AntAI Payroll

Your data stays yours

Salary data is some of the most private data a business holds. AntAI Payroll keeps it on your own PC, encrypted. Here is what that means, in plain words, and what you should do too.

Encrypted database

Everything is stored in a database encrypted with AES-256 (SQLCipher). If someone copies the file, it looks like random bytes. Without a password or the recovery key, it cannot be read.

Your password is never stored

Your password unlocks the key to the database. It is protected with Argon2id, a slow, modern method that makes guessing hard. There is no password hash inside the database. After 5 wrong attempts, the user is locked.

Recovery key

At setup you get a one-time recovery key. If you forget your password, the recovery key lets you set a new one. Print it, keep it in a safe, and never store it on the same PC.

Encrypted backups

A backup is made each day you sign in, and before you lock a payroll month or import data. Each backup is encrypted and checked after it is written. A changed backup file is detected and refused.

Audit trail

Every change is recorded: who, when, and the old and new values. Entries cannot be edited or deleted, and each one is chained to the one before. Settings > Audit > Verify audit chain shows if anything was tampered with.

Masked logs

The app's log files hide PAN, bank account numbers, Aadhaar, UAN and contact details. Since version 1.2.7 salaries and all money amounts are hidden too.

Locked months and payslips

Once a month is locked or paid, its payslips cannot be changed. PDF payslips are protected with a password made from PAN and date of birth.

Auto-lock

The app locks itself after 5 minutes without use (you can change this). Press Ctrl + L to lock it when you leave your desk.

Your data is never sent to AntAI

Employee records, salaries, PAN, bank details, your database, passwords and your recovery key never leave your PC. AntAI cannot read your payroll data. There is no back door.

The app goes online only for a short licence check and to look for updates. The privacy policy lists exactly what those checks send.

No back door means no rescue. If you lose your password and your recovery key, and no other user can sign in, your data cannot be recovered. Not even by us. Keep the recovery key safe.

What the app does not protect

We want you to know the limits, so you can cover them.

  • Files you export are not encrypted. This includes Excel registers, the bank file (with full account numbers), the PF ECR file and the full data export.
  • Log files are not encrypted. Sensitive values are masked, but employee names and IDs appear.
  • There are no user roles yet. Every user can see and change everything.
  • A backup file can only be restored inside the same data folder setup. To move to a new PC, you also need a full copy of the data folder.
  • Backups are made only on days the app is opened. If the backup drive is missing, the backup goes to the PC's own disk.
  • Encryption does not stop ransomware. Only an offline copy helps.

What you should do

  1. Turn on BitLocker (or Device Encryption) in Windows for the drive with your data, and for any backup drive. This also protects exports and logs.
  2. Write the recovery key on paper at setup and keep it in a safe or with the owner. Delete any text file copy.
  3. Give each HR person their own user in the app and their own Windows account. Use long passwords (at least 10 characters).
  4. Keep an offline backup copy. Each month, after payroll is locked, close the app and copy the whole data folder to an encrypted external drive. Unplug it and keep it away from the PC. Two drives in turn, one off-site, is better.
  5. Point backups to another drive in Settings > Backup, and check after each payroll that the latest backup shows as verified.
  6. Treat exports as sensitive. Delete bank files and full exports after use. Do not e-mail them unencrypted; use your bank's secure portal.
  7. Keep Windows and Microsoft Defender up to date. Do not give HR users administrator rights.
  8. Make sure every employee has PAN and date of birth recorded, so their payslip PDFs are password-protected.
  9. Verify the audit chain once a month in Settings > Audit.
  10. Test a restore twice a year into an empty folder.
  11. Before you retire or reformat a PC, use Settings > Subscription > Deactivate to free its licence.