Encryption - Blindfold

What is Encryption?

Encryption is a reversible privacy protection method that transforms sensitive data into encrypted ciphertext using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). The data can be decrypted later using the same encryption key. Example:

Input:  "API Key: sk-1234567890abcdef"
Output: "API Key: gAAAAABh3K7x9p2Q..."

# With key, can decrypt back to original
Decrypt: "API Key: sk-1234567890abcdef"

How It Works

Detection: Blindfold identifies sensitive entities in your text
Encryption: Each entity is encrypted using AES-256 encryption
Key-Based: Encryption uses your provided key or tenant-specific default
Reversible: Data can be decrypted using the same key

When to Use Encryption

Encryption is ideal when you need to:

1. Secure Storage of Sensitive Configuration

Encrypt API keys, tokens, and secrets before storing in databases.

# Encrypt before storing
config = "Database password: my_secret_pass123"

encrypted = client.encrypt(
    config,
    encryption_key="your-secure-key-min-16-chars"
)

# Store encrypted version
database.save('config', encrypted.text)

# Later, decrypt when needed
# (Note: decrypt endpoint needs to be implemented)

Why this matters:

Secrets protected at rest
Can be decrypted when needed
Centralized key management

2. Protect Data in Transit

Encrypt sensitive data before sending through untrusted channels.

# Encrypt before sending
message = "Credit card: 4532-7562-9102-3456"

encrypted = client.encrypt(message, encryption_key=SHARED_KEY)

# Send encrypted version
send_to_partner(encrypted.text)

# Partner decrypts with same key

3. Temporary Data Protection

Protect data temporarily while it’s being processed.

# Encrypt user data during processing
user_data = client.encrypt(
    sensitive_user_info,
    encryption_key=SESSION_KEY
)

# Process encrypted data
process_queue.add(user_data.text)

# Decrypt when ready to use

4. Compliance Requirements

Meet encryption requirements for regulatory compliance (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, etc.).

# Encrypt medical records
patient_record = "Patient SSN: 123-45-6789, Diagnosis: ..."

encrypted = client.encrypt(
    patient_record,
    encryption_key=HIPAA_KEY
)

# Store in HIPAA-compliant manner
secure_db.save(encrypted.text)

When NOT to Use Encryption

Encryption is not suitable when:

1. You Don’t Need Reversibility

If you never need the original data, use Redaction or Hashing.

# Bad - unnecessary encryption
encrypted = client.encrypt("Log entry with [email protected]")
# Never decrypted

# Good - use redaction
redacted = client.redact("Log entry with [email protected]")

2. Users Need to See Partial Data

For UI display, use Masking instead.

# Bad - user can't see anything useful
encrypted = client.encrypt("Card: 4532-7562-9102-3456")
# Output: "Card: gAAAAABh..."

# Good - show last 4 digits
masked = client.mask("Card: 4532-7562-9102-3456")
# Output: "Card: ***************3456"

3. Key Management is Too Complex

If managing encryption keys is challenging, use Tokenization.

# Complex - need to manage encryption keys
encrypted = client.encrypt(data, encryption_key=KEY)
# Must securely store KEY and manage rotation

# Simpler - Blindfold manages tokens
protected = client.tokenize(data)
# Just store the mapping securely

Key Features

Reversible

Decrypt data using the encryption key

AES-256

Industry-standard encryption algorithm

Custom Keys

Use your own encryption keys

Secure

Strong encryption for sensitive data

Quick Start

Python
JavaScript
cURL

from blindfold import Blindfold
import os

client = Blindfold(api_key="your-api-key")

# Define encryption key (min 16 characters)
ENCRYPTION_KEY = os.environ["ENCRYPTION_KEY"]

# Encrypt sensitive data
result = client.encrypt(
    text="API Key: sk-1234567890abcdef, Secret: my_secret",
    encryption_key=ENCRYPTION_KEY
)

print(result.text)
# "API Key: gAAAAABh..., Secret: gAAAAABh..."

print(f"Encrypted {result.entities_count} entities")
# "Encrypted 2 entities"

# Check what was encrypted
for entity in result.detected_entities:
    print(f"- {entity.entity_type}: {entity.text}")
# - API_KEY: sk-1234567890abcdef
# - PASSWORD: my_secret

# To decrypt, use the same key with decrypt endpoint
# (Note: decrypt endpoint needs to be implemented)

import { Blindfold } from '@blindfold/sdk';

const client = new Blindfold({ apiKey: 'your-api-key' });

// Define encryption key (min 16 characters)
const ENCRYPTION_KEY = process.env.ENCRYPTION_KEY;

// Encrypt sensitive data
const result = await client.encrypt(
  "API Key: sk-1234567890abcdef, Secret: my_secret",
  { encryption_key: ENCRYPTION_KEY }
);

console.log(result.text);
// "API Key: gAAAAABh..., Secret: gAAAAABh..."

console.log(`Encrypted ${result.entities_count} entities`);
// "Encrypted 2 entities"

