🔒 Where or how are encryption keys typically stored and if they are needed for decryption?

[unreal prism]

Currently put every key in a data/keys directory. Though, this is not secure. How do I securely store them if they are needed for decryption?

KEY_DIR = "data/keys"

def load_key(user_id: str) -> bytes:
    os.makedirs(KEY_DIR, exist_ok=True)
    key_path = os.path.join(KEY_DIR, f"{user_id}.key")

    if not os.path.exists(key_path):
        key = Fernet.generate_key()
        with open(key_path, "wb") as f:
            f.write(key)
    else:
        with open(key_path, "rb") as f:
            key = f.read()
    return key

def get_fernet(user_id: str) -> Fernet:
    return Fernet(load_key(user_id))

def encrypt_password(password: str, user_id: str) -> str:
    fernet = get_fernet(user_id)
    return fernet.encrypt(password.encode()).decode()

def decrypt_password(encrypted_password: str, user_id: str) -> str:
    fernet = get_fernet(user_id)
    return fernet.decrypt(encrypted_password.encode()).decode()

[oblique yoke]

@unreal prism

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[junior pilot]

Any chance you can ask the user for the key to decrypt the encryption/decryption key?

[unreal prism]

so a password protected file

so in order to decrypt ask the user for a password

[junior pilot]

If you have multiple key, yes, the safest way is ask the user for the master password to decrypt all the key

[oblique yoke]

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