Encryption and Decryption API

This is a FastAPI-based application that provides encryption and decryption services using symmetric encryption with the Fernet algorithm from the cryptography library. The application allows users to securely encrypt and decrypt data using a generated encryption key stored in a file.

Features

• Key Generation: Generate a new encryption key stored in a file.
• Encrypt Data: Encrypt plain text data using the generated key.
• Decrypt Data: Decrypt encrypted data using the same key.

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• FastAPI
• Uvicorn
• Cryptography

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/encryption-api.git
   cd encryption-api

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python -m venv env
   source env/bin/activate  # On Windows use `env\Scripts\activate`

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install fastapi uvicorn cryptography

Running the Application

1. Start the FastAPI server:

   uvicorn main:app --reload

   This will start the server on http://127.0.0.1:8000.

2. API Endpoints:

   • Generate Key:

     • URL: /generate_key
     • Method: POST
     • Description: Generates a new encryption key and saves it to secret.key.

     curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:8000/generate_key"

   • Encrypt Data:

     • URL: /encrypt
     • Method: POST
     • Request Body: { "data": "your_text_here" }
     • Description: Encrypts the provided data using the stored key.

     curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:8000/encrypt" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"data": "Hello World"}'

   • Decrypt Data:

     • URL: /decrypt
     • Method: POST
     • Request Body: { "encrypted_data": "your_encrypted_text_here" }
     • Description: Decrypts the provided encrypted data using the stored key.

     curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:8000/decrypt" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"encrypted_data": "gAAAA..."}'

Project Structure

.
├── main.py                # The main FastAPI app
├── secret.key             # Generated encryption key (created after running `/generate_key`)
└── README.md              # Project documentation

Encryption Key Management

• The key used for encryption and decryption is stored in a file called secret.key. This key is essential for both processes, so be sure to back it up. If the key is deleted or lost, encrypted data cannot be decrypted.
• You can generate a new key by accessing the /generate_key endpoint.

Usage Notes

• Ensure that the encryption key (secret.key) is securely stored and not shared publicly.
• The same key is used for both encrypting and decrypting data, so access to the key file should be restricted.
• If no key is present, you will get an HTTP 404 error when trying to encrypt or decrypt data.

Author

Created by Niket Girdhar.