🔐 ECRYPTO

Military-Grade Folder Encryption Tool

Encrypt entire folders into a single secure container using XChaCha20-Poly1305 (AEAD) and Argon2id (KDF).
Protects filenames, metadata, and contents with cutting-edge cryptography.

Download • Quick Start • Documentation • Security

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✨ Features

• 🔒 Military-Grade Encryption: XChaCha20-Poly1305 AEAD cipher (256-bit keys)
• � Folder & File Support: Encrypt entire folders or individual files
• 🗂️ Interactive File Browser: Navigate your file system with visual drive and folder selection
• 🔑 Flexible Key Management: Use passphrases or raw 32-byte key files
• 📦 Single Secure Container: Compress + encrypt into .ecrypt files
• 🎨 Beautiful Interactive UI: User-friendly menu system or powerful command-line interface
• 💾 Drive Selection: Start browsing from drive level (C:, D:, etc.) on Windows
• 🛡️ Secure by Default: Argon2id KDF (256MB memory, 3 iterations) - winner of Password Hashing Competition
• ↶ Undo Feature: Easily decrypt and restore recently encrypted data
• 📋 Smart Path Detection: Auto-detects file vs folder, handles quoted paths with spaces
• ⚡ Fast & Lightweight: Single binary, zero dependencies, cross-platform ready
• 🔍 Tamper Detection: Authentication tags prevent file modifications
• 📊 Progress Tracking: Real-time visual feedback during operations
• 🌐 Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

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📥 Installation

Option 1: Download Pre-built Binary (Recommended)

Windows

# Download the latest release
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/pandarudra/ecrypto/releases/latest/download/ecrypto-windows-amd64.exe" -OutFile "ecrypto.exe"

# Run it
.\ecrypto.exe

Or manually:

1. Go to Releases 📦
2. Download ecrypto-windows-amd64.exe
3. Rename to ecrypto.exe and run!

macOS

# Download the latest release
curl -L -o ecrypto "https://github.com/pandarudra/ecrypto/releases/latest/download/ecrypto-darwin-amd64"
chmod +x ecrypto

# Move to PATH (optional)
sudo mv ecrypto /usr/local/bin/

Linux

# Download the latest release
wget -O ecrypto "https://github.com/pandarudra/ecrypto/releases/latest/download/ecrypto-linux-amd64"
chmod +x ecrypto

# Move to PATH (optional)
sudo mv ecrypto /usr/local/bin/

Option 2: Install via npm (Global CLI)

Quickly install ECRYPTO as a global command-line tool:

npm install -g ecrypto-cli

# Then use it anywhere
ecrypto-cli --help

Benefits:

• Available from any directory
• Automatic updates: npm update -g ecrypto-cli
• Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• No manual binary management

Option 3: Build from Source

Requirements: Go 1.24+

git clone https://github.com/pandarudra/ecrypto.git
cd ecrypto
go build -o ecrypto

# On Windows, this creates ecrypto.exe
# On macOS/Linux, run: chmod +x ecrypto

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🎯 Interactive File Browser

New in v1.0.7! No need to type paths manually. Navigate your file system visually:

💾 Drive Selection

Start by selecting your drive:

💾 Select Drive

  [1] 💾 C:
  [2] 💾 D:
  [3] 💾 E:

📂 Folder Navigation

Browse folders with visual feedback:

📂 Current: C:\Users\YourName

  [1] ⬆️  ..
  [2] 📁 Documents
  [3] 📁 Downloads
  [4] 📁 Pictures (250 MB)
  [5] 📁 Desktop
  [6] 📄 report.pdf (2.5 MB)

Enter number to select | [S]elect current folder | [P]aste path | [Q]uit

Features:

• ✅ Visual drive selection (C:, D:, etc.)
• ✅ Navigate folders with numbers
• ✅ See file sizes before selecting
• ✅ Quick access to common folders (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Desktop)
• ✅ Still supports pasting paths directly (with or without quotes)
• ✅ Auto-detects files vs folders

📋 Smart Path Input

Choose your preferred method:

Choose [1] Browse interactively or [2] Paste/Type path

Option 1: Visual navigation with file browser
Option 2: Direct path paste: C:\Users\shree\Documents\folder

Handles:

• Paths with spaces: C:\Program Files\My App
• Quoted paths: "C:\My Folder\file.txt"
• Forward or backward slashes

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🚀 Quick Start

🎯 Interactive Mode (Perfect for Beginners!)

