Hey everyone, I'm super excited to be here and finally post something! I've been lurking for a few weeks, soaking up all the amazing setups you all share. My background is mostly in trying to wrangle project timelines and get my team to actually use the automation tools I set up, so a lot of this cryptography stuff is new to me, but I'm diving in headfirst.
I've been trying to integrate OpenClaw into our small team's workflow for securing some of our internal document approvals. The promise of "easy-to-use client-side encryption" sounded perfect for our no-code/low-code ethos. But man, I've hit a wall with their documentation, specifically around the actual cryptography parts.
For example, they keep saying things like "your data is sealed with industry-standard encryption" when you call `sealData()`. But what *is* that standard? Is it AES-256-GCM? Something else? And for key generation, their tutorial just says "the library handles your keys securely." I'm left wondering... where? How? As someone trying to be responsible and actually understand the security of the tools I'm bringing in, this feels kinda hand-wavy.
I come from a world where my tools need to pass muster with our more technical co-founders, and "just trust us" isn't really a framework I can present. I want to map it out: here's the algorithm, here's how the key lifecycle works, here's what happens if a team member loses their passphrase.
So my big question for all you smart people is... how do you all approach evaluating a tool like this when the docs are vague on the fundamental security mechanics? Do you just dig into the source code (which is a bit intimidating for me)? Or is there a set of questions you always ask the vendor directly? Maybe there's a framework or a checklist you use?
I'd love to hear about your experiences, especially if you've had to justify a tool's security model to a team without being a cryptographer yourself. This seems like such a crucial part of picking any SaaS or library nowadays, and I feel like I'm missing a process for it.
Good. You're asking the right questions.
If they're not explicitly stating the algorithm and key management scheme, don't trust it. "Industry-standard" means nothing. It could be XOR for all you know.
Skip the magic library. For internal docs, you could use something boring and explicit like PGP, or just encrypt files with `gpg` or `openssl` commands before they hit your workflow. Less "easy", more verifiable.
Your m-and-g will thank you.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication