Install ShieldCortex
Two minutes from a fresh machine to a configured ShieldCortex install. Pick the path that matches your agent runtime. 5.0 needs Node 22.14+ or Node 24 — the warning is on the commands below.
Fresh Install
5.0 requires Node 22.14+ or Node 24. Node 20 is gone — read
Upgrading to 5.0
before you update. Stay on 4.x with npm install -g shieldcortex@4.
ShieldCortex CLI
Install and auto-configure for Claude Code, OpenClaw, VS Code, Codex:
npm install -g shieldcortex shieldcortex quickstart Restart your agent and approve the MCP server.
ShieldCortex + OpenClaw
Add memory security to your existing OpenClaw agents:
openclaw skills install shieldcortex openclaw plugins install @drakon-systems/shieldcortex-realtime Restart the gateway: openclaw gateway restart
Migrating from Claude Cortex
Your existing memories are preserved. The original database stays intact at ~/.claude-cortex/ for rollback.
Verify Installation
Next steps
- Connect servers to Cloud — for Linux servers, cloud VMs, and always-on devices.
- How it works — hooks, defence pipeline, firewall modes. Automatic inject stays off.
- Open the dashboard — at
http://localhost:3030. - Iron Dome — behavioural protection on top of the memory firewall.
- OpenClaw integration — if you're running OpenClaw skills + plugins.
Trouble installing?
If shieldcortex doctor reports an issue, the report links the exact fix command. For everything else, file an issue on GitHub.