Approval Software Security: The Complete Model
Approval software security rests on five layers: TLS encryption in transit, AES encryption at rest for sensitive fields, mandatory two-factor authentication, multi-tenant data isolation, and a tamper-evident audit trail.
An approval platform authorizes payments — its security model is a procurement question, not an IT afterthought. This page covers the complete stack and what to demand from any vendor. The deep dives: user security, encryption at rest, isolation, and the audit trail.
The five layers
| Layer | Protects against | The question to ask a vendor |
|---|---|---|
| TLS in transit | Intercepted traffic | "Is every connection TLS, no exceptions?" |
| AES at rest | Database breach exposing bank details | "Which fields are encrypted, under how many key classes?" |
| Mandatory 2FA | Leaked or phished passwords | "Is 2FA enforced on every account, or optional?" |
| Tenant isolation | Cross-company data leakage | "Are queries organization-scoped at the database layer?" |
| Tamper-evident trail | Evidence tampering, even by insiders | "Can your own administrators edit the audit log?" |
Frequently Asked Questions
What security should approval software have?
The five layers above, at minimum — and mandatory rather than optional on the 2FA line. A platform authorizing payments is protected at the strength of its weakest layer.
What's the most commonly missing layer?
An immutable audit trail. Most platforms log actions but let administrators edit the log — which converts evidence into convenience the moment it's inconvenient.
Approvdit runs all five layers — TLS, AES with key separation, mandatory TOTP 2FA, organization-scoped isolation, and a hash-chained trail no admin can edit. Book a live demo.