diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index bf3c7f6..9ce1904 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Go
       uses: actions/setup-go@v2
       with:
-        go-version: 1.17
+        go-version: 1.23
 
     - name: Build
       run: go build -v ./...
 
     - name: Test
       run: go test -v ./...
+      env:
+        CGO_ENABLED: "0"
   
   build_windows:
     runs-on: windows-latest
@@ -32,10 +34,12 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Go
       uses: actions/setup-go@v2
       with:
-        go-version: 1.17
+        go-version: 1.23
 
     - name: Build
       run: go build -v ./...
 
     - name: Test
       run: go test -v ./...
+      env:
+        CGO_ENABLED: "0"
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4cb344e..95225ea 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ vmextension/testdir/
 vendor/
 pkg/utils/configTemp/
 pkg/utils/downloadTemp/
+pkg/settings/testdir/
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aea389
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "go.testEnvVars": {
+        "CGO_ENABLED": "0"
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pkg/encrypt/encrypt_windows.go b/pkg/encrypt/encrypt_windows.go
index e6faf95..1175189 100644
--- a/pkg/encrypt/encrypt_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/encrypt/encrypt_windows.go
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ package encrypt
 import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/Azure/azure-extension-platform/pkg/internal/crypto"
-	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 	"syscall"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/Azure/azure-extension-platform/pkg/internal/crypto"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ func (cHandler *certHandler) GetThumbprint() (certThumbprint string, err error)
 
 func (cHandler *certHandler) Encrypt(bytesToEncrypt []byte) (encryptedBytes []byte, err error) {
 	alg := szOID_RSA_RC4
-	buffer := []byte(alg)
+	buffer := append([]byte(alg), 0) // null-terminate for the C API
 	procCryptEncryptMessage := crypto.Modcrypt32.NewProc("CryptEncryptMessage")
 	cai := crypto.CryptAlgorithmIdentifier{
 		PszObjID: uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&buffer[0])),