n8n is a powerful and flexible automation platform that stands out for its ability to be self hosted and to support custom connectors, giving users freedom to tailor their workflows to their exact needs. Before getting started, it’s important to understand how n8n handles security and data protection.

This post breaks down how n8n secures data, the differences between cloud and self hosted deployments, and which setup is best for different levels of data sensitivity.

Compliance Overview

n8n achieved SOC 2 Type 2 certification around a year ago. The platform’s overall security depends on how users deploy it, either on n8n Cloud or in a self hosted environment. 

n8n Cloud

n8n cloud is fully hosted and managed by the n8n team. According to n8n’s official documentation:

• All connections between n8n and connected systems are encrypted so that data cannot be intercepted when in transfer. The same level of encryption applies to all public API traffic or webhook trigger nodes. 
• Their hosted cloud environment is in Frankfurt, Germany. 
• Access to connected systems within n8n is usually governed by OAuth. If an application doesn’t provide OAuth, API keys should be scoped to only the required resources.
• Governance can be implemented on all paid plans to limit workflow access based on role types.
• Users authenticate to n8n with a username and password and MFA can be enabled for added security. Enterprise plan customers also have access to SSO, SAML, and LDAP.
• n8n encrypts data at rest within each instance’s mounted volume. n8n utilizes Azure Storage server-side encryption using AES256 and a FIPS-140-2 compliant implementation. 

Self Hosted

If users choose to self host, then they take full responsibility for security and compliance. It allows for greater control over data location, encryption and access.

• The IT team manages the encryption, access, logging, and decides where the data is stored (country/region).
• Deployments can be configured to meet SOC 2 Type 2 or HIPAA if hosted in eligible cloud services.
• Use HTTPS/TLS between n8n, connected systems, and users for data encryption in transit.
• Enable volume or database encryption (AES-256 or stronger).
• Require MFA for all users and integrate with SSO/SAML where possible.
• Store credentials in environment variables or a cloud secrets manager (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault).

Data Sensitivity Tiers

• Tier 1 (Public or anonymized data (No PII/PHI)): Safe to use n8n cloud. 
• Tier 2 (PII data): Recommended to self host in a cloud controlled environment (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Tier 3 (PHI data): Recommended to self host in a HIPAA eligible cloud controlled environment with a signed BAA.