Secure File Encryption using AES with Password Protection

In today’s digital age, the importance of data con- fidentiality and integrity cannot be overstated. With the ever- growing reliance on cloud storage, file sharing, and personal computing, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access is critical. This paper introduces a file encryption system that leverages the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algo- rithm combined with password-based authentication to safeguard user files. Developed using Python, the tool offers a graphical user interface (GUI) for easy interaction, enabling users to encrypt or decrypt files using a user-specified password. The system hashes the password to derive a secure encryption key, ensuring that the key is never stored or transmitted in plaintext. Through extensive testing, the application demonstrates robust performance across a range of file types and sizes, offering a secure yet accessible solution for everyday data protection needs.