SecureChat Dashboard

A core Java cybersecurity-themed chat application demonstrating secure client-server communication using AES encryption and socket programming. No external libraries are used.

Features

• AES Encryption: All messages are encrypted before transmission and decrypted upon reception.
• Socket Programming: Multi-threaded server supporting multiple clients concurrently.
• Authentication: Fundamental server-side validation using a shared secret code.
• Unified Dashboard: Swing-based UI allowing you to easily act as a Server, Client, or monitor the status.
• Live Logging: Real-time audit trails of user connections, raw encrypted payloads, and decrypted contents for demonstration.

Structure

• MainDashboard.java: The primary UI structure and entry point.
• ChatServer.java & ClientHandler.java: Manage incoming connections and broadcasting.
• ChatClient.java: Handles the socket connection, outgoing text, and listener threads for the client.
• CryptoUtils.java: Implements AES 128-bit encryption standard using Java Cryptography.
• LoggerUtil.java: Thread-safe logger outputting to file and dashboard.

Running the Application

1. Simply double-click run.bat on Windows. This will compile the code and start the Dashboard.
2. In the Security Settings tab, ensure your Auth Code and AES keys are set.
3. In the Server Control tab, start the server on your desired port.
4. Launch another instance via run.bat (or use the Client Chat tab) to connect to 127.0.0.1.
5. Messages are sent securely. Verify the encryption in the System Logs tab!