Operational Blueprint

How Law Firms Use Vault in an Air-Gapped Setup

This page documents the full operating model: who does what, how documents cross the boundary safely, and how legal teams review, edit, highlight, approve, and export inside the isolated environment.

Air-Gapped by Design Chain of Custody Auditable Workflow

View System Workflow View Role Swimlane

Operating Model

Vault runs as an internal legal workspace. Source documents are transferred through a controlled ingest process before any local AI analysis, editing, or approvals happen.

1. Controlled Ingest

Documents are exported from the firm source systems, scanned on an ingest workstation, and validated with signed SHA-256 manifests before transfer.

2. Local AI Processing

In the air-gapped zone, Vault verifies files, stores immutable originals, runs OCR/indexing, and applies firm playbooks for clause and risk review.

3. Legal Team Workflow

Associates and partners work in matter workspaces with highlights, comments, tracked changes, approvals, and exportable outputs with full audit logs.

Step 01Paralegal exports documents and raises ingest ticket with matter ID.

Step 02Security scans and sanitizes package, then signs hash manifest.

Step 03Vault admin transfers approved package across the boundary.

Step 04Lawyers review, edit, highlight, approve, and export inside Vault.

System Workflow Diagram

End-to-end movement from connected systems into the isolated Vault environment.

Connected Firm Network

A1Paralegal exports files from DMS or email to encrypted transfer package.

A2Ingest workstation runs malware scan, file allowlist checks, and optional CDR.

A3Security generates signed SHA-256 manifest and approves transfer.

Boundary Transfer

Air-Gapped Vault Network

B1Import station verifies hash manifest signature and file integrity.

B2Vault stores immutable originals, attaches matter metadata, and versions files.

B3Local OCR/indexing enables matter review, highlighting, edits, approvals, and exports.

Control Point Failed scans or hash mismatch are rejected and logged as incidents before any matter access.

Role Swimlane Workflow

Responsibility split across operations, security, platform administration, and legal review.

Paralegal

Export matter docs from DMS/email.
Create encrypted transfer package.
Submit ingest ticket with client and matter metadata.

Security / Ingest Officer

Run AV and file-policy checks on ingest workstation.
Apply optional CDR/sanitization policy.
Sign hash manifest and approve or reject package.

Vault Admin

Transfer approved package via clean media or data diode.
Verify signatures and hashes at air-gapped import station.
Store immutable originals and map files to matter workspace.

Lawyer Team

Open matter workspace and review document set.
Use highlights, comments, and tracked changes.
Approve final output and export review package.

Handoff 1 Paralegal to Security: ingest ticket + encrypted package + matter reference.

Handoff 2 Security to Vault Admin: approved package + signed manifest.

Handoff 3 Vault Admin to Lawyer Team: verified documents indexed and ready for legal review.

Governance

Use this as the operating checklist for SOPs, audits, and internal sign-off documentation.

MVP Baseline Controls

Stage	Owner	Required Control	Evidence Captured
Package creation	Paralegal	Use encrypted transfer method and include matter ID.	Ingest ticket ID, export timestamp, source repository reference.
Pre-transfer screening	Security	Malware scan, extension allowlist, optional CDR sanitation.	Scan report, blocked file log, approval decision with operator ID.
Integrity verification	Vault Admin	Validate signed manifest and file hashes before import.	Manifest signature check result, checksum verification report.
Document onboarding	Vault Platform	Store immutable originals and create versioned working copies.	Version IDs, immutable file reference, matter mapping events.
Legal review and approvals	Lawyer Team	Tracked edits, issue resolution, partner approval before export.	Change history, comment thread log, approval audit trail, export ID.

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