diff --git a/.cargo/deny.toml b/.cargo/deny.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cee6f6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cargo/deny.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[bans]
+multiple-versions = "deny"
+wildcards = "allow"
+highlight = "all"
+
+# Explicitly flag the weak cryptography so the agent is forced to justify its existence
+[[bans.skip]]
+name = "md-5"
+version = "*"
+reason = "MUST VERIFY: Only allowed for legacy checksums, never for security."
+
+[[bans.skip]]
+name = "sha1"
+version = "*"
+reason = "MUST VERIFY: Only allowed for backwards compatibility."
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/rust.yml b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
index effe3ea..0d42cd7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rust.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rust.yml
@@ -45,10 +45,14 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run tests
       run: cargo test --verbose
 
-# clippy dont fail on warnings because of active development of telemt 
-# and many warnings
+    - name: Check benches compile
+      run: cargo check --benches
+
+    # Strict policy is deferred to PR-SEC-8 — intermediate branches use
+    # #[allow(clippy::panic)], #[allow(clippy::expect_used)] etc. which are
+    # incompatible with -F (forbid) flags active before all source fixes land.
     - name: Run clippy
-      run: cargo clippy -- --cap-lints warn
+      run: cargo clippy --workspace -- -D clippy::correctness
 
     - name: Check for unused dependencies
       run: cargo udeps || true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/security.yml b/.github/workflows/security.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c658c3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/security.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+name: Security
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ "*" ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ "*" ]
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+
+jobs:
+  advisory-gate:
+    name: Advisory Gate
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install latest stable Rust toolchain
+        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+
+      - name: Install cargo-audit
+        run: cargo install --locked cargo-audit
+
+      - name: Run policy regression tests
+        run: bash tools/security/test_enforce_audit_policy.sh
+
+      - name: Enforce advisory policy
+        run: bash tools/security/enforce_audit_policy.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 06ea5c6..3f837a2 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2025,6 +2025,12 @@ version = "1.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "6ce2be8dc25455e1f91df71bfa12ad37d7af1092ae736f3a6cd0e37bc7810596"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "static_assertions"
+version = "1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a2eb9349b6444b326872e140eb1cf5e7c522154d69e7a0ffb0fb81c06b37543f"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "subtle"
 version = "2.6.1"
@@ -2087,7 +2093,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "telemt"
-version = "3.3.15"
+version = "3.3.17"
 dependencies = [
  "aes",
  "anyhow",
@@ -2127,6 +2133,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "sha1",
  "sha2",
  "socket2 0.5.10",
+ "static_assertions",
+ "subtle",
  "thiserror 2.0.18",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-rustls",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index dd3e5fb..51060d2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ hmac = "0.12"
 crc32fast = "1.4"
 crc32c = "0.6"
 zeroize = { version = "1.8", features = ["derive"] }
+subtle = "2.6"
 
 # Network
 socket2 = { version = "0.5", features = ["all"] }
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ tokio-test = "0.4"
 criterion = "0.5"
 proptest = "1.4"
 futures = "0.3"
+static_assertions = "1.1"
 
 [[bench]]
 name = "crypto_bench"