2 Best Python Data Encryption Libraries

Encryption is a tricky subject in any language. It is better to choose a library with active maintenance.

There are 2 best Python encryption libraries as follows.

Cryptography

cryptography includes both high-level recipes and low-level interfaces to common cryptographic algorithms such as symmetric ciphers, message digests, and key derivation functions.

Encrypt and decrypt text with cryptography’s high-level symmetric encryption recipe:

from cryptography.fernet import Fernet

key = Fernet.generate_key()
f = Fernet(key)
encrypted_text = f.encrypt(b"This is a secret text message that needs to be hidden.")
decrypted_text = f.decrypt(encrypted_text )

Encrypt and decrypt using AES

from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.ciphers import Cipher, algorithms, modes
import os

key = os.urandom(32)
iv = os.urandom(16)
cipher = Cipher(algorithms.AES(key), modes.CBC(iv))
encryptor = cipher.encryptor()
ct = encryptor.update(b"This is a secret text") + encryptor.finalize()
decryptor = cipher.decryptor()
plain_text = decryptor.update(ct) + decryptor.finalize()

PyCryptodome

PyCryptodome is a self-contained Python package of low-level cryptographic primitives. It is a fork of PyCrypto, which brings a lot of enhancements with respect to the last official version of PyCrypto (2.6.1).

PyCryptodome supports Python 2.6 and 2.7, Python 3.4 and newer, and PyPy.

Encrypt data with AES:

from Crypto.Random import get_random_bytes

key = get_random_bytes(16)
cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_EAX)
ciphertext, tag = cipher.encrypt_and_digest(data)

file_out = open("encrypted.bin", "wb")
[ file_out.write(x) for x in (cipher.nonce, tag, ciphertext) ]
file_out.close()

Generate RSA key:

from Crypto.PublicKey import RSA

secret_code = "Unguessable"
key = RSA.generate(2048)
encrypted_key = key.export_key(passphrase=secret_code, pkcs=8,
                              protection="scryptAndAES128-CBC")

file_out = open("rsa_key.bin", "wb")
file_out.write(encrypted_key)
file_out.close()

print(key.publickey().export_key())