The easiest way to use ECRYPTO - just run the executable with no arguments:

.\ecrypto.exe

You'll see an intuitive interactive menu:

██████ ▄█████ █████▄  ██  ██ █████▄ ██████ ▄████▄
██▄▄   ██     ██▄▄██▄  ▀██▀  ██▄▄█▀   ██   ██  ██
██▄▄▄▄ ▀█████ ██   ██   ██   ██       ██   ▀████▀

[1] [ENCRYPT]  Encrypt a Folder/File
[2] [DECRYPT]  Decrypt a Folder/File
[3] [KEYGEN]   Generate Encryption Key
[4] [INFO]     View Container Info
[5] [UNDO]     Undo Recent Operation
[6] [EXIT]     Quit Application

Step-by-step walkthrough:

1. Select [1] ENCRYPT
2. Choose between folder or file encryption
3. Browse your file system or paste path
4. Choose output location
5. Enter a strong passphrase (or use key file)
6. Done! Your data is now encrypted

⚡ Command-Line Mode (For Power Users)

If installed via npm:

# All commands use 'ecrypto-cli' instead of '.\ecrypto.exe'
ecrypto-cli encrypt --in "path/to/folder" --out "backup.ecrypt" --pass "YourPassword"
ecrypto-cli decrypt --in "backup.ecrypt" --out "restored" --pass "YourPassword"
ecrypto-cli keygen --out mykey.txt

If using direct binary:

# Encrypt a folder with passphrase:
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\MyFolder" --out "backup.ecrypt" --pass "YourStrongPassphrase123!"

# Encrypt a single file with passphrase:
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\report.pdf" --out "report.ecrypt" --pass "YourStrongPassphrase123!"

# Decrypt a container (auto-detects file or folder):
.\ecrypto.exe decrypt --in "backup.ecrypt" --out "restored" --pass "YourStrongPassphrase123!"

# Generate a random 32-byte encryption key:
.\ecrypto.exe keygen --out mykey.txt

# Encrypt with a raw key file (maximum security - works for files and folders):
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\MyFolder" --out "backup.ecrypt" --key-file mykey.txt

# View container information (no decryption required):
.\ecrypto.exe info --file backup.ecrypt

Pro Tip: Key files provide stronger security than passphrases. Store them in a password manager!

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📖 Usage Examples

💼 Example 1: Backup Personal Documents

Perfect for creating encrypted backups of your important files:

# Encrypt your documents folder
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\Users\YourName\Documents" --out "documents_backup.ecrypt" --pass "MySecurePassword123!"

# Later, restore to a new location
.\ecrypto.exe decrypt --in "documents_backup.ecrypt" --out "C:\Restored\Documents" --pass "MySecurePassword123!"

Use Case: Regular backups, cloud storage, disaster recovery

🔐 Example 2: Secure File Transfer

Share sensitive data securely by encrypting with a key file:

# Step 1: Generate a random encryption key
.\ecrypto.exe keygen --out transfer_key.txt

# Step 2: Encrypt your sensitive file or folder
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\report.pdf" --out "transfer.ecrypt" --key-file transfer_key.txt
# or for a folder:
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\SensitiveData" --out "transfer.ecrypt" --key-file transfer_key.txt

# Step 3: Send transfer.ecrypt via one channel (email/cloud)
#         Send transfer_key.txt via a DIFFERENT secure channel (Signal/WhatsApp)

# Recipient decrypts with the key:
.\ecrypto.exe decrypt --in "transfer.ecrypt" --out "received_data" --key-file transfer_key.txt

Use Case: Confidential file sharing, client deliverables, HIPAA/GDPR compliance

🖥️ Example 3: Optimize for Different Hardware

Adjust Argon2 parameters for slower machines or faster encryption:

