Is on-premises the same as air-gapped?
No, and the difference is the point. On-premise means the software runs on infrastructure you control. Air-gapped means that infrastructure has no physical or logical connection to the internet or any unsecured network.
Most on-premises tools still assume a connection for licensing, updates or avatars, so an air gap is a stricter requirement that has to be tested rather than assumed.
Key differences are:
- Location vs. connection: On-premises describes where the hardware sits (in your building). Air-gapped describes how it is connected (or not connected) to other networks.
- Internet access: An on-premises server often has internet access. An air-gapped system can live on-premises, but it can also be a remote device with all cables pulled and wireless disabled. Most standard on-premises setups fail a true air-gap security check because they still talk to external networks.
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Does air-gapped mean no internet?
Mostly yes, but it means more than that. Air-gapped means a system is physically isolated from all untrusted networks, which includes the public internet but also any other network the organization does not fully control.
So no internet is part of it, but a truly air-gapped machine also has no link to the regular corporate network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any other outside connection.
What does air-gapped mean?
An air-gapped system is a computer or network that's physically isolated from the internet and other unsecured networks, with no direct connection to the outside world. This isolation is a security measure meant to protect sensitive data or critical systems from remote attacks.
