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0081600 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 | # Security Notes
HVCE v4 includes password-based authenticated encryption, but it is a reference implementation, not a professionally audited security product.
## Password mode
The archive encrypts the private manifest and payload together. File names and directory structure are not visible without the password.
Primitive stack:
```text
PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 -> 64 bytes
32-byte key 1 -> ChaCha20 stream encryption
32-byte key 2 -> HMAC-SHA256 authentication
```
Default KDF iterations: `300000`.
Use:
```bash
python hvce.py compress folder secure.hvce --ask-password --recovery-percent 10
python hvce.py extract secure.hvce restored --ask-password
```
## Why symmetric-only is used
The v4 “post-quantum” security stance avoids RSA/ECC public-key wrapping in the archive format. Symmetric 256-bit keys retain a large margin against generic quantum search, assuming strong passwords and sufficient KDF work.
## Threat model
Provides:
- confidentiality against attackers without the password;
- filename and metadata privacy when encrypted;
- tamper detection before decryption;
- extraction verification with SHA-256;
- recovery against limited storage corruption when recovery records are present.
Does not provide:
- protection from weak passwords;
- protection from malware on the machine that captures passwords;
- deniable encryption;
- independently audited cryptographic assurance;
- legal/compliance certification.
## Recommended use
For important personal archives, use:
```bash
python hvce.py compress input output.secure.hvce --profile balanced --ask-password --recovery-percent 10
```
Keep at least one external backup. Recovery records are not a substitute for backups.
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