# Lower settings for older machines (128MB memory, 2 iterations)
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\MyFolder" --out "backup.ecrypt" --pass "password" --argon-m 131072 --argon-t 2

# Higher security for critical data (512MB memory, 5 iterations)
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\TopSecret" --out "critical.ecrypt" --pass "password" --argon-m 524288 --argon-t 5

Use Case: Performance tuning, high-security requirements, legacy systems

📂 Example 4: Batch Operations

Encrypt multiple folders programmatically:

# Encrypt multiple project folders
$folders = @("C:\Project1", "C:\Project2", "C:\Project3")
foreach ($folder in $folders) {
    $name = Split-Path $folder -Leaf
    .\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in $folder --out "D:\Backups\$name.ecrypt" --pass "YourPassword"
}

Use Case: Automated backups, CI/CD pipelines, scheduled tasks

↶ Example 5: Undo & Restore

Accidentally encrypted something? Restore it with one click:

# Encrypted a folder
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in "C:\MyFiles" --out "backup.ecrypt" --pass "password"

# Later: Need to undo the encryption
.\ecrypto.exe
→ [5] [UNDO] Undo Recent Operation
→ Select: C:\MyFiles | 450 files | 1.24 GB
→ Passphrase: password
→ ✓ Restored to: C:\MyFiles_restored

Use Case: Testing encryption settings, accidental encryption, backup verification

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🔒 Security

🛡️ Cryptography Details

ECRYPTO uses industry-leading cryptographic standards:

• Encryption Cipher: XChaCha20-Poly1305

  • AEAD (Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data)
  • 256-bit keys for maximum security
  • ChaCha20 stream cipher + Poly1305 MAC
  • RFC 8439 compliant

• Key Derivation: Argon2id

  • Winner of the Password Hashing Competition (2015)
  • Resistant to GPU/ASIC attacks
  • Default: 256 MB memory, 3 iterations, 1 thread
  • RFC 9106 compliant

• Random Generation: Cryptographically secure (Go's crypto/rand)

  • 24-byte XChaCha20 nonce (never reused)
  • 16-byte Argon2 salt
  • True randomness from OS entropy sources

• Data Integrity: Poly1305 authentication tag

  • 16-byte MAC prevents tampering
  • Header authenticated as AAD (Additional Authenticated Data)

✅ What ECRYPTO Protects Against

Threat	Protection
Unauthorized file access	✅ Strong 256-bit encryption
Filename/metadata leakage	✅ Everything encrypted in container
Brute-force attacks	✅ Argon2id makes cracking impractical
File tampering	✅ Authentication tag detects modifications
Rainbow table attacks	✅ Unique salt per container
Nonce reuse attacks	✅ Random 24-byte nonce per encryption

⚠️ Limitations & Threat Model

ECRYPTO does NOT protect against:

Threat	Mitigation
Physical memory extraction	Use full-disk encryption (BitLocker, FileVault)
Weak passphrases	Use 16+ character passphrases or key files
Malware/keyloggers on system	Keep OS updated, use antivirus software
Loss of encryption key	Always backup your keys/passphrases!
Side-channel attacks	Not designed for hostile multi-tenant environments

🔐 Security Best Practices

1. Strong Passphrases

❌ Weak:   password123, qwerty, admin
✅ Strong: Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple-2026!
✅ Better: Use a key file generated with `keygen`

Recommendations:

• Minimum 16 characters
• Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols
• Use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, KeePass)
• Never reuse passphrases across containers

2. Key File Security

# Generate key files for maximum security
.\ecrypto.exe keygen --out project_key.txt

# Store in password manager or encrypted USB drive
# Never store keys next to encrypted files

3. Backup Strategy

Original Files → Encrypt → .ecrypt container
     ↓              ↓            ↓
  (Delete)      (Backup)    (Store securely)
                   ↓
         Cloud Storage / External Drive

Critical: Test decryption BEFORE deleting original files!

