Encryptobot - SAMA

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Inspiration

Encryptobot was inspired by our own experiences in hackathons and collaborative online spaces where sensitive information is frequently shared through Discord. During fast-paced development, API keys, access tokens, passwords, and emails connected to paid AI subscriptions are often pasted into public channels or direct messages with the intention of being temporary. However, these messages are easily forgotten, left behind in chat histories, or shared across multiple servers and channels. Every member of our team has personally experienced data breaches or account compromises, which made us more aware of how casually sensitive data is handled in digital environments. While users may understand the risks, there are few tools that actively protect them at the moment a mistake occurs. We saw an opportunity to build something that supports safer behavior without relying entirely on user memory or constant vigilance. We wanted to explore how technology can protect personal data, promote digital autonomy, and improve everyday online safety in spaces where people collaborate and communicate daily.

What it does

Encryptobot is a Discord bot designed to prevent accidental exposure of sensitive information while still allowing users to share it intentionally when necessary. When a message contains passwords, API keys, or private tokens, the bot automatically obscures the sensitive content and converts the message into a locked format. To access the information, the intended recipient must correctly answer a user-defined verification question. Once unlocked, the message remains available for a limited time and is automatically deleted after fifteen minutes. This ensures that sensitive data is never permanently stored in chat history and is only visible to the correct person for a short window. By combining automatic detection with controlled access, Encryptobot gives users greater control over how their data is shared without interrupting natural communication.

How we built it

We built EncryptoBot using JavaScript and the official Discord developer tools. Since this was our first time building a Discord application, we followed Discord’s documentation closely and used the official example bot as a foundation. This helped us understand how to create a bot, manage events, and interact with messages in real time. Throughout development, we focused on building a system that integrates seamlessly into Discord servers while prioritizing user privacy and ease of use.

Challenges we ran into

At the beginning of the project, we struggled to clearly define the scope of our idea. Our early concepts consisted of small features without a strong central problem. Once we focused on preventing accidental data leaks in Discord, the direction of the project became much clearer. The biggest challenge was learning how to build and deploy a Discord bot from scratch! Understanding permissions, event handling, and message processing took lots of time, but overcoming these challenges was a major learning experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are incredibly proud of ourselves for building a functional Discord bot despite it being our first experience working with the Discord platform. More importantly, we created a tool that addresses a real problem we have personally encountered and would genuinely use in our own day-to-day online interactions. The project represents effective teamwork, problem-solving, and thoughtful design around digital safety.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned how to navigate the Discord Developer Portal, integrate a bot into live servers, and build an event-driven application. We also gained a deeper understanding of how small design decisions can have a meaningful impact on user safety and privacy in digital spaces.

What's next for Encryptobot - SAMA

In the future, we would like to expand Encryptobot by adding a scanning feature that reviews older channels, messages, and servers to identify previously shared API keys, passwords, or usernames. This would allow users and server administrators to address past security risks, not just future ones. Our long-term goal is to make Encryptobot a passive safety layer that protects users even when they are not actively thinking about security.