This guide covers security best practices for using SecureFlow to protect your sensitive data.

• Encryption Overview
• Password Security
• File Management
• CI/CD Security
• Best Practices
• Security Checklist

SecureFlow uses industry-standard encryption:

• Algorithm: AES-256-CBC (Advanced Encryption Standard, 256-bit key, Cipher Block Chaining mode)
• Key Derivation: PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2)
• Compatibility: OpenSSL-compatible format
• Salt: 8 random bytes per encrypted file
• Format: Salted__ header + salt + encrypted data

1. Encryption Process:

   Password → PBKDF2 → Key + IV → AES-256-CBC → Encrypted File
   

2. File Format:

   [Salted__][8-byte salt][encrypted data]
   

3. Key Derivation:

   • Uses PBKDF2 with SHA-256
   • Derives 48 bytes: 32 for key, 16 for IV
   • Salt is randomly generated per file

SecureFlow is compatible with OpenSSL commands:

Encrypt with OpenSSL:

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -pbkdf2 -in file.txt -out file.txt.encrypted -k "password"

Decrypt with SecureFlow:

secureflow decrypt --password "password"

And vice versa - files encrypted with SecureFlow can be decrypted with OpenSSL.

Minimum Requirements:

• At least 16 characters
• Mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Include numbers
• Include special characters

Good Password Example:

T7$kL9@mP2!qR5#nW8

Bad Password Examples:

password123          # Too simple
MyP@ssw0rd          # Common pattern
project2024         # Too short, predictable

Use a password manager or generator:

# Generate strong password on Linux/macOS
openssl rand -base64 24

# Generate with special characters
< /dev/urandom tr -dc 'A-Za-z0-9!@#$%^&*' | head -c 24 ; echo

✅ DO:

• Use a password manager (1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden)
• Store in CI/CD platform's secret management
• Share via secure channels (encrypted messaging)
• Keep separate passwords for different projects
• Document password hints in report.txt

❌ DON'T:

• Commit passwords to version control
• Share passwords via email or Slack
• Write passwords in plain text files
• Reuse passwords across projects
• Store passwords in browser history

When to Rotate:

• Every 3-6 months (recommended)
• When team member leaves
• After suspected compromise
• Before major releases

How to Rotate:

1. Generate new password
2. Re-encrypt all files with new password:

   secureflow encrypt --password "new_password"

3. Update password in CI/CD secrets
4. Commit new encrypted files
5. Notify team of password change
6. Update password manager

Always add plaintext secrets to .gitignore:

# Environment files
.env
.env.*
!.env.example

# Mobile app secrets
android/app/keystore.jks
android/key.properties
android/service-account.json
ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist

# SSL certificates
*.key
*.pem
*.p12

# Database credentials
config/database.yml
config/secrets.yml

# Test decryption directory
test_dec_keys/

✅ DO:

• Commit encrypted files to version control
• Commit secureflow.yaml configuration
• Commit report.txt for reference
• Use descriptive encrypted filenames
• Review encryption reports regularly

❌ DON'T:

• Commit plaintext secrets
• Delete encrypted files accidentally
• Modify encrypted files manually
• Share encrypted files without config

Recommended structure:

your-project/
├── .gitignore                    # Ignore plaintext secrets
├── secureflow.yaml              # Config (commit this)
├── enc_keys/                    # Encrypted files (commit this)
│   ├── .env.prod.encrypted
│   ├── keystore.jks.encrypted
│   └── report.txt               # Report (commit this)
├── test_dec_keys/               # Test directory (don't commit)
│   └── .env.prod
├── .env.prod                    # Plaintext (don't commit)
└── android/
    └── app/
        └── keystore.jks         # Plaintext (don't commit)

On Linux/macOS:

# Encrypted files (can be readable)
chmod 644 enc_keys/*.encrypted

# Decrypted sensitive files (restrict access)
chmod 600 .env.prod
chmod 600 android/app/keystore.jks

# Directories
chmod 755 enc_keys
chmod 700 test_dec_keys

On Windows: Use File Explorer → Properties → Security to restrict access to decrypted files.

Platform-Specific Best Practices:

• Use Repository secrets for passwords
• Use Environment secrets for deployment-specific passwords
• Enable branch protection for production branches
• Use required reviewers for sensitive workflows
• Enable CODEOWNERS for workflow files

• Use masked variables to hide values in logs
• Use protected variables for production branches only
• Set environment-specific variables
• Limit variable scope to specific branches/tags
• Use file variables for multi-line secrets

• Use secured variables to mask in logs
• Limit variables to specific branches
• Use deployment variables for environment-specific secrets
• Enable required approvals for production deploys

• Use Credentials store for passwords
• Scope credentials to specific jobs/folders
• Enable Mask Passwords plugin
• Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Audit credential access regularly

Secure Pipeline Design:

# Example: Secure GitHub Actions workflow
name: Secure Deploy

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

permissions:
  contents: read    # Minimal permissions

jobs:
  decrypt:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    environment: production  # Requires manual approval
    
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - name: Decrypt
        run: |
          secureflow decrypt --password "${{ secrets.PROD_PASSWORD }}" --non-interactive
        
      - name: Upload artifacts with short expiry
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
        with:
          name: secrets
          path: .env.production
          retention-days: 1  # Short retention
  
  deploy:
    needs: decrypt
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    
    steps:
      - name: Download secrets
        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
      