4. Secure Deletion of Originals

Windows:

# Use SDelete (Sysinternals) for secure deletion
sdelete -p 3 "C:\OriginalFolder"

Linux/macOS:

# Use shred for secure deletion
shred -vfz -n 3 /path/to/file

5. Container Storage

• ✅ Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) - encrypted container is safe
• ✅ External drives with additional disk encryption
• ✅ Network shares with proper access controls
• ❌ Public file-sharing sites (risk of corruption)

🔍 Verification & Testing

# 1. Check container integrity
.\ecrypto.exe info --file backup.ecrypt

# 2. Test decryption to temporary location
.\ecrypto.exe decrypt --in backup.ecrypt --out test_restore --pass "YourPassword"

# 3. Verify files are intact
# Compare checksums or spot-check files

# 4. Delete test restore
Remove-Item -Recurse test_restore

📊 Security Audit

ECRYPTO has been designed with security in mind:

• ✅ No hardcoded secrets or backdoors
• ✅ Open-source code available for review
• ✅ Standard cryptographic libraries (Go's crypto/*)
• ✅ Minimal dependencies reduce attack surface
• ✅ No network connections or telemetry

Want to contribute to security? Report vulnerabilities via GitHub Issues (use "Security" label)

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🛠️ Command Reference

encrypt

Flag	Description	Default
--in	Input folder path	(required)
--out	Output .ecrypt file	(required)
--pass	Passphrase (Argon2id)	-
--key-file	32-byte Base64 key file	-
--argon-m	Argon2 memory (KiB)	262144 (256MB)
--argon-t	Argon2 iterations	3
--argon-p	Argon2 parallelism	1

decrypt

Flag	Description	Default
--in	Input .ecrypt file	(required)
--out	Output folder path	(required)
--pass	Passphrase	-
--key-file	Key file	-

keygen

Flag	Description	Default
--out	Output key file	(prints to stdout)

info

Flag	Description	Default
--file	.ecrypt file path	(required)

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🏗️ Architecture

.ecrypt Container Format (v1):
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Header (59 bytes)                      │
│  - Magic: "ECRYPT01"                   │
│  - Version: 1                          │
│  - KDF: 0=raw, 1=Argon2id              │
│  - Argon2 params (m, t, p)             │
│  - Salt (16 bytes)                     │
│  - Nonce (24 bytes)                    │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Encrypted Data (XChaCha20-Poly1305)    │
│  - Compressed folder (ZIP)             │
│  - Authentication Tag (16 bytes)       │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘

File Flow:

Input Folder → ZIP Archive → Encrypt (XChaCha20) → .ecrypt Container

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🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

❌ "Access is denied" error when encrypting

Problem: Output path is a directory instead of a file.

Solution: Specify a file path ending with .ecrypt:

# ❌ Wrong - this is a directory
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in folder --out D:\backup

# ✅ Correct - this is a file
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in folder --out D:\backup.ecrypt

🔑 "Decryption failed: authentication tag mismatch"

Problem: Wrong passphrase/key or corrupted file.

Solutions:

1. Double-check your passphrase (case-sensitive!)
2. Verify you're using the correct key file
3. Check file integrity with info command:

   .\ecrypto.exe info --file backup.ecrypt

4. Ensure the file wasn't modified or corrupted during transfer
5. Try re-downloading the file if transferred over network

Prevention: Always test decryption immediately after encryption!

📁 "File not found" in interactive mode

Problem: Paths with spaces not recognized.

Solution: Use quotes around paths:

Enter folder path: "C:\My Documents\Folder"

Or use paths without spaces:

Enter folder path: C:\Users\John\Documents

⚠️ "Out of memory" during encryption

Problem: Argon2 memory settings too high for your system.

Solution: Reduce Argon2 memory parameter:

# Default is 256MB - reduce to 128MB
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in folder --out backup.ecrypt --pass "password" --argon-m 131072

# For very low-memory systems (64MB)
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --in folder --out backup.ecrypt --pass "password" --argon-m 65536

Note: Lower memory = faster cracking, so use strongest your system can handle.

