diff --git a/back/cmd.go b/back/cmd.go
index cb15c49..16be1eb 100644
--- a/back/cmd.go
+++ b/back/cmd.go
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+
+	"github.com/rwinkhart/go-boilerplate/security"
 )
 
-// WriteToStdin is a utility function that writes a string to a command's stdin.
-func WriteToStdin(cmd *exec.Cmd, input string) error {
+// WriteToStdin is a utility function that writes a byte slice to a command's stdin.
+func WriteToStdinAndZeroizeInput(cmd *exec.Cmd, input []byte) error {
 	stdin, err := cmd.StdinPipe()
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.New("unable to access stdin for system command: " + err.Error())
@@ -18,16 +20,17 @@ func WriteToStdin(cmd *exec.Cmd, input string) error {
 		defer func(stdin io.WriteCloser) {
 			_ = stdin.Close() // error ignored; if stdin could be accessed, it can probably be closed
 		}(stdin)
-		_, _ = io.WriteString(stdin, input)
+		_, _ = stdin.Write(input)
+		security.ZeroizeBytes(input)
 	}()
 	return nil
 }
 
-// ReadFromStdin is a utility function that reads a string from stdin.
-func ReadFromStdin() string {
+// ReadFromStdin is a utility function that reads a byte slice from stdin.
+func ReadFromStdin() []byte {
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
 	if scanner.Scan() {
-		return scanner.Text()
+		return scanner.Bytes()
 	}
-	return ""
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/back/security.go b/back/security.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 49bd416..0000000
--- a/back/security.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-package back
-
-// EraseBytesSecurely overwrites all
-// bytes in a slice with zeros.
-func EraseBytesSecurely(input []byte) {
-	for i := range input {
-		input[i] = 0
-	}
-}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 3583b19..52263bc 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module github.com/rwinkhart/go-boilerplate
 
-go 1.25.6
+go 1.25.7
 
-require golang.org/x/term v0.39.0
+require golang.org/x/term v0.40.0
 
-require golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0 // indirect
+require golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a4e0649..64c0afa 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0 h1:DBZZqJ2Rkml6QMQsZywtnjnnGvHza6BTfYFWY9kjEWQ=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0/go.mod h1:OgkHotnGiDImocRcuBABYBEXf8A9a87e/uXjp9XT3ks=
-golang.org/x/term v0.39.0 h1:RclSuaJf32jOqZz74CkPA9qFuVTX7vhLlpfj/IGWlqY=
-golang.org/x/term v0.39.0/go.mod h1:yxzUCTP/U+FzoxfdKmLaA0RV1WgE0VY7hXBwKtY/4ww=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0 h1:Ivj+2Cp/ylzLiEU89QhWblYnOE9zerudt9Ftecq2C6k=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.41.0/go.mod h1:OgkHotnGiDImocRcuBABYBEXf8A9a87e/uXjp9XT3ks=
+golang.org/x/term v0.40.0 h1:36e4zGLqU4yhjlmxEaagx2KuYbJq3EwY8K943ZsHcvg=
+golang.org/x/term v0.40.0/go.mod h1:w2P8uVp06p2iyKKuvXIm7N/y0UCRt3UfJTfZ7oOpglM=
diff --git a/stringy/gen.go b/security/gen.go
similarity index 70%
rename from stringy/gen.go
rename to security/gen.go
index fee0e93..9d1410d 100644
--- a/stringy/gen.go
+++ b/security/gen.go
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
-package stringy
+package security
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"math/big"
-	"strings"
 )
 
-// StringGen generates a random string of a specified length and complexity.
-// Requires: complexity (minimum percentage of special characters to be returned in the generated string; set to 0 to generate a simple string),
+// BytesGen generates a random byte slice of a specified length and complexity.
+// Requires: complexity (minimum percentage of special characters to be returned in the generated output; set to 0 for a "simple" result),
 // complexCharsetLevel (1 = safe for filenames, 2 = safe for most password entries, 3 = safe only for well-made password entries)
-func StringGen(length int, complexity float64, complexCharsetLevel uint8) string {
-	var actualSpecialChars int // track the number of special characters in the generated string
+func BytesGen(length int, complexity float64, complexCharsetLevel uint8) []byte {
+	var actualSpecialChars int // track the number of special characters in the generated output
 	var minSpecialChars int    // track the minimum number of special characters to accept
-	var extendedCharset string // additions to character set used for complex strings
+	var extendedCharset string // additions to character set used for complex outputs
 
 	charset := "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789" // default character set used for all strings
 	const extendedCharsetFiles = "!#$%&+,-.;=@_~^()[]{}`'"                      // additional special characters for complex strings (safe in file names)
@@ -34,34 +34,34 @@ func StringGen(length int, complexity float64, complexCharsetLevel uint8) string
 		charset += extendedCharset
 	}
 
-	// loop until a string of the desired complexity is generated
+	// loop until a byte slice of the desired complexity is generated
 	for {
-		// generate a random string
+		// generate a random output
 		result := make([]byte, length)
 		for i := range result {
 			val, _ := rand.Int(rand.Reader, big.NewInt(int64(len(charset))))
 			result[i] = charset[val.Int64()]
 		}
 
-		// return early if the string is not complex
+		// return early if the desired output is not complex
 		if complexity <= 0 {
-			return string(result)
+			return result
 		}
 
-		// count the number of special characters in the generated string
-		for _, char := range string(result) {
-			if strings.ContainsRune(extendedCharset, char) {
+		// count the number of special characters in the generated output
+		for i := range result {
+			if bytes.Contains([]byte(extendedCharset), []byte{result[i]}) {
 				actualSpecialChars++
 			}
 		}
 
-		// return the generated string if it contains enough special characters
+		// return the generated output if it contains enough special characters
 		if actualSpecialChars >= minSpecialChars {
-			return string(result)
+			return result
 		}
 
 		// reset special character counter
-		fmt.Println("Regenerating string until desired complexity is achieved...")
+		fmt.Println("Regenerating output until desired complexity is achieved...")
 		actualSpecialChars = 0
 	}
 }
diff --git a/security/security.go b/security/security.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1d4b04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/security/security.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package security
+
+// ZeroizeBytes overwrites all
+// bytes in a slice with zeros.
+func ZeroizeBytes(input []byte) {
+	for i := range input {
+		input[i] = 0
+	}
+}