Project govnolike
In February 2025 press reports suggested that the Government of the United Kingdom had requested
decrypted file access, to user files stored encrypted by a major technology company. This provided the impetus to make this app,
with the notion that "the government won't like this" transmogrified into "govnolike" - the name of the app.
Govnolike is free light weight text and file encryption application, tested on Windows 10™ and Ubuntu Linux® distributions 22.04
and 24.04. The application uses the AES-256 algorithm to encrypt user text and files, the encryption key derived
from a minimum 16 character user password combined with a substantial modifier, SHA-256 hashed.
The application does not delete or modify user files, it produces new encrypted and decrypted files based on what is input -
the onus is on the user to satisfy themselves that an encryption can be decrypted before deleting any
source material themselves. The onus is also on the user to keep a copy of the govnolike application, and a machine that will run it - this, as there is no
guarantee that new versions of the software will be produced to run on later operating systems,
or that Smartphone Projects will continue to distribute it.
The strength of the system relies on the complexity and security of the password used for
encryption. The app itself has no online
connectivity, and can be used on an offline machine. There is no password recovery with it, and thus
retaining a reference to a password used to encrypt is
vital in order to decrypt.
The idea behind text block encryption is for communication between parties to be secured, by
their shared knowledge of the
encryption password, encrypted text copy pasted into email for example. Whilst this type of thing might
be vulnerable to leaks and spies, keystroke loggers and
screen recorders, it is for example, an improvement on unencrypted text being evident in a sent or received communication.
Furthermore, as the user encrypts their own data, whilst they might be obliged to decrypt it by a legal order, no one else can practically be expected to with
the decryption key extending to something like a theoretical:
340 282 366 920 938 463 463 374 607 431 768 211 456 combinations. A very big number!
It is important that encrypted output remains exactly as initially outputted in order to be decrypted. Bear in mind things
like worprocessors and email clients may well adulterate encrypted material inserting invisible formatting information, etcetera. Providing
encrypted text remains in plain text format, it should decrypt as it will be exactly as outputted. The same applies to encrypted files,
they cannot be modified or decryption will fail. Test what you encrypt can be decrypted in line with your use cases.
A reminder, the security of the system relies on the complexity and secrecy of a user password, user retention of any passwords,
and the user having access to the application and a machine that will run it. The app is provided without
warranty of any kind, for users to use at their own risk with a good conscience.