// Check what was encrypted
result.detected_entities.forEach(entity => {
  console.log(`- ${entity.entity_type}: ${entity.text}`);
});
// - API_KEY: sk-1234567890abcdef
// - PASSWORD: my_secret

// To decrypt, use the same key with decrypt endpoint

curl -X POST https://api.blindfold.dev/api/public/v1/encrypt \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "text": "API Key: sk-1234567890abcdef, Secret: my_secret",
    "encryption_key": "your-secure-key-min-16-chars"
  }'

# Response
{
  "text": "API Key: gAAAAABh3K7x..., Secret: gAAAAABh3K8y...",
  "entities_count": 2,
  "detected_entities": [
    {
      "entity_type": "API_KEY",
      "text": "sk-1234567890abcdef",
      "score": 0.85
    },
    {
      "entity_type": "PASSWORD",
      "text": "my_secret",
      "score": 0.75
    }
  ]
}

Configuration Options

Encryption Key

Provide your own encryption key (minimum 16 characters):

# Custom encryption key
ENCRYPTION_KEY = "my-very-secure-encryption-key-123"

result = client.encrypt(
    text=sensitive_data,
    encryption_key=ENCRYPTION_KEY
)

# Default tenant key (if not provided)
result = client.encrypt(text=sensitive_data)
# Uses default key based on tenant ID

Key Requirements:

Minimum 16 characters
Store securely (environment variables, key vault)
Use different keys for different environments (dev, prod)
Implement key rotation policy

Filter Entity Types

Only encrypt specific types of data:

# Only encrypt API keys and passwords
result = client.encrypt(
    "API Key: sk-123, Email: [email protected], Password: secret",
    encryption_key=KEY,
    entities=["API_KEY", "PASSWORD"]
)
# Email is NOT encrypted

Adjust Confidence Threshold

Control detection sensitivity:

# Only high-confidence encryption
result = client.encrypt(
    text="Maybe secret: xyz123",
    encryption_key=KEY,
    score_threshold=0.8
)

Encryption Algorithm

Blindfold uses AES-256 encryption with the following process:

Key Derivation: Your encryption key is derived using PBKDF2
Encryption: Data is encrypted using Fernet (symmetric encryption)
Secure: Industry-standard cryptography from cryptography library

Technical Details:

Algorithm: AES-256 in CBC mode
Key derivation: PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256
Iterations: 100,000
Output: Base64-encoded ciphertext

Common Patterns

Encrypt Configuration Secrets

def store_config(config_data: dict):
    """Encrypt and store configuration"""

    # Serialize config
    config_text = json.dumps(config_data)

    # Encrypt sensitive values
    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        config_text,
        encryption_key=CONFIG_KEY
    )

    # Store encrypted config
    config_db.save('app_config', encrypted.text)

# Usage
config = {
    'database_url': 'postgresql://user:pass@host/db',
    'api_key': 'sk-1234567890',
    'secret_token': 'abc123xyz'
}

store_config(config)

Secure Message Queue

def queue_sensitive_message(message: str):
    """Encrypt message before queueing"""

    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        message,
        encryption_key=QUEUE_KEY
    )

    # Queue encrypted message
    message_queue.push(encrypted.text)

# Worker decrypts when processing
def process_message(encrypted_message):
    # Decrypt using same key
    decrypted = decrypt(encrypted_message, QUEUE_KEY)
    process(decrypted)

Temporary Storage

def cache_sensitive_data(user_id: str, data: str):
    """Cache encrypted data temporarily"""

    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        data,
        encryption_key=CACHE_KEY
    )

    # Cache with TTL
    redis.setex(
        f"user:{user_id}:data",
        300,  # 5 minutes
        encrypted.text
    )

# Retrieve and decrypt
def get_cached_data(user_id: str):
    encrypted = redis.get(f"user:{user_id}:data")
    if encrypted:
        return decrypt(encrypted, CACHE_KEY)
    return None

Common Use Cases

Secrets Management

Encrypt secrets before storing in databases:

# Store encrypted secrets
def save_secret(name: str, value: str):
    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        value,
        encryption_key=SECRETS_KEY
    )

    secrets_db.insert({
        'name': name,
        'value': encrypted.text,
        'encrypted': True
    })

save_secret('database_password', 'my_db_pass')
save_secret('api_token', 'token_12345')

Benefits: Secrets encrypted at rest, can be decrypted when needed

Secure Data Exchange

Exchange data securely with partners:

# Encrypt before sending
def send_secure_data(data, recipient):
    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        data,
        encryption_key=SHARED_KEYS[recipient]
    )

    api.send_to(recipient, encrypted.text)

send_secure_data("Sensitive customer data", "partner_a")

Benefits: Data protected in transit, only recipient can decrypt

Backup Encryption

Encrypt backups before storage:

# Encrypt backup data
def create_encrypted_backup():
    backup_data = generate_backup()

    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        backup_data,
        encryption_key=BACKUP_KEY
    )

