Military-Grade Encryption

Your Credentials, Fully Encrypted

Every email credential is protected with XChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption via libsodium. Envelope encryption ensures your data stays safe — even if the server is compromised.

Security Architecture

How We Protect Your Data

A layered encryption architecture designed to keep credentials secure at rest and in transit.

XChaCha20-Poly1305

All sensitive credentials are encrypted using the XChaCha20-Poly1305 authenticated encryption algorithm, powered by libsodium. Fast, secure, and resistant to timing attacks.

Envelope Encryption

A unique Data Encryption Key (DEK) encrypts each credential. The DEK itself is encrypted by a Key Encryption Key (KEK), providing an additional layer of protection.

File-Based KEK Storage

The master Key Encryption Key is stored outside the database in a file with strict 0600 permissions. Only the application process can read it — not the web server or other users.

Benefits

Why Encryption Matters

Your email credentials are the keys to your inbox. We treat them with the highest level of care.

Database Breach Resilience

Even if an attacker gains access to the database, encrypted credentials are useless without the KEK stored separately on the filesystem.

KEK Rotation Support

The Key Encryption Key can be rotated without re-encrypting every credential individually. New DEKs are wrapped with the new KEK on next access.

Zero Plaintext Storage

Passwords and OAuth tokens are never stored in plaintext. They exist in encrypted form at rest and are decrypted only in memory when needed for mail operations.

Authenticated Encryption

XChaCha20-Poly1305 provides both confidentiality and integrity — any tampering with the ciphertext is detected and rejected.

Process

How It Works

A simple three-step process secures your credentials from the moment you enter them.

1

You Enter Credentials

When you add an email account, your password is received over HTTPS and immediately passed to the encryption service.

2

DEK Encrypts Data

A unique Data Encryption Key is generated for the credential. The DEK encrypts the password using XChaCha20-Poly1305.

3

KEK Wraps the DEK

The DEK is then encrypted (wrapped) by the master Key Encryption Key and stored alongside the ciphertext. The plaintext password is discarded.

FAQ

Common Questions

What encryption algorithm does Clacks use?

Clacks uses XChaCha20-Poly1305, an authenticated encryption algorithm provided by the libsodium cryptographic library. It offers both confidentiality and integrity protection for all stored credentials.

What is envelope encryption?

Envelope encryption is a two-layer approach: each credential is encrypted with its own Data Encryption Key (DEK), and the DEK is then encrypted by a master Key Encryption Key (KEK). This means the KEK never directly touches your data, and key rotation is efficient.

Can I rotate the encryption key?

Yes. The KEK can be rotated by an administrator. When rotated, DEKs are re-wrapped with the new KEK on next access, without requiring all credentials to be re-encrypted at once.

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