Store Your Sensitive Data Safely When Sharing a Sketch Using Arduino • Tech Projects

If there is sensitive data that you want to keep private when sharing a sketch, add a secret tab and store your private info there!

Things used in this project

Software apps and online services

Arduino Web Editor

Arduino IDE

Story

Often in your sketch, there is some sensitive data that you’d like to keep private, which could accidentally become public when published on GitHub or when you share your sketch with someone else via URL. This sensitive information may include Wi-Fi network names and passwords, API key, and so on. But now, you can add a secret tab to your sketch and store your private data there.

This feature has been designed specifically for the Arduino Create Editor. If you have yet to try it, follow this tutorial to get started — all you need is an Arduino ID.

How it works

Basically every time you type SECRET_SOMETHING in your sketch and save it, we will create a Secret tab for you to fill out.

Let’s start with an example, just so you can see how it works.

Go to the Libraries panel and type ‘Wifi101’ in the search tab, then click on the ConnectWithWPA example. You can also click on this link and add the example to your sketchbook. example1

As you can see, there are some identifiers like SECRET_SIID and SECRET_PSW . If you now click on the tab called “Secret,” you will notice some input fields where you can fill in your data.

If you have a MKR1000 lying around, you can upload this sketch on it and watch your board connect to Internet (just make sure you join a 2GHz WiFi network). example2

example3

How to Add Secret Values to Your Own Sketch

Write your sketch as you would normally. secret1

In your sketch, replace the strings containing sensitive data by writing SECRET_NAMEYOUWANT . For instance, if your string is "psw” , you should replace it with SECRET_PSW . Make sure all these identifiers are in caps. secret2

The Secret tab will be automatically created as soon as you type SECRET_SOMETHING. Go to Secret tab and fill out the fields with the sensitive values. secret3

That’s it! If you share this sketch with someone via URL or if you download it, the values on the tab will be blank. secret4

Alternatively, you can also click on the tab button and add the Secret tab directly from there. These instructions will be reported for quick reference.

Store Your Sensitive Data Safely schematics

If you download a sketch, we will automatically create a file called arduino_secrets.h and add it to the .zip file. If you open the sketch with the Desktop IDE, you will be able to fill up this tab with your secrets as usual.

Tech Details

All the values you enter will be considered strings, and only secret values used in .ino file will be processed (neither in the .cpp nor .h file).

The secrets are stored as plain text values, and will only be available when the user logs in to his/her account and looks at their own sketches in their personal sketchbooks.

You will be able to delete the Secret tab simply by removing the SECRET_XXidentifiers from the .ino file.

Code

Arduino

CONNECTWITHWP.ino

/*

 This example connects to an unencrypted WiFi network.
 Then it prints the  MAC address of the WiFi shield,
 the IP address obtained, and other network details.

 Circuit:
 * WiFi shield attached

 created 13 July 2010
 by dlf (Metodo2 srl)
 modified 31 May 2012
 by Tom Igoe
 */
#include 
#include 

///////please enter your sensitive data in the Secret tab/arduino_secrets.h
char ssid[] = SECRET_SSID;        // your network SSID (name)
char pass[] = SECRET_PASS;    // your network password (use for WPA, or use as key for WEP)
int status = WL_IDLE_STATUS;     // the WiFi radio's status

void setup() {
  //Initialize serial and wait for port to open:
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while (!Serial) {
    ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for native USB port only
  }

  // check for the presence of the shield:
  if (WiFi.status() == WL_NO_SHIELD) {
    Serial.println("WiFi shield not present");
    // don't continue:
    while (true);
  }

  // attempt to connect to WiFi network:
  while ( status != WL_CONNECTED) {
    Serial.print("Attempting to connect to WPA SSID: ");
    Serial.println(ssid);
    // Connect to WPA/WPA2 network:
    status = WiFi.begin(ssid, pass);

    // wait 10 seconds for connection:
    delay(10000);
  }

  // you're connected now, so print out the data:
  Serial.print("You're connected to the network");
  printCurrentNet();
  printWiFiData();

}

void loop() {
  // check the network connection once every 10 seconds:
  delay(10000);
  printCurrentNet();
}

void printWiFiData() {
  // print your WiFi shield's IP address:
  IPAddress ip = WiFi.localIP();
  Serial.print("IP Address: ");
  Serial.println(ip);
  Serial.println(ip);

  // print your MAC address:
  byte mac[6];
  WiFi.macAddress(mac);
  Serial.print("MAC address: ");
  Serial.print(mac[5], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(mac[4], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(mac[3], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(mac[2], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(mac[1], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.println(mac[0], HEX);

}

void printCurrentNet() {
  // print the SSID of the network you're attached to:
  Serial.print("SSID: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.SSID());

  // print the MAC address of the router you're attached to:
  byte bssid[6];
  WiFi.BSSID(bssid);
  Serial.print("BSSID: ");
  Serial.print(bssid[5], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(bssid[4], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(bssid[3], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(bssid[2], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.print(bssid[1], HEX);
  Serial.print(":");
  Serial.println(bssid[0], HEX);

  // print the received signal strength:
  long rssi = WiFi.RSSI();
  Serial.print("signal strength (RSSI):");
  Serial.println(rssi);

  // print the encryption type:
  byte encryption = WiFi.encryptionType();
  Serial.print("Encryption Type:");
  Serial.println(encryption, HEX);
  Serial.println();
}

WHAT IS THE SECRET TAB?

Do you have any sensitive data (passwords, API keys…) you don’t want to share publicly?

Follow these steps:

In your sketch replace the strings containing sensitive data by writing SECRET_NAMEYOUWANT.
For instance if your code is char ssid[] = “your ssid”; you should replace it with char ssid[] = SECRET_SSID;. Make sure all these identifiers are in caps.
The Secret tab will be automatically created after adding a secret identifier in your .ino file, return here and fill the fields with the sensitive values.
Upload your sketch!