    # Store encrypted backup
    backup_storage.save(encrypted.text)

create_encrypted_backup()

Benefits: Backups protected, can restore when needed

HIPAA Compliance

Encrypt medical records for compliance:

# Encrypt patient data
def store_patient_record(record):
    encrypted = client.encrypt(
        record,
        encryption_key=HIPAA_KEY
    )

    hipaa_db.insert({
        'data': encrypted.text,
        'encrypted_at': datetime.now()
    })

patient = "Patient: John Doe, SSN: 123-45-6789, Diagnosis: ..."
store_patient_record(patient)

Benefits: HIPAA encryption requirements met

Best Practices

1. Secure Key Management

Store encryption keys securely:

# Good - use environment variables
ENCRYPTION_KEY = os.environ['ENCRYPTION_KEY']

# Good - use key management service
from cloud_kms import get_key
ENCRYPTION_KEY = get_key('encryption-key-prod')

# Bad - hardcoded in code
ENCRYPTION_KEY = "my-key-123"  # Never do this!

2. Different Keys for Different Purposes

Use separate keys for different use cases:

CONFIG_KEY = os.environ['CONFIG_ENCRYPTION_KEY']
DATA_KEY = os.environ['DATA_ENCRYPTION_KEY']
BACKUP_KEY = os.environ['BACKUP_ENCRYPTION_KEY']

# Encrypt config with config key
encrypted_config = client.encrypt(config, encryption_key=CONFIG_KEY)

# Encrypt data with data key
encrypted_data = client.encrypt(data, encryption_key=DATA_KEY)

3. Implement Key Rotation

Regularly rotate encryption keys:

def rotate_encryption_key():
    """Rotate encryption key for all encrypted data"""

    OLD_KEY = os.environ['OLD_ENCRYPTION_KEY']
    NEW_KEY = os.environ['NEW_ENCRYPTION_KEY']

    # Decrypt with old key, encrypt with new key
    for record in encrypted_records:
        decrypted = decrypt(record.data, OLD_KEY)
        re_encrypted = client.encrypt(decrypted, encryption_key=NEW_KEY)
        update_record(record.id, re_encrypted.text)

4. Document Encryption Usage

Track what’s encrypted and with which key:

encrypted_data = {
    'data': encrypted.text,
    'encrypted': True,
    'key_version': 'v2',  # Track key version
    'encrypted_at': datetime.now(),
    'algorithm': 'AES-256'
}

Security Considerations

Important encryption considerations:

Key security: Encryption is only as secure as key management
Key loss: Lost keys mean permanently lost data
Key exposure: Exposed keys compromise all encrypted data
Algorithm: Uses AES-256, industry-standard encryption
Not obfuscation: Encryption is cryptographic protection, not hiding
Compliance: Check if AES-256 meets your compliance requirements

Learn More

Python SDK

Full Python SDK documentation

JavaScript SDK

Complete JavaScript guide

REST API

HTTP API reference for /encrypt

Examples

Practical integration examples

Compare with Other Methods

Tokenization

Reversible with mapping (simpler key management)

Masking

Partial visibility (no encryption)

Redaction

Permanent removal (not reversible)

Hashing

One-way transformation (not reversible)

Getting Started

Privacy Methods

SDKs

Guides

​What is Encryption?

​How It Works

​When to Use Encryption

​1. Secure Storage of Sensitive Configuration

​2. Protect Data in Transit

​3. Temporary Data Protection

​4. Compliance Requirements

​When NOT to Use Encryption

​1. You Don’t Need Reversibility

​2. Users Need to See Partial Data

​3. Key Management is Too Complex

​Key Features

Reversible

AES-256

Custom Keys

Secure

​Quick Start

​Configuration Options

​Encryption Key

​Filter Entity Types

​Adjust Confidence Threshold

​Encryption Algorithm

​Common Patterns

​Encrypt Configuration Secrets

​Secure Message Queue

​Temporary Storage

​Common Use Cases

​Best Practices

​1. Secure Key Management

​2. Different Keys for Different Purposes

​3. Implement Key Rotation

​4. Document Encryption Usage

​Security Considerations

​Learn More

Python SDK

JavaScript SDK

REST API

Examples

​Compare with Other Methods

Tokenization

Masking

Redaction

Hashing

What is Encryption?

How It Works

When to Use Encryption

1. Secure Storage of Sensitive Configuration

2. Protect Data in Transit

3. Temporary Data Protection

4. Compliance Requirements

When NOT to Use Encryption

1. You Don’t Need Reversibility

2. Users Need to See Partial Data

3. Key Management is Too Complex

Key Features

Quick Start

Configuration Options

Encryption Key

Filter Entity Types

Adjust Confidence Threshold

Encryption Algorithm

Common Patterns

Encrypt Configuration Secrets

Secure Message Queue

Temporary Storage

Common Use Cases

Best Practices

1. Secure Key Management

2. Different Keys for Different Purposes

3. Implement Key Rotation

4. Document Encryption Usage

Security Considerations

Learn More

Compare with Other Methods