Description

Data Security Microservice Application with Node.js

Purpose of the Application

This application is a data security microservice designed to securely encrypt and decrypt data. Developed using Node.js, Express and custom algorithms, the application allows users to secure their data through a simple web interface.

Key Features

• Data Encryption:
  • Users can input plaintext data through the web interface.
  • Data is encrypted using the AES-256-CBC algorithm, which is renowned for its security and reliability in symmetric encryption.
  • The encrypted result is displayed on the screen for users to view and copy.
• Data Decryption:
  • Users can input encrypted data that they wish to return to its original form.
  • The application decrypts the data using the same encryption key, restoring it to readable plaintext.
• API Key Authentication:
  • The application is equipped with authentication middleware to validate the API Key before users can utilize the encryption/decryption functions.
  • This feature ensures that only authorized users can access the encryption/decryption services.

Changes Made:

1. Unique Key Generation:
   • A new function generateUniqueKey is added, which creates a unique key based on the original ENCRYPTION_SECRET. This is done by hashing the secret with SHA-256 and taking the first 32 bytes (256 bits), which is suitable for AES-256.
2. Key Usage:
   • Both the encrypt and decrypt functions now utilize the unique key generated from ENCRYPTION_SECRET.

Advantages:

• Increased Security: By deriving a unique key from your original secret, you ensure that even if someone knows your ENCRYPTION_SECRET, they cannot directly use it without the hash transformation.
• Consistency: The same transformation will produce the same key for the same secret, ensuring that encryption and decryption remain consistent.

Folder Structure and Components

• index.js:
  • The main file that initializes the Express server and defines the /encrypt and /decrypt endpoints.
  • Manages authentication through middleware that checks the API Key.
  • Utilizes functions from services/security.js to handle the encryption/decryption logic.
• services/security.js:
  • Contains the core logic for encrypting and decrypting data.
  • Utilizes the built-in crypto module from Node.js to implement the AES-256-CBC algorithm.
• public/:
  • index.html: The HTML file providing the user interface for entering data to be encrypted or decrypted.
  • main.js: JavaScript script that sends encryption and decryption requests from the user interface to the server using the Fetch API.
  • style.css: CSS file that enhances the user interface, making it more modern and user-friendly.

Application Workflow

1. Users access the main page at http://localhost:3000.
2. To encrypt data, users enter plaintext in the input field under the “Encrypt Data” section and click the "Encrypt" button.
   • The data is sent to the server via a POST request to the /encrypt endpoint, along with the API Key in the header.
   • The server returns the encrypted result, which is then displayed on the screen.
3. To decrypt data, users enter the encrypted data in the “Decrypt Data” section and click the "Decrypt" button.
   • The data is sent to the server via a POST request to the /decrypt endpoint.
   • The server returns the decrypted result, which is displayed on the screen.

Technologies Used

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime for running the application server.
• Express: A minimalist framework for Node.js that simplifies API and route creation.
• Crypto Module: A built-in Node.js module for handling data encryption using the AES-256-CBC algorithm.
• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: The user interface is built using HTML for structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for dynamic interaction with the server.

Usage Steps

Install Dependencies: Ensure all dependencies are installed using the command:
bash
npm install

Configure Environment: Create a .env file to define the API_KEY and ENCRYPTION_SECRET used in the encryption and decryption processes.

Run the Server: Start the server with the command:
bash
node index.js

Access the Interface: Open http://localhost:3000 in a browser and start encrypting/decrypting data.