Passwork security

Security is the foundation of our product architecture. This page provides a comprehensive overview of our security model, encryption architecture, compliance certifications, and development practices.

Security at a glance

Why trust Passwork

• Zero-Knowledge architecture — your secrets are mathematically inaccessible to anyone but you
• On-premise option — your data never leaves your infrastructure
• ISO 27001 certified — independently validated security practices
• Tested by HackerOne — independent penetration testing by world's leading security platform

Aspect	Description
Architecture	Zero-Knowledge — server cannot decrypt user data
Deployment	On-premise or Cloud (AWS Germany)
Focus	Enterprise security, compliance, auditability

Zero-Knowledge architecture

Passwork is built on the Zero-Knowledge principle: the server does not have enough information to decrypt user data. Neither administrators nor technical staff can access your passwords.

• Master password never leaves the user's device
• All cryptographic keys are generated on the client
• Server stores only encrypted data and encrypted keys
• Decryption is only possible on the client side

For technical details, see Encryption scope.

Encryption model

Passwork uses a layered encryption approach: data is always encrypted on the server, and optionally encrypted on the client before transmission.

How it works

Layer	When active	What it protects
Server-side	Always	All data at rest (AES-256-CFB)
Client-side	When CSE enabled	Sensitive fields before they leave your device (AES-256-CBC)

With client-side encryption (CSE) enabled, the server receives already-encrypted data and encrypts it again for storage. This provides defense in depth.

Client-side encryption availability

Deployment	CSE status
Passwork Cloud	Always enabled, cannot be disabled
On-premise	Configurable during installation

On-premise flexibility

For on-premise installations deployed within a secure perimeter (air-gapped networks, trusted infrastructure), administrators can disable client-side encryption during setup. This may be useful when Passwork operates in an isolated environment with its own security controls. Server-side encryption remains active regardless.

Key hierarchy

Each piece of sensitive data is protected by a chain of keys. For terminology, see Glossary.

Key	Size	Purpose
Master password	—	User's secret, never transmitted
Master key	512 bits	Derived via PBKDF2 (300K iterations)
Private RSA key	2048 bits	Encrypted with master key
Vault key	256 bits	Unique per vault, encrypted with RSA
Record key	256 bits	Unique per record, encrypted with vault key

Each vault and each record has its own unique key. Compromising one key doesn't expose other data. See Key hierarchy for details.

Algorithms

Algorithm	Purpose	Parameters
AES-256	Data encryption	CBC (client) / CFB (server)
RSA-2048	Key exchange	OAEP, SHA-256
PBKDF2	Key derivation	SHA-256, 300K iterations
CSPRNG	Random generation	WebCrypto / OpenSSL
TLS 1.3	Transport security	All connections

For complete specifications, see Cryptographic algorithms.

Security features

Authentication & access control

• Two-factor authentication (2FA/TOTP) — additional verification layer
• Single Sign-On (SSO) — SAML 2.0, Azure AD, Keycloak (setup guide)
• LDAP/Active Directory — user sync and authentication (setup guide)
• Role-based access control (RBAC) — granular permissions
• Password policies — enforce complexity requirements

For authentication flow details, see Authentication.

Data protection

• Secure password sharing — RSA-encrypted key exchange (documentation)
• Encrypted attachments — files protected with record keys
• Secure external links — time-limited, password-protected (details)
• Password generator — cryptographically secure random passwords

Audit & monitoring

• Immutable audit log — all actions recorded (documentation)
• SIEM integration — export via Syslog
• Session management — monitoring and control (details)
• Full audit control — logs remain with the customer

Browser security

• Master key caching — secure browser storage (documentation)
• Session tokens — Access Token, Refresh Token, CSRF protection (details)
• Automatic logout — configurable timeout

Infrastructure

Cloud deployment

Aspect	Implementation
Data center	AWS Germany (EU)
Tenant isolation	Complete data separation
Storage	AES-256 encryption at rest
Network	TLS 1.3, Cloudflare DDoS protection
Access policy	Zero-access: no employee access to customer data

On-premise deployment

Self-hosted installations give you complete control:

• Platforms: Linux, Windows Server, Docker
• Environments: Air-gapped (offline) supported
• Scaling: Horizontal scaling, replica sets, load balancing

Guides: Linux · Windows Server · Security hardening · MongoDB

Deployment checklist

Category	Recommendation
Transport	HTTPS with TLS 1.2+ (preferably 1.3)
Architecture	Separate app and database servers
Network	Close MongoDB port externally
Protection	Fail2ban for brute-force prevention
Backups	Regular encrypted backups
Keys	Store encryption keys separately
Authentication	Enable SSO + 2FA for all users

Secure development

Every feature goes through six stages with mandatory security checks.

Development stages

Stage	Activities
1. Idea	Security requirements analysis, Security Champion review
2. Analysis	Threat modeling, specification
3. Code	SAST, SBOM checks, automated tests
4. Build	Isolated environment, signed builds
5. Testing	DAST, AI analysis, Security Champion review, manual verification
6. Release	Signature verification on portal

Practices

Practice	Description
SAST/DAST	Static and dynamic security testing
SCA	Dependency vulnerability scanning
SBOM	Software Bill of Materials
Code review	Mandatory security-focused review
Branch protection	No direct pushes to main
Signed releases	All distributives signed with private key

Code signing

All Passwork distributives are cryptographically signed. You can verify the signature using our public key. Signature verification is built into our deployment scripts.

Security expertise

• Security Champions in every team
• OWASP training for developers
• Threat modeling (STRIDE) for new features

Testing & audits

Passwork has successfully completed penetration testing by HackerOne — the world's largest platform for coordinating security assessments. This independent evaluation confirmed the highest level of data protection and strong resilience against modern cyber threats.

What the pentest covered

Area	Description
Security architecture	Infrastructure design, data storage, transmission, and protection
Web vulnerabilities	OWASP Top 10 and SANS Top 25 vulnerability assessment
Authentication	Login processes, session management, access control
API security	Endpoint validation, authorization, protection against malicious requests
Incident response	Detection, response, and recovery capabilities
Targeted attacks	Resilience against advanced persistent threats

Compliance

Standard	Status
ISO 27001	Certified (2024)
GDPR	Compliant
SOC 2	In progress

Data protection principles

• Data minimization — collect only what's necessary
• Purpose limitation — use only for stated purposes
• Retention controls — configurable policies
• Right to deletion — complete removal on request
• Data portability — export in standard formats

Responsible disclosure

We welcome vulnerability reports from the security community.

• Contact: [email protected]
• Response: within 5 business days
• Safe harbor: protection for good-faith researchers

Read our full Responsible disclosure policy.

Machine-readable security resources

For automated security tools, AI systems, and compliance scanners:

• Trust profile (trust.json) — machine-readable security and architecture profile
• security.txt — standard security contact file
• AI explanation layer — guidelines for AI systems describing Passwork

Last updated: December 2025

LLM version