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@article{195762,
        author = {Kartik Parihar and Nandini Gaur and Geetanshi Singh and Anushka Srivastava and Vansh Thakur},
        title = {Secure File Management System Using AES-256 Encryption and SHA-256 Authentication},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {1939-1945},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=195762},
        abstract = {The exponential growth of digital data has intensified the need for robust file security mechanisms on personal and enterprise computing systems. Conventional file storage methods offer insufficient protection against unauthorized access, data breaches, and insider threats. This paper presents the design and implementation of a Secure File Management System (SFMS)— a desktop application developed in Python that integrates Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption and SHA-256 cryptographic hashing to provide end-to-end file confidentiality and user authentication. The system enables authenticated users to securely encrypt, decrypt, store, and organize files on their local machine. AES in CBC (Cipher Block Chaining) mode ensures strong symmetric encryption of file contents, while SHA-256 hashing safeguards user credentials against compromise. The proposed system is evaluated in terms of security strength, encryption throughput, and usability. Results demonstrate that SFMS provides a computationally efficient and practically deployable solution for secure file management, outperforming traditional storage methods in confidentiality, integrity, and access control. This work contributes a lightweight yet cryptographically sound approach suitable for individual users and small organizations.},
        keywords = {AES Encryption, SHA-256 Hashing, File Security, Cryptography, Python, Secure Storage, Access Control},
        month = {April},
        }