[Koha] Encryption and Pseudonymization settings

[Galen Charlton]

Hi David,

On Fri, Jan 6, 2023 at 5:58 PM David Liddle <david.liddle at wycliff.de> wrote:
> <!-- This is the bcrypt settings used to generated anonymized content -->
>  <bcrypt_settings>__BCRYPT_SETTINGS__</bcrypt_settings>
>
> What form should the content of this line and these settings take?

As mentioned in one of the comments in bug 28911, an appropriate value can
be generated by the following command:

htpasswd -bnBC 10 "" password | tr -d ':\n' | sed 's/$2y/$2a/'

> Similarly, I would like to know what form the encryption key should take
in this section:
>
> <!-- Encryption key for crypted password or sensitive data -->
>  <encryption_key>__ENCRYPTION_KEY__</encryption_key>

I believe this can be set to any high-entropy string suitable for a
password or pass phrase. Per the Crypt::CBC documentation <
https://metacpan.org/pod/Crypt::CBC>, it's not literally an AES encryption
key but is used to create one.

> Are there any risks or drawbacks to enabling these settings on a live
site?
> (I'm executing them first on a QA server with a robust backup system,
> but it helps to know what to expect.)

It should be pretty safe. The pseudonymization feature is turned on via a
system preference and largely affects reporting, although some care would
be needed as you prune non-pseudonymized data. The encryption is currently
only used by the optional 2FA feature.

Regards,

Galen
--
Galen Charlton
Implementation and IT Manager
Equinox Open Library Initiative
gmc at equinoxOLI.org
https://www.equinoxOLI.org
phone: 877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
direct: 770-709-5581