Adam Keith

With years of experience in development, let's work together and create something amazing!

developer, prompt engineer, digital designer

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All my projects can be found on GitHub, click below to go directly to echo.


Download it for yourself

An End-2-End Encrypted Messaging WebApp. All cyber-attackers will see is an echo.

Echo is an end-to-end encrypted messaging web application
developed as a final year university project. Unlike traditional password-based
authentication systems, Echo employs Time-based One-Time Passwords (TOTP) for
user login, enhancing security and user trust. This approach ensures that
sensitive information remains protected, as the TOTP mechanism adds an extra
layer of authentication that is both dynamic and user-specific.


The application demonstrates the feasibility of implementing
on-device end-to-end encryption in messaging platforms, thereby bolstering user
confidence in data privacy. To set up Echo, users need to install a local
server application supporting a MySQL database, such as XAMPP, and import the
provided \`final.sql\` file. User accounts are created by entering a number and
scanning a QR code with an OTP application like Microsoft Authenticator or
Twilio Authy, which generates a one-time password. This process securely stores
an encrypted version of the secret in the connected MySQL database, ensuring
that user credentials are both unique and securely managed.









All my projects can be found on GitHub, click below to go directly to HR-Tracker.


HR Tracking WebApp. Includes a log in system, a staff flight tracker, Admin Panel and a staff holiday tracker.

The HR Tracking Web Application is a bespoke solution developed to streamline the management of employee activities within a company. It offers functionalities such as maintaining an up-to-date roster of employees, tracking holidays, managing flight details, and providing a comprehensive HR dashboard. The application ensures that each employee accesses only pertinent information through a secure login system. Upon their initial login, users are prompted to accept the terms and conditions and to change their password, enhancing security and compliance. Administrators have the capability to reset passwords via the admin panel, ensuring smooth user management.

To deploy this application, a properly configured database is required, with specific setup details available within the codebase. It's important to note that the program necessitates certain edits prior to deployment to align with the specific needs of the organisation. Developed by Adam Keith, the application incorporates general libraries such as JQuery, Moment, and FullCalendar to enhance functionality and user experience. While AI tools assisted in accelerating the coding process, they were utilised under detailed guidance and prompts based on code written by Adam Keith, ensuring a tailored and efficient solution for HR management.





HR-Tracker

Echo Messenger

All my projects can be found on GitHub, click below to go directly to Python\_FaceRecogniton\_Voting.


Download it  for yourself

A voting app developed in python, uses face recognition to track who has voted.

The Face Recognition Python Project is a sophisticated application designed to utilise biometric technology for secure and efficient facial recognition. Developed in Python, it leverages advanced libraries such as OpenCV and dlib to accurately detect and identify facial features. This project is designed to demonstrate the power of machine learning and image processing in real-world applications, such as security systems and user authentication.

The application allows users to train the system by uploading facial images to create a dataset, which is then processed to recognise and verify individuals. Its modular structure ensures flexibility and scalability, making it an ideal foundation for further development or integration into larger systems. The Face Recognition Python Project underscores my expertise in programming and his commitment to creating innovative and practical solutions.





Python FaceRecognition Voting System

Projects

# Introduction

In recent years communication plays an important role in day
to day life, ensuring the privacy and security of our conversations has become
extremely important. The topic being discussed in this project is the
development and use of an end-to-end encrypted messaging service. This aims to
address the growing concerns regarding privacy breaches, data interceptions,
and unauthorised access to sensitive information exchanged over messaging
platforms.

As stated by (Kamara et al., 2022) ‘People use End-to-end
encryption (E2EE) services to protect their privacy and data when communicating
with others’. Unlike other messaging, E2EE ensures that only the sender and
intended recipient can access the contents of their messages, making it
impossible for third parties, including service providers and hackers, to
intercept or decrypt the data.

The significance of E2EE is relevant within Computing as it
is “vitally important to security and privacy online” (Hale & Komlo, 2022).
With increasing reliance on digital communication platforms for interactions,
the need for secure messaging services has never been more important.

This project aims to delve into the cycle of developing an E2EE
messaging service, examining both the technical challenges and ethical
considerations, including users views on if they do or do no trust encryption.

# Background

In recent years, messaging has become an integral part of
communication, however there are concerns over privacy. E2EE messaging services
try to address concerns by ensuring that only the sender and recipient can
access plain text of messages. This literature review explores the existing
research, theories, and best practices of E2EE messaging, examining scholarly
articles. Delving into the use of encryption, user perceptions, regulatory
frameworks, and societal implications.

## Practical Traffic Analysis Attacks on Secure Messaging Applications

Bahramali et al., (2020) discusses the popularity of Instant
Messaging (IM) applications like Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp, and the risks
they face from governmental surveillance and censorship due to the sensitive
user data.

