NSUserDefaults category for iOS and Mac OS X with additional methods to securely save data using strong AES encryption.
NSUserDefaults is a great way to store simple data in a persistent way. However, information is stored unencrypted and can easily be read by human beings (e.g. with iExplorer). If you want particular information to be stored in a secure way, making it really hard for users to see the actual content, SecureNSUserDefaults might be what you're looking for.
I highly recommend you to use CocoaPods for installing this category.
pod 'SecureNSUserDefaults', '~> 1.0.1'
Import the header file everywhere you want to use SecureNSUserDefaults by placing te following code in the top of your file:
#import <SecureNSUserDefaults/NSUserDefaults+SecureAdditions.h>
Before SecureNSUserDefaults can be used to get/save encrypted data, make sure to set a secret secret:
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setSecret:@"your_secret_goes_here"];
Never store the secret somewhere on your file system or in your user preferences but instead put it somewhere static in your code. Preferably use a salt string in combination with something device specific.
Storing information is as easy as always. Prefix the normal NSUserDefaults methods with secret and your good to go. For example:
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setSecretObject:@"something_only_you_may_know" forKey:@"the_key"];
All available methods:
- (void)setSecretBool:(BOOL)value forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (void)setSecretFloat:(float)value forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (void)setSecretInteger:(NSInteger)value forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (void)setSecretDouble:(double)value forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (void)setSecretURL:(NSURL *)url forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (void)setSecretObject:(id)value forKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
Getting information works in the say way:
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] secretStringForKey:@"the_key"];
All available methods:
- (BOOL)secretBoolForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSData*)secretDataForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSDictionary*)secretDictionaryForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (float)secretFloatForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSInteger)secretIntegerForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSArray *)secretStringArrayForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSString *)secretStringForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (double)secretDoubleForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (NSURL*)secretURLForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
- (id)secretObjectForKey:(NSString *)defaultName;
Note that if the key does not exist or the data could not be decrypted, either NO, 0 or nil is returned.
The class SecureNSUserDefaultsTests contains multiple test cases. Clone the entire Xcode project and run the tests to see if everything still works.
If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me via Twitter.
Copyright (c) 2016 Niels Mouthaan
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