Work with data more securely across additional Android versions

This document provides an early look at version 1.1.0 of the Security library. Using this version, the Security library works on devices that run Android 5.0 (API level 21) and higher.

Read files

The following code snippet demonstrates how to use EncryptedFile to read the contents of a file in a more secure way using the Security library:

val mainKey = MasterKey.Builder(applicationContext)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build()

val fileToRead = "my_sensitive_data.txt"
val encryptedFile = EncryptedFile.Builder(applicationContext,
        File(DIRECTORY, fileToRead),
        mainKey,
        EncryptedFile.FileEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM_HKDF_4KB
).build()

val inputStream = encryptedFile.openFileInput()
val byteArrayOutputStream = ByteArrayOutputStream()
var nextByte: Int = inputStream.read()
while (nextByte != -1) {
    byteArrayOutputStream.write(nextByte)
    nextByte = inputStream.read()
}

val plaintext: ByteArray = byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray()

Context context = getApplicationContext();
MasterKey mainKey = new MasterKey.Builder(context)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build();

String fileToRead = "my_sensitive_data.txt";
EncryptedFile encryptedFile = new EncryptedFile.Builder(context,
        new File(DIRECTORY, fileToRead),
        mainKey,
        EncryptedFile.FileEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM_HKDF_4KB
).build();

InputStream inputStream = encryptedFile.openFileInput();
ByteArrayOutputStream byteArrayOutputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
int nextByte = inputStream.read();
while (nextByte != -1) {
    byteArrayOutputStream.write(nextByte);
    nextByte = inputStream.read();
}

byte[] plaintext = byteArrayOutputStream.toByteArray();

Write files

The following code snippet demonstrates how to use EncryptedFile to write the contents of a file in a more secure way using the Security library:

val mainKey = MasterKey.Builder(applicationContext)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build()

// Creates a file with this name, or replaces an existing file
// that has the same name. Note that the file name cannot contain
// path separators.
val fileToWrite = File(DIRECTORY, "my_sensitive_data.txt")
val encryptedFile = EncryptedFile.Builder(applicationContext,
        fileToWrite,
        mainKey,
        EncryptedFile.FileEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM_HKDF_4KB
).build()

// File cannot exist before using openFileOutput
if (fileToWrite.exists()) {
    fileToWrite.delete()
}

val fileContent = "MY SUPER-SECRET INFORMATION"
        .toByteArray(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))
encryptedFile.openFileOutput().apply {
    write(fileContent)
    flush()
    close()
}

Context context = getApplicationContext();
MasterKey mainKey = new MasterKey.Builder(context)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build();

// Creates a file with this name, or replaces an existing file
// that has the same name. Note that the file name cannot contain
// path separators.
File fileToWrite = new File(DIRECTORY, "my_sensitive_data.txt");
EncryptedFile encryptedFile = new EncryptedFile.Builder(context,
        fileToWrite,
        mainKey,
        EncryptedFile.FileEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM_HKDF_4KB
).build();

// File cannot exist before using openFileOutput
if (fileToWrite.exists()) {
    fileToWrite.delete();
}

byte[] fileContent = "MY SUPER-SECRET INFORMATION"
        .getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
OutputStream outputStream = encryptedFile.openFileOutput();
outputStream.write(fileContent);
outputStream.flush();
outputStream.close();

Edit shared preferences

The following code snippet demonstrates how to use EncryptedSharedPreferences to edit a user's set of shared preferences in a more secure way using the Security library:

val context = applicationContext
val mainKey = MasterKey.Builder(applicationContext)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build()

val sharedPreferences = EncryptedSharedPreferences.create(
    applicationContext,
    FILE_NAME,
    mainKey,
    EncryptedSharedPreferences.PrefKeyEncryptionScheme.AES256_SIV,
    EncryptedSharedPreferences.PrefValueEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM
)

with (sharedPreferences.edit()) {
    // Edit the user's shared preferences...
    apply()
}

Context context = getApplicationContext();
MasterKey mainKey = new MasterKey.Builder(context)
        .setKeyScheme(MasterKey.KeyScheme.AES256_GCM)
        .build();

SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = EncryptedSharedPreferences
        .create(
            context,
            FILE_NAME,
            mainKey,
            EncryptedSharedPreferences.PrefKeyEncryptionScheme.AES256_SIV,
            EncryptedSharedPreferences.PrefValueEncryptionScheme.AES256_GCM
        );

SharedPreferences.Editor sharedPrefsEditor = sharedPreferences.edit();
// Edit the user's shared preferences...
sharedPrefsEditor.apply();