diff --git a/src/Controller/EncryptionController.php b/src/Controller/EncryptionController.php
index 826e385..404d65f 100644
--- a/src/Controller/EncryptionController.php
+++ b/src/Controller/EncryptionController.php
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@ class EncryptionController
      */
     function safeEncrypt(string $message, string $key): string
     {
+        $binKey = sodium_hex2bin(string: $key);
         $nonce = random_bytes(length: SODIUM_CRYPTO_SECRETBOX_NONCEBYTES);
 
-        $cipher = base64_encode(string: $nonce . sodium_crypto_secretbox(message: $message, nonce: $nonce, key: $key));
+        $cipher = base64_encode(string: $nonce . sodium_crypto_secretbox(message: $message, nonce: $nonce, key: $binKey));
         sodium_memzero(string: $message);
         sodium_memzero(string: $key);
+        sodium_memzero(string: $binKey);
         return $cipher;
     }
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ class EncryptionController
 
         $plain = sodium_crypto_secretbox_open(ciphertext: $ciphertext, nonce: $nonce, key: $binKey);
         if ($plain === false) {
-            throw new Exception(message: 'The message was tampered with in transit');
+            throw new Exception(message: ' Incorrect key.');
         }
         sodium_memzero(string: $ciphertext);
         sodium_memzero(string: $key);