🐌 Encryption/decryption is very slow

Causes & Solutions:

1. Large Argon2 parameters: Reduce --argon-m and --argon-t
2. Large folders: This is expected - compression + encryption takes time
3. Slow storage: Move to SSD instead of HDD
4. Antivirus scanning: Add exception for ecrypto or .ecrypt files

Performance tips:

• Use key files instead of passphrases (skips Argon2)
• Split large folders into smaller containers
• Disable real-time antivirus scanning during operations

❓ "Invalid command" errors

Solution: Check command syntax:

# Correct syntax
.\ecrypto.exe <command> --flag value

# Common mistakes
.\ecrypto.exe --in folder encrypt  # ❌ Command must come first
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt -in folder   # ❌ Use -- for flags

Use --help for syntax help:

.\ecrypto.exe --help
.\ecrypto.exe encrypt --help

🔄 "Cannot restore folder structure"

Problem: Permissions issues or invalid output path.

Solutions:

1. Run as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
2. Ensure output directory exists and is writable
3. Check available disk space
4. Avoid network drives if experiencing issues

Still Having Issues?

1. Check the logs: Look for error messages in terminal output
2. Verify system requirements: Go 1.24+ if building from source
3. Test with small files first: Isolate whether issue is size-related
4. Report bugs: Open an issue with:
   • Operating system & version
   • ECRYPTO version (.\ecrypto.exe --version)
   • Command you ran (redact sensitive info)
   • Full error message

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! Here's how you can help:

Ways to Contribute

• 🐛 Report bugs - Found an issue? Create a bug report
• 💡 Suggest features - Have an idea? Open a feature request
• 📖 Improve docs - Fix typos, add examples, clarify instructions
• 🔐 Security audits - Review cryptographic implementation
• 💻 Code contributions - Fix bugs, implement features

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/pandarudra/ecrypto.git
cd ecrypto

# Install dependencies
go mod download

# Run tests
go test ./...

# Build
go build -o ecrypto

Contribution Workflow

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes with clear commit messages
4. Test thoroughly (go test ./...)
5. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to your fork (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request with detailed description

Code Guidelines

• Follow Go best practices and gofmt formatting
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation for user-facing changes
• Keep commits atomic and well-described
• Ensure backwards compatibility with .ecrypt format

Security Contributions

Found a security vulnerability? Please:

1. DO NOT open a public issue
2. Email details to [security contact] or use GitHub Security Advisories
3. Include: description, steps to reproduce, potential impact
4. We'll respond within 48 hours

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📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

TL;DR: You can use, modify, and distribute this software freely. Just include the license notice.

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🔗 Links & Resources

Project Links

• 📦 Download Latest Release
• 🐛 Report a Bug
• 💡 Request a Feature
• 📖 Documentation & Wiki
• 💬 Discussions

Documentation

• 📘 How It Works - Visual explanation of encryption pipeline
• ↶ Undo Feature - Restore encrypted folders easily
• 🎨 UI Enhancements - User-friendly terminal experience

Related Resources

• 📚 XChaCha20-Poly1305 Specification
• 🔐 Argon2 Password Hashing
• 🛡️ OWASP Cryptographic Storage
• 🔑 Password Manager Recommendations

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⭐ Support This Project

If you find ECRYPTO useful, please consider:

• ⭐ Starring the repository - Helps others discover the project
• 🐛 Reporting bugs - Makes the tool better for everyone
• 📢 Sharing - Tell colleagues and friends
• 💻 Contributing - Submit PRs or improve documentation
• ☕ Sponsoring - Support ongoing development

Star History

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🙏 Acknowledgments

ECRYPTO is built on top of excellent open-source libraries:

• golang.org/x/crypto - Cryptographic implementations
• github.com/spf13/cobra - CLI framework
• github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss - Terminal styling

Special thanks to the cryptography community for their research and implementations.

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📊 Project Stats

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🎯 Roadmap

Planned features for future releases:

• npm package for easy installation
• GUI application (Windows/macOS/Linux)
• Compression algorithm selection (ZSTD, GZIP)
• Multiple key support (multi-party encryption)
• Hardware security module (HSM) integration
• Cloud storage integration (S3, Azure Blob)
• Automated backup scheduling
• Mobile app (iOS/Android)

Vote for features in Discussions!

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"Your data, your control, your peace of mind."

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