diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 048949f..f396361 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
 
 # Docker Postgres defaults
 DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/accesslayer
+APP_SECRET=your_32_character_long_secret_string_here
 
 GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=
 GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 9876cd4..0baef39 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ export const envSchema = z.object({
    DATABASE_URL: z
       .string()
       .min(1, 'DATABASE_URL is required in the environment variables'),
+   APP_SECRET: z
+      .string()
+      .min(32, 'APP_SECRET should be at least 32 characters')
+      .default('accesslayer_default_development_secret_key_32_bytes_long'),
 
    GMAIL_USER: z.string(),
    GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD: z.string(),
diff --git a/src/utils/cursor.utils.ts b/src/utils/cursor.utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89dd7b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/cursor.utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import crypto from 'crypto';
+import { Buffer } from 'node:buffer';
+import { envConfig } from '../config';
+
+/**
+ * Custom error class thrown when cursor validation fails.
+ */
+export class CursorChecksumError extends Error {
+   constructor(message: string = 'Invalid or tampered cursor checksum') {
+      super(message);
+      this.name = 'CursorChecksumError';
+   }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Generates an HMAC SHA-256 checksum for the given string payload.
+ *
+ * @param payload - The data string to checksum
+ * @returns A hex string representing the checksum
+ */
+export function generateCursorChecksum(payload: string): string {
+   const secret = envConfig.APP_SECRET;
+   return crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret).update(payload).digest('hex');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Encodes an object payload into a base64url string with an appended HMAC checksum.
+ * Format: `base64url(payload).checksum`
+ *
+ * @param payload - The object or string to encode into a cursor
+ * @returns The signed cursor string
+ */
+export function encodeCursor<T>(payload: T): string {
+   const payloadStr = JSON.stringify(payload);
+   const base64Payload = Buffer.from(payloadStr).toString('base64url');
+   const checksum = generateCursorChecksum(base64Payload);
+   
+   return `${base64Payload}.${checksum}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Decodes a cursor string, verifying its integrity via the appended checksum.
+ *
+ * @param cursor - The signed cursor string (e.g. `base64url.checksum`)
+ * @returns The decoded payload object
+ * @throws {CursorChecksumError} If the checksum is missing or invalid
+ */
+export function decodeCursor<T>(cursor: string): T {
+   if (!cursor || typeof cursor !== 'string') {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Cursor must be a provided string');
+   }
+
+   const parts = cursor.split('.');
+   if (parts.length !== 2) {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Invalid cursor format. Expected base64payload.checksum');
+   }
+
+   const [base64Payload, providedChecksum] = parts;
+   
+   if (!base64Payload || !providedChecksum) {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Cursor payload or checksum cannot be empty');
+   }
+   
+   const expectedChecksum = generateCursorChecksum(base64Payload);
+   
+   // Use timing-safe equal to prevent timing attacks comparing checksums
+   let expectedBuffer: Buffer;
+   let providedBuffer: Buffer;
+   
+   try {
+      expectedBuffer = Buffer.from(expectedChecksum, 'hex');
+      providedBuffer = Buffer.from(providedChecksum, 'hex');
+   } catch {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Invalid checksum format');
+   }
+   
+   if (
+      expectedBuffer.length !== providedBuffer.length ||
+      !crypto.timingSafeEqual(expectedBuffer, providedBuffer)
+   ) {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Cursor checksum mismatch');
+   }
+
+   let payloadStr: string;
+   try {
+      payloadStr = Buffer.from(base64Payload, 'base64url').toString('utf8');
+   } catch {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Failed to decode base64 payload');
+   }
+   
+   try {
+      return JSON.parse(payloadStr) as T;
+   } catch {
+      throw new CursorChecksumError('Failed to parse cursor JSON payload');
+   }
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/test/cursor.utils.test.ts b/src/utils/test/cursor.utils.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a32a848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/test/cursor.utils.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+jest.mock('../../config', () => ({
+   envConfig: {
+      APP_SECRET: 'test_secret_for_hmac_123456789012',
+   },
+}));
+
+import {
+   encodeCursor,
+   decodeCursor,
+   generateCursorChecksum,
+   CursorChecksumError,
+} from '../cursor.utils';
+
+describe('Cursor Utils', () => {
+   const samplePayload = { id: 'user_123', createdAt: '2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z' };
+
+   describe('generateCursorChecksum', () => {
+      it('should return a deterministic 64-character hex string for the same input', () => {
+         const checksum1 = generateCursorChecksum('test_payload');
+         const checksum2 = generateCursorChecksum('test_payload');
+         
+         expect(checksum1).toBe(checksum2);
+         expect(checksum1).toHaveLength(64);
+         expect(/^[0-9a-f]{64}$/.test(checksum1)).toBe(true);
+      });
+      
+      it('should return different checksums for different inputs', () => {
+         const checksum1 = generateCursorChecksum('test_payload_1');
+         const checksum2 = generateCursorChecksum('test_payload_2');
+         
+         expect(checksum1).not.toBe(checksum2);
+      });
+   });
+
+   describe('encodeCursor', () => {
+      it('should generate a cursor containing exactly one dot delimiter', () => {
+         const cursor = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         expect(cursor).toContain('.');
+         expect(cursor.split('.')).toHaveLength(2);
+      });
+
+      it('should generate consistent cursors for the same payload object', () => {
+         const cursor1 = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         const cursor2 = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         expect(cursor1).toBe(cursor2);
+      });
+   });
+
+   describe('decodeCursor', () => {
+      it('should correctly decode a valid cursor', () => {
+         const cursor = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         const decoded = decodeCursor<typeof samplePayload>(cursor);
+         expect(decoded).toEqual(samplePayload);
+      });
+
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError for invalid formats', () => {
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('not_a_valid_cursor')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('foo.bar.baz')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError when checksum is tampered', () => {
+         const cursor = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         const [payload, checksum] = cursor.split('.');
+         const tamperedChecksum = checksum.substring(0, 63) + (checksum.endsWith('a') ? 'b' : 'a');
+         const tamperedCursor = `${payload}.${tamperedChecksum}`;
+         
+         expect(() => decodeCursor(tamperedCursor)).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError when payload is tampered', () => {
+         const cursor = encodeCursor(samplePayload);
+         const [payload, checksum] = cursor.split('.');
+         // Change base64 by modifying a character
+         const tamperedPayload = payload.substring(0, payload.length - 1) + (payload.endsWith('a') ? 'b' : 'a');
+         const tamperedCursor = `${tamperedPayload}.${checksum}`;
+         
+         expect(() => decodeCursor(tamperedCursor)).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError for empty string inputs', () => {
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('.')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('payload.')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+         expect(() => decodeCursor('.checksum')).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+      
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError for invalid target typed primitives', () => {
+           
+          expect(() => decodeCursor(123 as any)).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+      
+      it('should throw CursorChecksumError for malformed JSON payload', () => {
+          const badJsonStr = 'bad_json_string';
+          const payload = Buffer.from(badJsonStr).toString('base64url');
+          const checksum = generateCursorChecksum(payload);
+          const cursor = `${payload}.${checksum}`;
+          
+          expect(() => decodeCursor(cursor)).toThrow(CursorChecksumError);
+      });
+   });
+});