CAIRL Engineering Principles

Core Principles

1. Privacy First

  • Never compromise user privacy: All architectural decisions must prioritize user data protection
  • Explicit consent: Users must explicitly consent before any data collection or sharing
  • Minimal data collection: Only collect data that is absolutely necessary for verification
  • Data encryption: All sensitive data must be encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Right to deletion: Users can request complete deletion of their data at any time

2. Security by Design

  • Defense in depth: Multiple layers of security controls
  • Least privilege: Grant minimum necessary permissions
  • Input validation: Validate and sanitize all user inputs
  • Secure defaults: Security features enabled by default
  • Regular audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing

3. Transparency

  • Open processes: Clear documentation of how data is collected, stored, and used
  • Audit trails: Comprehensive logging of all sensitive operations
  • User visibility: Users can see all their data and how it's being used
  • Clear communication: Plain language explanations of technical processes

4. User Control

  • Granular permissions: Users control exactly what data to share and with whom
  • Consent management: Easy-to-use interface for managing consent
  • Data portability: Users can export their data in standard formats
  • Revocation: Users can revoke consent and access at any time

5. Simplicity

  • Avoid over-engineering: Build what's needed, not what might be needed
  • Clear code: Readable, maintainable code over clever solutions
  • Minimal dependencies: Only add dependencies that provide significant value
  • Progressive disclosure: Show complexity only when necessary

6. Reliability

  • High availability: System must be accessible when users need it
  • Graceful degradation: Fail gracefully when components are unavailable
  • Data integrity: Ensure data consistency and accuracy
  • Disaster recovery: Regular backups and tested recovery procedures

Technical Standards

Code Quality

  • TypeScript strict mode enabled
  • ESLint and Prettier for code consistency
  • Comprehensive error handling
  • Security scanning in CI/CD pipeline

Testing

  • Unit tests for business logic
  • Integration tests for API endpoints
  • End-to-end tests for critical user flows
  • Minimum 80% code coverage for core features

Performance

  • Page load time < 2 seconds
  • API response time < 500ms (p95)
  • Database queries optimized and indexed
  • CDN for static assets

Documentation

  • All public APIs documented
  • Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) for major decisions
  • Code comments for complex logic
  • Up-to-date README and developer guides

Security Requirements

Authentication

  • Multi-factor authentication available
  • Secure password hashing (bcrypt with appropriate cost)
  • Session management with secure cookies
  • OAuth 2.0 for third-party integrations

Data Protection

  • AES-256 encryption for data at rest
  • TLS 1.3 for data in transit
  • PII stored in encrypted fields
  • Secure key management (AWS KMS)

OWASP Top 10 Protection

  • SQL Injection: Use parameterized queries (Drizzle ORM)
  • XSS: Content Security Policy, input sanitization
  • CSRF: CSRF tokens on all state-changing operations
  • Insecure deserialization: Validate all JSON inputs
  • Security misconfiguration: Automated security scanning
  • Sensitive data exposure: Encryption and access controls
  • Missing access control: Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Known vulnerabilities: Regular dependency updates
  • Insufficient logging: Comprehensive audit logging
  • API security: Rate limiting, authentication required

Compliance

GDPR Compliance

  • Lawful basis for processing
  • Data minimization
  • Right to access, rectification, erasure
  • Data portability
  • Consent management
  • Privacy by design

SOC 2 Type II Preparation

  • Security controls documentation
  • Access control policies
  • Change management procedures
  • Incident response plan
  • Vendor management

Development Workflow

Git Strategy

  • Main branch always deployable
  • Feature branches for new development
  • Pull request reviews required
  • Automated tests must pass before merge

CI/CD

  • Automated testing on every commit
  • Security scanning (Snyk, Dependabot)
  • Automated deployments to staging
  • Manual approval for production

Code Review

  • At least one approval required
  • Security-focused review for sensitive code
  • Performance review for database queries
  • Accessibility review for UI changes

Monitoring and Observability

Logging

  • Structured logging (JSON format)
  • No PII in logs
  • Centralized log aggregation
  • Log retention policy (90 days)

Metrics

  • Application performance monitoring (APM)
  • Error tracking and alerting
  • User analytics (privacy-preserving)
  • Infrastructure monitoring

Alerting

  • Critical errors alert on-call engineer
  • Performance degradation warnings
  • Security event notifications
  • Uptime monitoring

Ethical Guidelines

Data Ethics

  • Never sell user data
  • No dark patterns or deceptive UX
  • Clear opt-out mechanisms
  • Regular ethics reviews

AI/ML Ethics (Future)

  • Bias testing and mitigation
  • Explainable AI decisions
  • Human oversight for critical decisions
  • Regular fairness audits

Last Updated: 2026-01-23 Version: 1.0 Status: Active