routing
Is secure routing expensive? It adds overhead but is necessary for sensitive data.
What is the biggest risk? Misclassification of sensitive prompts.
What is the fastest win? Add a sensitivity classifier and strict allowlists.
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