Start with the connection you actually use
LeapTerm has several workflows, not one universal privacy boundary. A direct native SSH connection, a client-to-agent relay tunnel, a Gateway-hosted session, an encrypted vault and a shared terminal protect different information between different parties.
The useful question is not simply whether encryption exists. Ask where usable data appears, which machine handles it, and who operates that machine.
Who can handle what?
| Workflow | Important boundary |
|---|---|
| Direct native SSH | Your device and destination handle the session. Verify the destination's identity and protect both endpoints. |
| Native protected relay tunnel | The forwarding relay carries encrypted traffic. Routing metadata, timing and volume remain visible to service operators. |
| Gateway-hosted protocol session | The Gateway handles the remote protocol and can hold decrypted session data and credentials in memory. It is a trusted endpoint. |
| Encrypted vault | Stored information needs the appropriate unlock or recovery authority. Usable data is available to the unlocked client while you work. |
| Live terminal sharing | Invited participants receive usable output. Encryption does not prevent an authorized viewer from copying it. |
| Delegated server access | A trusted enrolled agent holds an encrypted target credential and uses it to open authorized sessions. |
| Customer-agent browser | The enrolled agent runs the browser and handles page data. Access requires a verified enrollment and the customer's approval of this device for the selected target. |
| AI or connected assistants | The selected provider or assistant can receive the information and permissions you give it. Review that relationship separately. |
A statement about an encrypted forwarding relay must not be applied to a protocol-handling Gateway. Read how relay works before selecting a route for sensitive work.
Local storage is a choice with consequences
Local workstation data, an enrolled Account Vault and a hosted cloud workspace have different behavior. The hosted workspace does not offer a general offline-mode switch. A deployment using the local browser credential vault retains encrypted ciphertext in browser storage. Signing in does not automatically migrate a local vault to cloud storage. Cloud-only mode does not mean the browser never holds usable data in memory, nor does it erase downloads, screenshots or clipboard history.
Read cloud and offline data before working on a shared device. Lock the workspace when finished and protect the operating-system account as well as the vault.
Where Customer-agent browser is available in the native workstation, compare the agent's enrollment fingerprint on a trusted customer device and complete the customer's approval for this device and target. Keep the workspace unlocked. A saved page or restored workspace record does not establish agent membership or prove that the original browser is still available.
Review the selected AI provider and the context you send. Provider keys use the workspace's credential store and may be included in encrypted credential backups; hosted-cloud workspaces store them in the encrypted cloud document.
Metadata and diagnostics still matter
Authentication, routing, usage accounting and service operation can involve identifiers and connection metadata. Operational records are separate from any optional telemetry preferences offered by your deployment. Review available controls rather than assuming that a preference removes every operational record.
Do not infer a fixed retention period, certification or independent audit from the presence of encryption. This guide does not make those claims. Review the applicable service terms and ask the operator about requirements specific to your organization.
Your practical safety checklist
Verify new and changed server identities. Keep device and server software maintained. Store recovery material separately. Give viewers and assistants only the access they need. Review output before sharing it, and check the outcome of revocation rather than assuming instant cutoff.
Encryption cannot undo commands, retract copied information, prevent every service outage, or protect an unlocked session from a compromised endpoint. For concrete steps, continue with vaults, recovery and connected assistants.