# Local servers and network exposure

Lesson 3 of [Run MCP servers safely in a team](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/run-mcp-servers-safely-in-a-team.md), 15 minutes.

A local MCP server is software you run on a machine. Treat installing one like installing any program that runs with your privileges. The risk The security guidance says local servers may have direct access to the user's system and may be reachable by other processes on the machine. Named risks incl…

The rest of this lesson is for learners enrolled in the course. [See how Run MCP servers safely in a team works](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/run-mcp-servers-safely-in-a-team.md).

Also on the [web page](https://mcpdirectory.fyi/academy/run-mcp-servers-safely-in-a-team/local-servers-and-network-exposure).