SecureChat is a desktop-based messaging application designed to enable secure and real-time communication between users within a controlled network.
In many modern systems, messaging relies heavily on cloud infrastructure, which abstracts core networking concepts and introduces privacy concerns.
💡 SecureChat addresses this by providing a locally hosted, socket-based communication platform focused on learning and security.
- Send and receive messages in real time
- Connect to server using IP and port
- View messages with username and timestamp
- Communicate with multiple users simultaneously
- Multi-client communication
- Message broadcasting to all connected clients
- Stable TCP/IP socket-based data transmission
- Basic encryption using Diffie-Hellman key exchange
- Controlled communication within a local network
- Messaging systems rely heavily on cloud infrastructure
- Core networking concepts are often hidden from learners
- Many platforms raise privacy concerns
- Beginners lack hands-on exposure to socket programming
👉 SecureChat provides a simple, educational, and secure alternative.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| 💻 Language | C++ |
| 🌐 Networking | TCP/IP Sockets |
| 🎨 GUI | Qt Framework |
| 🗄️ Database | SQLite (optional) |
| 🏛️ Architecture | Client-Server |
SecureChat follows a client-server architecture:
- Client Module → Sends and receives messages
- Server Module → Handles connections and broadcasts messages
- Communication Layer → TCP socket-based data exchange
✔️ Simple
✔️ Efficient
✔️ Educational
- Client-server connection using IP and port
- Real-time message transmission
- Multi-user chat handling
- Message broadcasting system
- GUI-based interaction using Qt
- Basic cryptographic key exchange
Understanding how communication systems work at a low level is essential for every computer engineer.
SecureChat is designed to:
- Provide hands-on experience with socket programming
- Demonstrate real-time communication systems
- Explore basic security mechanisms
- Bridge the gap between theory and implementation
- Desktop-based application
- Operates within a local network (LAN)
- Focused on educational and experimental use
- Lightweight and easy to deploy
- Better understanding of networking fundamentals
- Practical exposure to client-server systems
- Improved knowledge of secure communication
- Strong foundation for advanced distributed systems
- Works only within local network
- Limited security implementation (basic encryption)
- No multimedia/file sharing support
- No cloud or internet-based communication
- 🔒 End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)
- 🌐 Internet-based communication support
- 👥 Group chat and private messaging
- 📁 File and media sharing
- 🔔 Advanced notification system
- Maniraj Baral (26)
- Genius Bhandari (34)
- Aayush Bist (43)
- Prajwal Chamlagain (45)
- Pratish Chaudhary (49)
Kathmandu University
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
- 📘 Course: ENGG 102
- 🎓 Program: Computer Engineering
- 📆 Semester: Year I / Semester II
SecureChat is more than just a chat application — it is a hands-on exploration of how machines communicate, exchange data, and build trust over networks.