SecureComm ChatRoom

A Secure, End-to-End Encrypted Chat Room for Real-Time Communication

SecureComm is a chat room–style communication platform that enables users to exchange messages in real time, protected by strong end-to-end encryption.

It behaves like a traditional chat room in everyday use. The crucial difference is architectural: the server cannot read, store, or decrypt messages. All encryption and decryption occur exclusively on client devices.

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Sponsored by GitAds

SecureComm advances under the patronage of GitAds , ensuring that privacy-first communication remains open, secure, and free.

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What SecureComm Is

SecureComm functions like a live chat room:

• Users join a shared communication space
• Messages appear instantly to all participants
• Conversations are real-time and interactive

The distinction lies beneath the surface.

Messages are encrypted on your device before transmission and decrypted only on the recipient’s device.
The server merely relays encrypted payloads and remains blind to message contents.

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Abstract

SecureComm is a secure communication platform designed for confidential, real-time messaging in a chat room environment. It employs an end-to-end encryption model to preserve message confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity against both external adversaries and the service operator itself.

The system follows a zero-knowledge architecture, where cryptographic keys are generated, stored, and used exclusively on client devices. Servers act solely as untrusted relays and session coordinators.

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Problem Statement

Many modern chat platforms retain access to user data through server-side key storage, message logging, or excessive metadata retention. These designs introduce unnecessary trust assumptions and significantly expand the attack surface.

SecureComm eliminates these risks by enforcing encryption at the client layer and treating the server as an untrusted intermediary.

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Security Objectives

SecureComm is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• Confidentiality
  Only intended participants can read message contents.

• Integrity
  Unauthorized modification of messages is detectable.

• Authentication
  Participants can verify the identity of peers.

• Forward Secrecy
  Compromise of long-term keys does not expose past messages.

• Server Blindness
  The server cannot decrypt or interpret user data.

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Threat Model

SecureComm assumes the presence of:

• Network-level attackers capable of intercepting traffic
• Malicious or compromised relay servers
• Passive observers performing traffic analysis
• Unauthorized clients attempting impersonation

SecureComm does not protect against fully compromised client endpoints.

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System Design Overview

• Cryptographic keys are generated locally on client devices
• Secure key exchange establishes ephemeral session keys
• Messages are encrypted before leaving the client
• Relay servers forward encrypted payloads only
• Decryption occurs exclusively on the recipient client

Plaintext messages never transit through or persist on the server.

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Cryptographic Considerations

SecureComm relies on established, peer-reviewed cryptographic primitives and well-maintained libraries. No proprietary or experimental algorithms are used.

Key material is ephemeral wherever possible, and plaintext is never written to persistent storage.

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Data Handling and Privacy

• No plaintext message storage
• No server-side encryption key storage
• Minimal metadata retention limited to operational requirements

The server knows that messages are sent, not what they contain.

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Installation

SecureComm supports multiple installation methods depending on your use case.

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Method 1: Local Development (Recommended)

Best suited for contributors, testers, and developers.

git clone https://github.com/pangerlkr/SecureComm.git
cd SecureComm
npm install
npm run dev

The application starts in development mode with hot reloading enabled.

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Method 2: Production Build (Node.js)

Recommended for deploying SecureComm on a server or VPS.

git clone https://github.com/pangerlkr/SecureComm.git
cd SecureComm
npm install
npm run build
npm start

This runs SecureComm in production mode with optimized assets.

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Method 3: Docker Deployment

Suitable for containerized and reproducible environments.

git clone https://github.com/pangerlkr/SecureComm.git
cd SecureComm
docker build -t securecomm .
docker run -p 3000:3000 securecomm

This method isolates dependencies and simplifies deployment.

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Method 4: Using Docker Compose

Recommended for structured deployments and future scalability.

git clone https://github.com/pangerlkr/SecureComm.git
cd SecureComm
docker-compose up --build

Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed before using this method.

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Method 5: Environment-Based Deployment (.env)

For environments requiring configurable runtime variables.

git clone https://github.com/pangerlkr/SecureComm.git
cd SecureComm
cp .env.example .env
npm install
npm run build
npm start

Update .env with appropriate configuration values before starting the application.

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Conclusion

SecureComm is built on a simple but uncompromising premise: private communication should remain private by design, not by policy.

By combining a familiar chat room experience with a zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted architecture, SecureComm eliminates unnecessary trust in servers and service operators. Messages are protected at the source, remain encrypted in transit, and are decrypted only by their intended recipients.

This project prioritizes clarity, restraint, and correctness over convenience shortcuts. It is intended for users and developers who value transparency, verifiable security assumptions, and a clear separation between usability and trust.

SecureComm does not promise anonymity, perfection, or invulnerability. It promises something more honest: a communication system that minimizes exposure, reduces attack surface, and refuses to see what it does not need to know.