      - name: Deploy
        run: ./deploy.sh
      
      - name: Clean up
        if: always()
        run: rm -f .env.production

Key Security Practices:

1. Use minimal permissions
2. Require manual approval for production
3. Short artifact retention
4. Clean up secrets after use
5. Use specific branch triggers

What to Monitor:

• Secret access in CI/CD platform
• Pipeline execution history
• Failed decryption attempts
• Unauthorized config changes
• Encrypted file modifications

Audit Checklist:

• Review who has access to secrets
• Check pipeline logs for anomalies
• Verify encrypted files haven't been tampered with
• Ensure .gitignore is properly configured
• Review recent commits for accidentally committed secrets

Don't rely solely on encryption:

• Use VPN for sensitive operations
• Enable 2FA on all accounts
• Use network segmentation
• Implement least privilege access
• Regular security audits

Use different passwords for different environments:

# Development
secureflow encrypt --config secureflow.dev.yaml --password "$DEV_PASSWORD"

# Staging
secureflow encrypt --config secureflow.staging.yaml --password "$STAGING_PASSWORD"

# Production
secureflow encrypt --config secureflow.prod.yaml --password "$PROD_PASSWORD"

Only encrypt what's necessary:

# Good: Only encrypt secrets
files:
  - input: .env.production
  - input: android/app/keystore.jks

# Avoid: Don't encrypt public configs
files:
  - input: .env.production
  - input: config/public_api.json      # Not necessary

Monthly checklist:

• Review who has access to passwords
• Check for exposed secrets in logs
• Verify .gitignore is complete
• Test decryption process
• Review encryption reports

Quarterly checklist:

• Rotate passwords
• Re-encrypt all files
• Update team access
• Review pipeline security
• Audit secret usage

If password is compromised:

1. Immediate Actions:

   # Generate new password
   NEW_PASS=$(openssl rand -base64 24)
   
   # Re-encrypt immediately
   secureflow encrypt --password "$NEW_PASS"
   
   # Update CI/CD secrets
   # Update team password manager

2. Investigate:

   • Review access logs
   • Check for unauthorized deployments
   • Examine recent commits
   • Interview team members

3. Communicate:

   • Notify affected team members
   • Document the incident
   • Update security procedures
   • Consider external notification if required

If plaintext secrets are committed:

1. Immediate Actions:

   # Remove from git history (use with caution)
   git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
     'git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch path/to/secret.env' \
     --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all
   
   # Force push (coordinate with team)
   git push origin --force --all

2. Rotate All Secrets:

   • Change all passwords
   • Regenerate API keys
   • Update database credentials
   • Re-issue certificates

3. Use Tools to Prevent Future Incidents:

   # Install git-secrets
   git secrets --install
   git secrets --register-aws
   
   # Or use gitleaks
   gitleaks detect --verbose

Train team members on:

• How to use SecureFlow properly
• Never committing plaintext secrets
• Recognizing security threats
• Proper password management
• Incident response procedures

Regular verification:

# Test encryption
secureflow test --password "$PASSWORD" --non-interactive

# Verify files can be decrypted
secureflow decrypt --password "$PASSWORD" --non-interactive

# Check encrypted file integrity
ls -lh enc_keys/
cat enc_keys/report.txt

Backup important files:

# Backup encrypted files
tar -czf secureflow-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz enc_keys/ secureflow.yaml

# Store in secure location
# - Encrypted cloud storage
# - Secure file server
# - Password-protected archive

What to backup:

• Encrypted files (enc_keys/)
• Configuration (secureflow.yaml)
• Encryption reports (report.txt)
• Password hints (in secure location)

• Generate strong password (16+ characters)
• Store password in password manager
• Configure .gitignore for plaintext secrets
• Test encryption/decryption locally
• Set appropriate file permissions
• Document password hint in report

• Verify no plaintext secrets in git history
• Check .gitignore is working
• Confirm encrypted files are in place
• Review report.txt for accuracy
• Test decryption process

• Store password as secret in CI/CD platform
• Test decryption in pipeline
• Verify password is masked in logs
• Set short artifact retention
• Enable branch protection
• Require approval for production deploys

• Rotate passwords quarterly
• Review access permissions monthly
• Audit pipeline logs regularly
• Keep SecureFlow updated
• Test disaster recovery procedures
• Train new team members

• Verify encryption password is correct
• Test decryption process
• Check all required files are encrypted
• Review CI/CD pipeline security
• Confirm rollback procedure
• Document emergency contacts

• Use strong encryption (AES-256 ✅)
• Maintain data processing records
• Implement access controls
• Enable audit logging
• Have data breach response plan

• Encrypt data at rest (✅)
• Implement access controls (✅)
• Maintain audit trails
• Regular security assessments
• Business associate agreements

• Encryption of sensitive data (✅)
• Access control policies (✅)
• Change management
• Monitoring and logging
• Incident response

• Strong cryptography (AES-256 ✅)
• Key management procedures
• Access control measures
• Logging and monitoring
• Regular security testing

• git-secrets: Prevent committing secrets
• gitleaks: Detect secrets in git repos
• truffleHog: Find secrets in git history
• detect-secrets: Prevent secrets in commits

• OWASP Top 10
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• CIS Controls

• Configuration Guide - Configuration best practices
• CI/CD Usage Guide - Secure CI/CD integration
• Troubleshooting - Security-related issues