The Initial Idea
The concept for Raust emerged from a fundamental question: can a password manager be both extremely lightweight and uncompromising on security? Most modern solutions are either bloated with cloud features or too complex to audit. I wanted to build a "back-to-basics" vault, a local-first, auditable tool where the user has absolute control over their data, powered by the memory-safety guarantees of Rust.
The Concept
Development focused on creating a lean but robust core. I implemented local AES encryption for all stored secrets and integrated modern key derivation functions like Argon2 to protect against brute-force attempts. The architecture was designed to be modular, separating the cryptographic core from the storage logic and the lightweight UI. By keeping dependencies to a minimum, I ensured the codebase remains easy to verify and incredibly fast.
The Result
Raust is a fully functional, UI-driven password manager that delivers on its promise of security and simplicity. It provides a clean interface to add, list, and retrieve credentials while maintaining a zero-trust approach to data storage. It stands as a personal proof-of-concept that high-level security tools don't need to be heavy to be effective, they just need to be well-engineered in Rust.
