FARO-ASSIGNMENT-2-3

Secure File Sharing & Cryptography Benchmark System

Built with Python, Flask, and Cryptography Library

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• Key Features
• Cryptography Implementation
• Tech Stack
• Project Structure
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Usage
• Benchmark Module
• License

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Overview

This project is a secure web application developed for the FARO Assignment 2. It implements a Hybrid Encryption Scheme to secure file uploads and facilitate secure file sharing between two distinct user roles: Organizations (File Owners) and Consultants (Access Requesters).

Additionally, the application includes a Cryptography Benchmark Module that evaluates and compares the performance of symmetric encryption algorithms (AES, 3DES, RC4) in real-time.

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Key Features

• Secure Authentication: User registration and login with hashed passwords (bcrypt).
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):
  • Organization: Can upload files, view requests, and approve access.
  • Consultant: Can view available files, request access, and download shared files.
• Secure File Storage: Files are encrypted upon upload using AES-GCM.
• Hybrid Key Management:
  • AES Keys are encrypted using the owner's RSA Public Key and stored in SQLite.
  • RSA Private Keys are encrypted with the user's password and stored in a simulated NoSQL store (JSON).
• Secure File Sharing:
  • Implements a secure key exchange mechanism.
  • When a request is approved, the file's AES key is decrypted and re-encrypted with the Consultant's Public Key.
• Crypto Benchmarking: Built-in tool to measure encryption/decryption speed and ciphertext size.

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Cryptography Implementation

The system uses the cryptography Python library to implement the following standards:

1. Symmetric Encryption (File Data):
   • Algorithm: AES-256-GCM
   • Purpose: High-speed encryption of large files.
2. Asymmetric Encryption (Key Exchange):
   • Algorithm: RSA (2048-bit)
   • Padding: OAEP with SHA-256
   • Purpose: Securing the symmetric keys for storage and sharing.
3. Key Storage:
   • Public Keys: Stored plainly in the SQL Database.
   • Private Keys: Encrypted (AES) via user password and stored in a JSON file (Simulating NoSQL).

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Tech Stack

• Backend: Python 3.x, Flask
• Database: SQLite (Relational), JSON (Simulated NoSQL for Keys)
• Security: cryptography (hazmat primitives), flask-bcrypt
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3 (Bootstrap)
• ORM: Flask-SQLAlchemy

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Project Structure

FARO-Assignment-2-Private/
├── app.py                  # Main application logic & routes
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
├── instance/
│   ├── app.db              # SQLite Database (Users, File Metadata)
│   └── keystore/
│       └── private_keys.json # Simulated NoSQL for Encrypted Private Keys
├── uploads/                # Encrypted file storage
├── templates/              # HTML Templates (Login, Dashboard, Benchmark, etc.)
└── static/                 # CSS, Images, Profile Pics

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip (Python Package Installer)

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/qyqystilllearning/FARO-Assignment-2-Private.git
cd FARO-Assignment-2-Private

Create a Virtual Environment (Optional but recommended):

python -m venv venv
# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate
# Mac/Linux
source venv/bin/activate

Install Dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Run the Application:

python app.py

The app will run on http://127.0.0.1:8888 (debug mode enabled).

Workflow:

1. Register a new account (Select Role: Organization).
2. Upload a file (it will be auto-encrypted).
3. Register another account (Select Role: Consultant).
4. Request access to the organization's file.
5. Log back in as Organization to approve the request (requires password for key decryption).
6. Log back in as Consultant to download and decrypt the file.

Benchmark Module

The project includes a benchmarking feature accessible via the file dashboard. It compares the following algorithms on the uploaded file:

Algorithm	Mode	Key Size	Metric Measured
AES	CTR	256-bit	Speed (ms) & Size
3DES	CBC	192-bit	Speed (ms) & Size
RC4	Stream	128-bit	Speed (ms) & Size

Note: Results are cached in the database to avoid redundant processing.