From f13bd8de9c1a67c16d7d3960ed17a7bf89fe0efe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Didactic Drunk <1479616+didactic-drunk@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:29:23 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] README.md: How? When?

---
 README.md | 77 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 66 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8b8b6f7..a349224 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 Secrets hold sensitive information
 
-The Secret interface manages limited time access to the secret and securely erasing the secret when no longer needed.
+The Secret interface manages limited time access to a secret and securely erases the secret when no longer needed.
 
 Secret providers may implement additional protections via:
 * `#noaccess`, `#readonly` or `readwrite`.
@@ -35,15 +35,17 @@ Secret providers may implement additional protections via:
 ```crystal
 require "crypto-secret/not"
 
-not_secret = Crypto::Secret::Not.new 32
-not_secret.wipe do
-  not_secret.readonly do |slice|
+# `Not` isn't actually a secret and does none of what the comments say
+# Replace `Not` with a secure implementation like [Sodium::SecureBuffer](https://didactic-drunk.github.io/sodium.cr/master/Sodium/SecureBuffer.html)
+secret = Crypto::Secret::Not.new 32
+secret.wipe do
+  secret.readonly do |slice|
     # May only read slice
   end
-  not_secret.readwrite do |slice|
+  secret.readwrite do |slice|
     # May read or write to slice
   end
-end # Secret is erased
+end # secret is erased
 ```
 
 ## What is a Secret?
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ That's complicated and specific to the application.  Some examples:
 Not secrets:
 
 * Digest output.  Except when used for key derivation, then it's a Secret, including the Digest state
-* IO::Memory or writing a file.  Except when the file is a password vault, cryptocurrency wallet, encrypted mail/messages, goat porn, maybe normal porn, sometimes scat porn, occassionally furry, not vanilla porn
+* IO::Memory or writing a file.  Except when the file is a password vault, cryptocurrency wallet, encrypted mail/messages, goat porn, maybe "normal" porn, sometimes scat porn, occassionally furry, not vanilla porn
 
 ## Why?
 
@@ -67,10 +69,62 @@ The Secret interface is designed to handle varied levels of confidentiality with
 There is no one size fits all solution.  Different applications have different security requirements.  Sometimes for the same algorithm.
 
 A master key (kgk) may reside on a HSM and generate subkeys on demand.
-Or for most applications the master key may use best effort protection using a combination of [guard pages, mlock, mprotect].
+Or for most applications the master key may use a best effort approach using a combination of [guard pages, mlock, mprotect].
 Other keys in the same application may handle a high volume of messages where [guard pages, mlock, mprotect] overhead is too high.
-A key verifying a public key signature may not be Secret.
+A key verifying a public key signature may not be Secret (but is a Secret::Not).
 
+## How do I use a Secret returned by a shard?
+
+That depends on what you use it for.
+
+#### Using a Secret key
+
+TODO
+
+#### Using a Secret to hold decrypted file contents:
+```
+key = ...another Secret...
+encrypted_str = File.read("filename")
+decrypted_size = encrypted_str.bytesize - mac_size
+file_secret = Crypto::Secret::Default.new decrypted_size
+file_secret.wipe do
+  file_secrets.readwrite do |slice|
+    decrypt(key: key, src: encrypted_str, dst: slice)
+
+    # Do something with file contents in slice
+  end
+end # Decrypted data is erased
+```
+
+## When should I use a Secret?
+
+When implementing an encryption class return `Secret` keys with a sane default implementation that suits the average use for your class.  Several default implementations will be provided.
+Allow overriding the default returned key and/or allow users of your class to provide their own `Secret` for cases where they need more or less protection.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+class SimplifiedEncryption
+  # Allow users of your library to provide their own Secret key.  Also provide a sane default.
+  def encrypt(data : Bytes | String, key : Secret? = nil) : {Secret, Bytes}
+    key ||= Crypto::Secret::Default.random
+    ...
+    {key, encrypted_slice}
+  end
+end
+```
+
+## What attacks does a Secret protect against?
+
+TODO: describe implementations
+
+## Other languages/libraries
+
+* rust: [secrets](https://github.com/stouset/secrets/)
+* c: [libsodium](https://github.com/jedisct1/libsodium-doc/blob/master/helpers/memory_management.md#guarded_heap_allocations)
+* go: [memguard](https://github.com/awnumar/memguard)
+* haskell: [securemem](https://hackage.haskell.org/package/securemem)
+* c#: [SecureString](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.security.securestring)
 
 ## Implementing a new Secret holding class
 
@@ -86,6 +140,7 @@ class MySecret
   end
 
   def to_slice(& : Bytes -> Nil)
+    # The yielded Slice only needs to be valid within the block
     # yield Slice.new(pointer, size)
   ensure
     # optionally reencrypt or signal HSM
@@ -96,14 +151,14 @@ class MySecret
   end
 
   # optionally override [noaccess, readonly, readwrite]
-  # optionally override (almost) any other method with implementation specific version
+  # optionally override (almost) any other method with an implementation specific version
 end
 
 ```
 
 ## Contributing
 
-**Open a discussion before creating PR's**
+**Open a discussion or issue before creating PR's**
 
 1. Fork it (<https://github.com/your-github-user/crypto-secret/fork>)
 2. Create your feature branch (`git checkout -b my-new-feature`)