diff --git a/.github/actions/setup/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
index 497af8b..3c5aca5 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ runs:
               export-variables: true
               keys-case: bypass
         - name: Install Node
-          uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+          uses: actions/setup-node@v6
           with:
               node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
               registry-url: ${{ env.NPM_REGISTRY }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 17c7c1d..e1c39da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
             matrix: ${{ steps.matrix.outputs.result }}
         steps:
             - name: Checkout Code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              uses: actions/checkout@v5
               with:
                   ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
             - name: Setup Neon Environment
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
             contents: write
         steps:
             - name: Checkout Code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              uses: actions/checkout@v5
               with:
                   ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
             - name: Setup Neon Environment
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ jobs:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         steps:
             - name: Checkout Code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              uses: actions/checkout@v5
               with:
                   ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
             - name: Setup Neon Environment
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 4fc4b6c..d7809ed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -8,32 +8,8 @@ on:
             - "v*"
 
 jobs:
-    setup:
-        name: Setup
-        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        steps:
-            - id: publish
-              name: Validate Publish Event
-              shell: bash
-              env:
-                  NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
-              run: |
-                  if [[ -z $NPM_TOKEN ]]; then
-                    echo "::error::Secret NPM_TOKEN is not defined for this GitHub repo."
-                    echo "::error::To publish to npm, this action requires:"
-                    echo "::error:: • an npm access token;"
-                    echo "::error:: • with Read-Write access to this project's npm packages;"
-                    echo "::error:: • stored as a repo secret named NPM_TOKEN."
-                    echo "::error::See https://docs.npmjs.com/about-access-tokens for info about creating npm tokens."
-                    echo "::error:: 💡 The simplest method is to create a Classic npm token of type Automation."
-                    echo "::error:: 💡 For greater security, consider using a Granual access token."
-                    echo "::error::See https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/using-secrets-in-github-actions for info about how to store GitHub repo secrets."
-                    exit 1
-                  fi
-
     build:
         name: Build
-        needs: [setup]
         permissions:
             contents: write
         uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -45,14 +21,14 @@ jobs:
 
     publish:
         name: Publish
-        needs: [setup, build]
+        needs: [build]
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         permissions:
             contents: write
             id-token: write
         steps:
             - name: Checkout Code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              uses: actions/checkout@v5
             - name: Setup Neon Environment
               uses: ./.github/actions/setup
               with:
@@ -65,8 +41,6 @@ jobs:
                   out-file-path: ./dist
             - name: Publish
               shell: bash
-              env:
-                  NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
               run: |
                   for p in ./dist/*.tgz ; do
                     npm publish --provenance --access public $p
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 7a170bd..29b7a11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         steps:
             - name: Checkout Code
-              uses: actions/checkout@v4
+              uses: actions/checkout@v5
             - name: Setup Neon Environment
               id: neon
               uses: ./.github/actions/setup
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index aceea39..1c993be 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@nmshd/rs-crypto-node",
-  "version": "0.16.0",
+  "version": "0.16.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@nmshd/rs-crypto-node",
-      "version": "0.16.0",
+      "version": "0.16.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@neon-rs/load": "^0.1.73",
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-UlLAnTPrFdNGoFtbSXwcGFQBtQZJCNjaN6hQNP3UPvuNXT1i82N26KL3dZeIpNalWywr9IuQuncaAfUaS1g6sQ==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@ampproject/remapping": "^2.2.0",
         "@babel/code-frame": "^7.27.1",
@@ -1648,6 +1649,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/node/-/node-20.19.10.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-iAFpG6DokED3roLSP0K+ybeDdIX6Bc0Vd3mLW5uDqThPWtNos3E+EqOM11mPQHKzfWHqEBuLjIlsBQQ8CsISmQ==",
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "undici-types": "~6.21.0"
       }
@@ -1722,6 +1724,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-g3WpVQHngx0aLXn6kfIYCZxM6rRJlWzEkVpqEFLT3SgEDsp9cpCbxxgwnE504q4H+ruSDh/VGS6nqZIDynP+vg==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@typescript-eslint/scope-manager": "8.39.0",
         "@typescript-eslint/types": "8.39.0",
@@ -1953,6 +1956,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-NZyJarBfL7nWwIq+FDL6Zp/yHEhePMNnnJ0y3qfieCrmNvYct8uvtiV41UvlSe6apAfk0fY1FbWx+NwfmpvtTg==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "acorn": "bin/acorn"
       },
@@ -2251,6 +2255,7 @@
         }
       ],
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "caniuse-lite": "^1.0.30001733",
         "electron-to-chromium": "^1.5.199",
@@ -2763,6 +2768,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-TS9bTNIryDzStCpJN93aC5VRSW3uTx9sClUn4B87pwiCaJh220otoI0X8mJKr+VcPtniMdN8GKjlwgWGUv5ZKA==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@eslint-community/eslint-utils": "^4.2.0",
         "@eslint-community/regexpp": "^4.12.1",
@@ -3680,6 +3686,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-NIy3oAFp9shda19hy4HK0HRTWKtPJmGdnvywu01nOqNC2vZg+Z+fvJDxpMQA88eb2I9EcafcdjYgsDthnYTvGw==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@jest/core": "^29.7.0",
         "@jest/types": "^29.6.3",
@@ -4276,6 +4283,7 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-twQoecYPiVA5K/h6SxtORw/Bs3ar+mLUtoPSc7iMXzQzK8d7eJ/R09wmTwAjiamETn1cXYPGfNnu7DMoHgu12w==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "jiti": "lib/jiti-cli.mjs"
       }
@@ -5668,6 +5676,7 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/typescript/-/typescript-5.8.3.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-p1diW6TqL9L07nNxvRMM7hMMw4c5XOo/1ibL4aAIGmSAt9slTE1Xgw5KWuof2uTOvCg9BY7ZRi+GaF+7sfgPeQ==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "peer": true,
       "bin": {
         "tsc": "bin/tsc",
         "tsserver": "bin/tsserver"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ec1c9ed..a1e4238 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@nmshd/rs-crypto-node",
-  "version": "0.16.0",
+  "version": "0.16.1",
   "description": "Node.js Addon providing TypeScript bindings for rust-crypto (crypto-layer).",
   "homepage": "https://enmeshed.eu",
   "repository": "github:nmshd/crypto-layer-node",