Zero-Knowledge Security
Your password NEVER leaves your device. We use smart cryptography to verify you without ever seeing your password - the most secure way to protect your account.
What is Zero-Knowledge?
When you log in to most websites, your password travels over the internet to the server. Even though it's encrypted during travel, the server still sees your password.
With Zero-Knowledge, your password stays on YOUR device. Instead, we use smart math to prove you know the password without ever sending it.
Regular Login
You show your ID card to get into a building
Zero-Knowledge Login
You prove you know a secret handshake, but never reveal what it is
Why Use Zero-Knowledge?
Password Never Sent
Even if hackers watched your internet connection, they cannot steal your password because it never travels over the network.
We Cannot See It
Not even anonym.legal staff can see your password. Your credentials remain completely private.
Better Protection
If our servers were ever compromised, your password would still be safe. We only store mathematical proofs, not passwords.
24-Word Recovery
You get special recovery words to regain access if you forget your password. No calling support - you control your account.
How It Works
Zero-Knowledge authentication in 4 simple steps
Create Password
You create a password on your device
Generate Secret Key
Your device creates a secret key from your password using special math
Send Proof
Only a mathematical proof is sent to us - never your password
Verify
We verify the proof - we can confirm it's you without seeing your password
It's like having a lock where you keep the only key, and we just check if your key works.
Your 24-Word Recovery Phrase
When you enable Zero-Knowledge, you receive 24 special words. These words are your master key to your account.
What are these words for?
- Recover your account if you forget your password
- Regain access if you lose your device
- Log in on a new computer
DO
- Write them down on paper
- Store the paper somewhere safe (like a locked drawer)
- Consider making a backup copy in a different safe place
DO NOT
- Take a photo of them
- Save them on your computer
- Send them by email or text
- Share them with anyone
Why 24 Words?
- Words are easier to write down correctly
- Words are easier to read and verify
- 24 words provide extremely strong security
Important
Without your recovery phrase, we CANNOT help you get back into your account. This is by design - Zero-Knowledge means we don't have access to your password or keys.
Works Everywhere
Zero-Knowledge protection across all anonym.legal platforms
Technical Details
For the security-conscious
Argon2id Key Derivation
Memory-hard algorithm that makes password guessing extremely slow, even with specialized hardware.
XChaCha20-Poly1305
The same authenticated encryption used by security experts worldwide for maximum protection.
No Password Storage
We never store your password in any form - encrypted, hashed, or otherwise.
Constant-Time Verification
Security checks take the same time regardless of input, preventing timing attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anonym.legal staff see my password?
No. That's the whole point of Zero-Knowledge! Your password is processed on your device. We only receive a mathematical proof, never the actual password.
What if anonym.legal gets hacked?
Your password is still safe! Hackers would only find mathematical proofs, not passwords. Without your actual password, they cannot access your account.
Is Zero-Knowledge harder to use?
No! You won't notice any difference when logging in. The only extra step is saving your 24-word recovery phrase when you first set up your account.
Can I turn off Zero-Knowledge?
Zero-Knowledge is enabled by default for your protection. We recommend keeping it on for the best security.
What happens if I change my password?
When you change your password, your device creates new secret keys and you receive a new 24-word recovery phrase. Your old recovery phrase stops working, so save your new phrase immediately!
After the LastPass breach, how can I verify a vendor uses true zero-knowledge encryption?
anonym.legal uses Argon2id key derivation (64MB memory, 3 iterations) running entirely in the browser — the server never receives your password or encryption key. AES-256-GCM encryption happens before data leaves your device. Even a full server breach yields only encrypted blobs without the keys to decrypt them.
Technical Appendix
Cryptographic parameters and protocol details for security auditors and developers.
Cryptographic Parameters
| Component | Algorithm | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Password Hashing | Argon2id | Memory: 64 MB, Iterations: 3, Parallelism: 1, Salt: 16 bytes, Output: 32 bytes |
| Symmetric Encryption | XChaCha20-Poly1305 | AEAD, 256-bit key, 24-byte nonce (random per operation) |
| Key Derivation | HKDF-SHA256 | Master Key → Auth Key + Encryption Key (domain separation) |
| Recovery Phrase | BIP39 | 256-bit entropy, 24 words, 2048-word wordlist |
| Random Number Generation | CSPRNG | crypto.getRandomValues (browser), libsodium.randombytes_buf (native) |
Key Derivation Chain
Sent to server for verification
Never leaves device
Protocol Flow
Registration
- 1Client generates random salt (16 bytes)
- 2Client derives Master Key via Argon2id(password, salt)
- 3Client derives Auth Key and Encryption Key via HKDF
- 4Client sends Auth Key + salt to server (password never sent)
Login
- 1Client requests salt from server (by email)
- 2Client re-derives Master Key via Argon2id(password, salt)
- 3Client sends Auth Key; server verifies with timing-safe comparison
- 4Server issues JWT session token; Encryption Key stays on device
Cross-Platform Compatibility
| Platform | Crypto Library | Argon2id Parallelism |
|---|---|---|
| Web App (Browser) | libsodium.js (WebAssembly) | 1 |
| Desktop App (Tauri) | rust-argon2 + libsodium.js | 1 |
| Office Add-in | libsodium.js (WebAssembly) | 1 |
Parallelism is set to 1 across all platforms to ensure cross-platform compatibility. A key derived on any platform works on all others.
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Protect Your Account Now
Create an account with Zero-Knowledge security. Your password stays yours - always.