Security & Architecture
Transparency about how we build, secure, and operate the Volunteer Management System
Overview
RippleVMS is purpose-built for coordinating community rapid response efforts. We prioritize volunteer privacy while maintaining the accountability needed for effective coordination.
Our Commitment: We collect only what's necessary, we're transparent about what we store, and we give volunteers control over their information.
External Services
We use the following third-party services to operate the VMS:
Neon (Database)
PostgreSQL database hosted on Neon. All volunteer data, shift schedules, and activity logs are stored here. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
Location: US-East (AWS) | SOC 2 Type II Compliant
AWS SES (Email)
Amazon Simple Email Service for sending shift reminders, notifications, and email blasts. We do not store email content after sending.
Location: US-East | SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3 Compliant
Vercel (Hosting)
Application hosting and CDN. Vercel provides DDoS protection, automatic SSL certificates, and edge caching for performance.
Location: Global Edge Network | SOC 2 Type II Compliant
Data We Store
Volunteer Information
- Preferred name (display name you choose)
- Email address
- Phone number or Signal ID (at least one required for operational communication)
- Zone assignment
- Qualifications and roles
- Shift history and coverage signups
Activity Logs
- Who made changes and when
- What was changed (before/after values)
- Login and logout events
Activity logs are retained for 90 days, then automatically deleted.
What We Don't Store
- Plain-text passwords (only secure hashes)
- Detailed location data or GPS coordinates
- Financial information
- Social media accounts
Who Can See What
| Data Type | Volunteers | Coordinators | Admins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own profile | Full | Full | Full |
| Other volunteers' names | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other volunteers' contact info | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shift rosters | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Activity logs | No | Read-only | Full |
| System settings | No | No | Yes |
Audit Trail
Every significant action in the system is logged automatically:
- Creating, updating, or deleting shifts
- Volunteer profile changes
- Coverage signups and cancellations
- Role and qualification changes
- Login and logout events
Coordinators can view the activity log at /coordinator/activity to see recent changes across the system.
Security Practices
HTTPS Everywhere
All traffic is encrypted with TLS 1.3
Secure Password Storage
Passwords are hashed with bcrypt, never stored in plain text
Role-Based Access
Users only see what their role permits
Data Encryption
Database encrypted at rest and in transit
Automatic Backups
Daily database backups with point-in-time recovery
Open Source
Code is available for community review
IP Address Privacy
IP addresses are hashed (SHA-256 with unique salt) before storage, preserving pattern detection while protecting your actual IP
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions about how your data is handled, want to request deletion of your information, or have security concerns, please contact your zone coordinator or email the technical team.