SecureArc

Self-Destructing Encrypted Archive Format

SecureArc is a next-generation archive format designed to compete with established formats like RAR, 7z, and ZIP while introducing a critical security feature: automatic content destruction after a configurable number of failed password attempts.

Features

• Self-Destruct Mechanism: Automatically destroys archive contents after N failed password attempts (configurable: 3-99)
• Modern Cryptography: AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption
• Advanced Compression: LZMA2, Zstd, and Brotli support
• Memory-Hard KDF: Argon2id key derivation for resistance to GPU and side-channel attacks
• Cross-Platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux support
• Multiple Interfaces: Core library, CLI tool, and GUI applications

Project Structure

• securearc-core/ - Core library implementing the SecureArc format
• securearc-cli/ - Command-line interface for archive management
• securearc-gui/ - Desktop GUI application (Tauri-based)

Quick Start

Building

cargo build --release

Using the CLI

# Create an archive
cargo run --bin securearc-cli -- create -o archive.sarc files/ --max-attempts 5

# Extract an archive
cargo run --bin securearc-cli -- extract archive.sarc

# List archive contents
cargo run --bin securearc-cli -- list archive.sarc

# Get archive information
cargo run --bin securearc-cli -- info archive.sarc

For detailed CLI usage, see CLI Reference.

Security Considerations

The self-destruct mechanism provides protection against casual attackers and automated brute-force attempts. However, sophisticated attackers may create backup copies before attempting decryption. Strong encryption (AES-256, ChaCha20) ensures that even with unlimited attempts against a file copy, brute-force remains computationally infeasible with a strong password.

License

MIT OR Apache-2.0

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in the docs/ directory. See the Documentation Index for a complete overview.

Quick Links:

• User Guide - Complete end-user documentation
• Installation Guide - Setup instructions for all platforms
• CLI Reference - Command-line interface documentation
• API Reference - Library API for developers
• Format Specification - Technical file format specification
• Security Model - Security analysis and threat model
• Testing Guide - Testing instructions and examples