Security
- How I generate SSH keys without losing track of what each file is
An SSH key pair has two parts: a private key that stays with you, and a public key that you can place on servers in authorized_keys. The SSH Key Generator tool gives me a safe place to test the idea before I put it into …
- How I read email headers when a message looks suspicious
An email header is the technical history of a message. It can show where the message claimed to come from, which servers handled it, and whether authentication checks passed. The visible email body can be misleading.
- How I test webhooks before trusting them
A webhook is a simple idea: one system sends an HTTP request to another system when something happens. For example: Stripe sends a webhook when a payment succeeds; GitHub sends a webhook when someone pushes code; Shopify …
- How I think about bcrypt when storing passwords
Passwords should not be stored as plain text. If a database leaks, plain text passwords immediately become everyone else’s problem too. For password storage, I want a password hashing function such as bcrypt.
- How I think about BIP39 seed phrases before touching a wallet
A BIP39 mnemonic is a human-readable backup for wallet seed material. Anyone who has the words can often control the wallet. The BIP39 Mnemonic tool gives me a safe place to test the idea before I put it into a script, …
- How I understand OTP codes without treating them like magic
Most authenticator apps use TOTP: a short code generated from a shared secret and the current time. The OTP Generator tool gives me a safe place to test the idea before I put it into a script, server, or production …
- How I understand SNAP BI asymmetric signatures step by step
SNAP BI signatures can feel confusing because they combine several ideas at once: HTTP method; URL path; request body hash; timestamp; RSA private and public keys; a signature header. When all of those appear together, …
- How I use AES encryption without confusing it with hashing
AES is for keeping text confidential. It is different from hashing: encrypted text is meant to be decrypted later with the right key, while a hash is not meant to be reversed.