Through research into potential privacy concerns, one
concern that was found is “despite the use of advanced encryption, popular IM
applications leak sensitive information about their clients to adversaries who
merely monitor their encrypted IM traffic.” A way that this concern can be
mitigated is by using a services that was tested called IMProxy, the research
done “demonstrated the effectiveness of IMProxy through experiments”.

The research within this paper emphasises the need for IM
providers to integrate effective traffic obfuscation techniques to protect
users against such attacks.

## Identifying Harmful Media in End-to-end Encrypted Communication: Efficient Private Membership Computation

The paper by Kulshrestha and Mayer, (2021). highlights the
difficulty in automatically detecting harmful content, such as abusive material
and extremist content, this is due to E2EE services where the service provider
cannot access user content.

This “evaluates the predictive performance of common
perceptual hash functions to understand privacy risks to E2EE users” the
research in the paper was done by “evaluating commonly used PHFs for predictive
performance”, this found that ‘E2EE communications pose a privacy risk for both
false positives and false negatives associated with this technology.’

The authors propose a privacy-preserving solution to image
hashing that is “practical for deployment on mobile devices and introduce a
limited additional risk of false negatives.” Overall all preserving privacy
lost in the process of image hashing.

## In Encryption We Don't Trust: The effect of end-to-end encryption to the masses on user perception

A paper by Dechand et al., (2019), goes into user
perspectives of E2EE within messaging applications, with a focus on WhatsApp’s
implementation of the Signal Protocol. The authors expressed, “Users generally
do not trust encryption,” highlighting a popular view on encryption. Despite
WhatsApp’s efforts to educate users about end-to-end encryption, the study
found that “most users remain unaware or do not grasp its significance.”

The paper notes a common misconception among users: “SMS is
more secure than WhatsApp,” which stems from a lack of understanding about
internet security and trust in traditional institutions. The study also touches
on the topic of surveillance, where it states, “Users are critical of
government surveillance but often believe they are not personally targeted.”

Overall, the research provides insights for the web
application, suggesting a need for more transparent and user-friendly
communication regarding encryption technologies to enhance user trust and
security awareness.

# Project Plan

This section will delve into the development cycle
requirements for the following: objectives, project plan, design & setup,
development, testing & iteration, and deployment & launch. After there
will be a Gantt Chart exploring how the development cycle can be split up

## Objectives

Develop a functional end-to-end encrypted messaging web
application.

Ensure user-friendly interface and seamless
communication.

Implement robust encryption mechanisms to guarantee
privacy and security.

## Design Considerations

The development of end-to-end encrypted messaging service
requires research of various design aspects to ensure both robust security and
a user-friendly experience. The following design considerations will streamline
the development process:

Encryption protocols: Choosing a suitable encryption
protocol is essential for the security of messaging services. Strong encryption
algorithms, such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), are essential for
the secure encryption of message content. Effective key management is important
to generate, distribute and manage encryption keys. Sousi, Yehya and Joudi
(2020) emphasise “the importance of AES, pointing to its role in replacing the
DES algorithm and its implementation in various cryptography protocols,
including SSL and TSL, to ensure secure client-server communication.” Robust
key management is therefore essential to ensure the confidentiality, integrity,
and authenticity of encrypted data.

Key exchange mechanisms: The use of secure key exchange
mechanisms is crucial for encrypted communication between users. According to Gillis
(2022) “Diffie-Hellman key exchange is a method of digital encryption in which
cryptographic keys are securely exchanged between two parties over a public
channel without transmitting their conversation over the Internet. The two
parties use symmetric cryptography to encrypt and decrypt their messages.”

User Authentication: Using a strong user authentication
method is essential to verify the identities of message senders and recipients.
User authentication can be achieved through various methods, including
passwords, biometric authentication, or multi-factor authentication, to prevent
unauthorized access to the messaging service. A popular method is using TOTP,
this is stated by Plata and Calpito (2020) “The Time-based One Time Password
(TOTP) algorithm is one of the most used two-factor authentication algorithms.
It was applied in the development of the Human Resource e-Leave tracking web
App to improve the security and authentication process of accessing the App.

By addressing these design considerations, the developed
end-to-end encrypted messaging service can provide users with a secure,
reliable, and user-friendly platform for confidential communication, thereby
addressing the growing concerns surrounding privacy breaches and data
interceptions in digital communication platforms.

## Ethical and Technical Considerations

When creating an end-to-end encrypted messaging service, ethical
considerations need to be made, focusing on privacy, data protection, and
potential risks. Privacy is one of the most important principles, “Users expect
a reasonable amount of privacy for all their communications.” Endeley (2018)
Ensuring robust data protection mechanisms is important to uphold this trust,
protecting against unauthorised access or data breaches. Moreover, the
potential risks do not only involve technical vulnerabilities but also the
ethical dilemma of balancing user privacy with lawful access for security
purposes.

