Projects Authentikor: proving a document is really from who it says
Authentikor: proving a document is really from who it says
A verification token vault that lets anyone check an email, invoice or contract is genuine before they act on it.
- How long
- Since 2022
- My role
- Software ArchitectureUX / UI, Development, Q&A
- Kind of project
- New systemLarge project
The problem.
Scams and fraud increasingly arrive as convincing emails, invoices and contracts. The recipient has no easy way to check whether what they’ve received is genuine before they pay it or act on it.
What I built.
Authentikor generates a verification token, shown as a QR code, for a piece of content (an email, contract, invoice, credit note, order, flyer or business card). The recipient scans the code to confirm the content is real, before they trust it. Each business that signs up gets its own isolated database, so one client’s data is never mixed with another’s.
Who it’s for.
Small businesses get a simple SMTP router for their outgoing email. Larger businesses dealing with high email volumes get an SMTP gateway that plugs into exchange-type email systems. Both were built by me.
Where it stands.
Authentikor is a working product, built from scratch, that I own and operate. The core verification and multi-tenant system runs online today at authentikor.co.za.
Screens from the build.
For your technical person
Stack. JavaScript throughout: Node.js API, a Next.js and React front end with the React Context API and MaterialUI, and MongoDB. Deployed with Docker on Digital Ocean droplets with managed CI/CD, and endpoints tested in Postman.
Multi-tenancy. Each business that signs up is provisioned with its own isolated database, so one client's data is never mixed with another's.
Verification tokens. The platform issues a token for each piece of content, shown as a QR code that can be embedded in emails, contracts, invoices, credit notes, orders, flyers and business cards. The platform is also the vault that holds the tokens, so a recipient's scan checks against the original record.
Email services. Two mail services, both built in-house on the SMTP and IMAP protocols: an SMTP router for smaller senders, and an SMTP gateway for exchange-type email systems handling higher volume.
Security. User authentication, server-to-server authentication, and a unique API key for each user.
Packages. White labelling, deployment on the client's own server, and custom feature requests.
Roles and timeline. Software architecture, UX/UI, development, QA, support, product ownership, project management and marketing. Started November 2022, ongoing.
Related work.
The service behind this project
Rescue a fragile or failing systemReview the security risk in an AI-built appRunning into the same problem? Tell me about yours.
+27 87 150 9305Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 20:00 SAST. Or email info@antondevilliers.com.