Secure Password Exchange: Stop Sending Secrets via Slack

Encryption

Secure Password Exchange

Published on January 24, 2026 by Vizava.pro

Stop sending passwords via email or Slack. Use ephemeral, client-side encryption to share secrets that self-destruct.

It is a scenario that plays out in offices thousands of times a day. A colleague pings you on Slack: "Hey, can you send me the login for the marketing dashboard?"

Without thinking, you copy the password from your manager, paste it into the chat window, and hit enter. In that split second, you have compromised the credential. It doesn't matter how complex the password was (Tr0ub4dor&3); you have just committed it to a permanent, searchable log file stored on a third-party server.

This guide explores why "convenient" sharing is the enemy of security, and how to use Vizava's Bunker to establish a Zero-Knowledge dead drop for sensitive credentials.

The Persistence Problem

The fundamental flaw with email, Slack, Discord, and SMS is retention. These platforms are designed to keep history. They index every word to make it searchable. When you send a password via email, it exists in four places immediately:

1. Your "Sent" folder.
2. The recipient's "Inbox."
3. Your email provider's server logs.
4. The recipient's email provider's server logs.

Even if you delete the email later, backups and archives often persist for years. If that email account is ever compromised—even a decade from now—that password is visible in plain text.

The "Context" Attack:

Hackers who gain access to corporate Slack workspaces often run simple scripts searching for keywords like "password," "login," "creds," or "AWS key." Pasting a password into chat is essentially handing keys to future intruders.

The Ephemeral Solution

The solution to the persistence problem is ephemerality. A secret should exist only for as long as it takes to be transferred, and then it should cease to exist. This concept is often called a "Dead Drop."

Vizava implements this through The Bunker. Instead of sending the password itself, you send a link to a secure, encrypted vault.

Encrypted Client-Side (AES-256)

Life Span 1 Read or 24 Hours

Knowledge Zero (Server Blind)

Once the recipient clicks the link and views the password, the data is cryptographically shredded. If they (or a hacker) try to click the link again, it returns a 404 error. The secret is gone.

Deep Dive: Zero Knowledge Architecture

Many "secure link" services are flawed because the server generates the link and holds the key. If that service is subpoenaed or hacked, your secrets are exposed. Vizava uses a Host-Proof architecture.

1. Encryption Happens LOCALLY

When you type a password into Vizava's Bunker, your browser generates a random encryption key. It uses the Web Crypto API to encrypt your text using AES-256-GCM. This happens before any network request is made.

2. The Server is Blind

Your browser sends the encrypted cipher text to our database. We store this blob of nonsense characters. We do not receive the key. We cannot read your secret even if we wanted to.

3. The Decryption Key

The key is displayed to you (the sender). You must provide this key to the recipient.

Encryption FlowJS Logic

                            // 1. User inputs "MySecretPassword"
                            // 2. Browser generates Key: "8x9d8f..."
                            // 3. Browser Encrypts: "MySecretPassword" + "8x9d8f..." -> "a7b2c9..."
                            // 4. Browser sends ONLY "a7b2c9..." to Server.
                            // 5. User copies Key "8x9d8f..." to clipboard.
                        

Workflow: Step-by-Step Guide

Here is the optimal workflow for sharing a high-value credential (like a root database password) using Vizava.

Step 1: The Bunker

Navigate to The Bunker mode in the Vizava Suite. Paste your secret into the text area.

Step 2: Burn Settings

Toggle "Burn Immediately". This ensures that the moment the link is accessed once, the database entry is hard-deleted. This prevents "replay attacks" where a hacker might check your browser history to find the link later.

Step 3: Generate & Split

Click "Encrypt." You will be presented with two pieces of information:
1. The Link (Location of the encrypted vault)
2. The Password (Key to open the vault)

Step 4: Out-of-Band Transmission

For maximum security, send these two pieces of information via different channels.
Example: Email the Link to your colleague. Send the Password via Signal, SMS, or Slack.

This technique, known as "Out-of-Band" verification, ensures that if an attacker has compromised your email, they still cannot open the vault because they lack the key sent via Slack.

Security Comparison

How does Vizava compare to other common methods of sharing secrets?

Method Plain Text (Email/Slack) SECURITY: POOR

Method Password Protected PDF SECURITY: MEDIUM

Method Vizava Bunker SECURITY: HIGH

Plain Text: Never appropriate for passwords. Persistent logs create indefinite risk.

Password Protected Zip/PDF: Better, but cumbersome. Requires the recipient to download a file. The file then lives in their "Downloads" folder forever, often still encrypted but susceptible to brute force if the password was weak.

Vizava Bunker: Superior because of ephemerality. Once the secret is consumed, it vanishes. There is no file left in a "Downloads" folder. There is no log in an email chain. The liability is extinguished immediately.