I am planning a healthcare-related project using Flutter (AI apps) that processes sensitive medical data locally to ensure privacy. However, I am worried about the security of the local database. If the AI model resides on the device and processes data through sqflite, what extra layers of encryption should I implement to prevent data leaks if the phone is stolen or compromised?
3 answers
Security is paramount for healthcare Flutter (AI apps). You should never use standard sqflite for sensitive data. Instead, use SQLCipher to encrypt the entire database file. For storing the encryption keys, use the flutter_secure_storage package, which utilizes Keychain on iOS and Keystore on Android to ensure keys aren't easily accessible. Additionally, ensure your AI model itself doesn't "leak" training data; use differential privacy techniques during training if possible. Lastly, disable screen captures and implement biometric authentication (FaceID/Fingerprint) before the user can access the AI features.
Will you also be encrypting the .tflite model file itself? In some Flutter (AI apps), the model itself is considered proprietary intellectual property.
Don't forget to use flutter_jailbreak_detection to prevent your Flutter (AI apps) from running on compromised devices where encryption might be bypassed.
Excellent suggestion, Ronald. It's an often overlooked layer that adds a necessary "gatekeeper" for any high-security mobile application.
Kenneth, encrypting the model file is a bit trickier because the TFLite interpreter needs a raw file path or a byte buffer. In Flutter (AI apps), you can store the model as an encrypted blob, decrypt it into memory at runtime, and then initialize the interpreter from that buffer. This prevents someone from just grabbing your model from the assets folder.