To address these ethical concerns, protocols will be
implemented throughout the project lifecycle. This includes adhering to
established privacy regulations such as GDPR, as stated by Chassang (2017)  “GDPR strengthens and harmonizes rules for
protecting individuals’ privacy rights and freedoms within and outside the EU
territory.” Additionally, user consent and control over their data will be
prioritised, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their privacy.

On the technical side, considerations such as compatibility,
and maintainability are essential. The web application must seamlessly
integrate with multiple platforms. Ensuring maintainability involves designing
structured and well commented code, allowing ease of updates and enhancements
over time, as noted by Rao et al., (2022), this is important for “helping
future readers understand the program”.

Following both ethical and technical techniques, the project
aims to develop a secure and ethically sound end-to-end encrypted messaging
service, protecting user trust and upholding principles of privacy and data
protection.

# Conclusion

In conclusion, the development of an E2EE messaging
application is a crucial step in addressing the contemporary challenges
surrounding digital communication privacy and security. Through this project,
we have explored the intricate landscape of encryption technologies, user
perceptions, and ethical considerations.

Ethical considerations are very important for this project,
with a focus on privacy, data protection, and user empowerment. By adhering to
established privacy regulations, prioritising user consent, and implementing
stringent security measures, the web application can uphold the highest ethical
standards.

This project allows users to communicate with an easy to
understand UX and UI while maintaining trust in end to end encryption.









# References

Bahramali, A., Soltani, R., Houmansadr, A., Goeckel, D.
and Towsley, D. (2020). *Practical Traffic Analysis Attacks on Secure
Messaging Applications*. \[online] arXiv.org.
doi:https\://doi.org/10.14722/ndss.2020.24347.

Chassang, G. (2017). The impact of the EU general data
protection regulation on scientific research. *ecancermedicalscience*,
\[online] 11. doi:https\://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2017.709.

Dechand, S., Naiakshina, A., Danilova, A. and Smith, M.
(2019). In Encryption We Don’t Trust: The Effect of End-To-End Encryption to
the Masses on User Perception. \[online] Available at:
https\://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=8806742 \[Accessed
18 Mar. 2024].

Endeley, R.E. (2018). End-to-End Encryption in Messaging
Services and National Security—Case of WhatsApp Messenger. *Journal of
Information Security*, 09(01), pp.95–99.
doi:https\://doi.org/10.4236/jis.2018.91008.

Gillis, A.S. (2022). *What is Diffie-Hellman Key
Exchange? - Definition from WhatIs.com*. \[online] SearchSecurity. Available
at:
https\://www\.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/Diffie-Hellman-key-exchange.

Hale, B. and Komlo, C. (2022). *On End-to-End
Encryption*. \[online] Available at: https\://eprint.iacr.org/2022/449.pdf.

Kamara, S., Knodel, M., Llansó, E., Nojeim, G., Qin, L.,
Thakur, D. and Vogus, C. (2022). Outside Looking In: Approaches to Content
Moderation in End-to-End Encrypted Systems. *arXiv (Cornell University)*.
doi:https\://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2202.04617.

Kulshrestha, A. and Mayer, J. (2021). *Identifying
Harmful Media in End-to-End Encrypted Communication: Efficient Private
Membership Computation Identifying Harmful Media in End-to-End Encrypted
Communication: Efficient Private Membership Computation*. \[online] Available
at: https\://www\.usenix.org/system/files/sec21-kulshrestha.pdf.

Plata, I. and Calpito, J.L. (2020). Application Of
Time-Based One Time Password (TOTP) Algorithm For Human Resource E-Leave
Tracking Web App. *International Journal of Scientific & Technology
Research.*, 9, pp.4070–4077.

Rao, N., Tsay, J., Hirzel, M. and Hellendoorn, V. (2022).
*Comments on Comments: Where Code Review and Documentation Meet We conclude
with a discussion of implications of our comments- on-comments dataset for
research on improving code review, in- cluding the potential benefits for
automating code review*. \[online] Available at:
https\://arxiv.org/pdf/2204.00107.pdf \[Accessed 22 Mar. 2024].

Sousi, A.-L., Yehya, D. and Joudi, M. (2020). *AES
Encryption: Study & Evaluation*. \[online] Available at:
https\://www\.researchgate.net/publication/346446212\_AES\_Encryption\_Study\_Evaluation
\[Accessed 21 Mar. 2024].





# Designs:

![](/images/Picture1.jpg)

![](/images/Picture2.png)![](/images/Picture3.jpg)


Adam Keith - Home

developer, prompt engineer, digital designer

Echo Messenger

HR-Tracker

Python FaceRecognition Voting System

End2End Encryption Messaging - Report