Do this first (this week)

Mission: FLASH is the first line of privacy protection while AI is built. Who is responsible.

By default flash-zk is strong. You can weaken it. It stays strong if you keep the key and do not use the knobs below.

On 1.3.x a few switches still exist that weaken the model. Use none of them. They are going away. Do the list below before new features.

1. Seal the master key today

Do not put secretKey in source, in npm, or in chat logs.

bash

npm install flash-zk
flashsh wrap-key
echo ".flash-wrap" >> .gitignore

File	Commit?
`.flash-take`	Yes — sealed master (`FLASHTAKE1`)
`.flash-wrap`	Never — this unwraps the master

javascript

import { FlashClient } from "flash-zk";

const client = new FlashClient({
  storagePath: "./flash_data",
});

If you still pass secretKey, keep it in a secret manager or env — never hardcoded. Prefer wrap files.

These are valid on 1.3.x and wrong for production. Stop using them now so a later engine release does not break you.

Stop	Use instead
`allowPlaintextFields: true`	Encrypted fields only
`fieldPolicy: { …: "plaintext" }`	`"encrypted"` · `"exact"` · `"searchable"` · `"counter"`
`engineOptions: { disableMerkle: true }`	Leave Merkle on
`performanceProfile: "turbo"` with Merkle off	`turbo` is throughput only — set `disableMerkle: false` until the default changes
Binding `0.0.0.0` without `allowPublicBind`	Bind localhost, or set `allowPublicBind: true` only if you mean a public daemon + strong `authKey`

FLASH will refuse these knobs. Migrating this week is cheaper than migrating on the cut. The full list of planned raises: Security ahead.

Minimum 16 bytes, not changeme / secret / password.

Weak values already fail closed. Do not look for a bypass.

FLASH cannot decrypt without you. That is the point. It also means:

Whoever can read .flash-wrap or the process memory can read data.
The Intelligence Console is a local keyholder, not a blind remote admin.
Searchable indexes still leak patterns (trapdoors, ranges). Design as if an observer sees structure, not plaintext.

Full limits: Trust Model.

Do not wait for a post-quantum rename, ORAM, or an external audit before doing the four items above.

Do not add a server-side decrypt “for ops.” That is a backdoor. Query and SQL stay on FlashClient.

Do not invent a second encryption layer on the daemon. The engine is already blind; a second key on the server undoes it.

Mission & responsibility — first-line privacy while AI is created; your real job
Security ahead — what FLASH will tighten next; no surprise
Getting Started — Private RAG, agent memory, vault in five minutes
What's New in 1.3.1 — this release is docs only; no extra code
Trust Model & Audit Roadmap