Security

ivyNote uses managed encryption: data on the server is always ciphertext, while password recovery, full-text search and AI keep working.

Layered keys

Master key KEK (server configuration, rotatable)
 └─ Data key DEK per user (wrapped by the KEK)
     ├─ note titles and bodies, notebook and tag names, history, AI chats, secrets in settings
     └─ one key per attachment (wrapped by the DEK)
          └─ attachment content, encrypted in 1 MiB chunks

• Algorithm: XChaCha20-Poly1305 (256-bit keys, 192-bit random nonces).
• Every ciphertext is bound to its user, table and field, so it cannot be swapped, reordered or truncated.
• Master keys are never stored in the database. A leaked database backup reveals nothing.

What is not encrypted

To make search and AI work, these are stored in plain or computable form:

• Full-text search index (CJK supported)
• Vector index, when semantic AI retrieval is configured
• Link graph, stored as keyed hashes rather than plain titles

End-to-end encryption

An end-to-end mode with client-held keys is planned as an opt-in.

What you can do

• Use a strong password you do not reuse elsewhere.
• API tokens carry your account's permissions; delete unused ones.