diff --git a/.talismanrc b/.talismanrc
index 017012b..b68c614 100644
--- a/.talismanrc
+++ b/.talismanrc
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
 fileignoreconfig:
-- filename: sftp/ssh/key_without_passphrase.pub
-  checksum: 50e2a352407045a8ae28b9b53f2412d393f5697254dd1d3f26e41050f8186f23
-- filename: sftp/ssh/key_with_passphrase.pub
-  checksum: 39a2a36d4416dfb4df9f479d106d83fa45a12026140e945f1e279be5a983e4d7
-- filename: sftp/ssh/key_without_passphrase
-  checksum: 46831ea158a93518214983659d2d0991d9ca6da76f9e5428b749ce0fde031bde
-- filename: sftp/ssh/key_with_passphrase
-  checksum: 6714cc1a10ad23ebc8b65290ac93e9996664ae4e1416094c57da90f32d75cf8d
-- filename: sftp/docker-compose.yml
-  checksum: a320313a0715a649b1bf4c8db3e4cf45c2cdc9d5cbab154a4252b1d33ed8063c
+- filename: pkg/config/config.go
+  checksum: 3d4547bb16555a9afb9277fa6d475c97f295d69b2eb9f000c9d89501f90f8c8c
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 383a887..688b1f7 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/arunvelsriram/sftp-exporter/pkg/config"
@@ -28,7 +29,8 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func Execute() {
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
-		log.WithFields(log.Fields{"event": "executing command"}).Fatal(err)
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -79,10 +81,7 @@ func initConfig() {
 
 	var err error
 	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
-	cfg, err = config.LoadConfig(fs)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	cfg = config.MustLoadConfig(fs)
 
 	log.SetFormatter(&log.TextFormatter{
 		FullTimestamp: true,
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index c2b7322..42405cd 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type Config interface {
 	GetSFTPPass() string
 	GetSFTPKey() []byte
 	GetSFTPKeyFile() string
-	GetSFTPKeyPassphrase() string
+	GetSFTPKeyPassphrase() []byte
 }
 
 type sftpExporterConfig struct {
@@ -40,32 +40,53 @@ type sftpExporterConfig struct {
 	SFTPConfig  sftpConfig
 }
 
-func resolveKey(encodedKey, keyfile string, fs afero.Fs) (sftpKey []byte, err error) {
-	if utils.IsNotEmpty(encodedKey) && utils.IsNotEmpty(keyfile) {
-		return sftpKey, fmt.Errorf("only one of key or keyfile should be specified")
-	}
+func mustResolveKey(encodedKey, keyFile string, fs afero.Fs) []byte {
+	mustValidateKeySource(encodedKey, keyFile)
 
+	var sftpKey []byte
+	var err error
 	if utils.IsNotEmpty(encodedKey) {
 		sftpKey, err = base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(encodedKey)
-		if err != nil {
-			return sftpKey, err
-		}
-	} else if utils.IsNotEmpty(keyfile) {
-		sftpKey, err = afero.ReadFile(fs, keyfile)
-		if err != nil {
-			return sftpKey, err
-		}
+		utils.PanicIfErr(err)
+	} else if utils.IsNotEmpty(keyFile) {
+		sftpKey, err = afero.ReadFile(fs, keyFile)
+		utils.PanicIfErr(err)
+	}
+	return sftpKey
+}
+
+func mustGetString(k string) string {
+	v := viper.GetString(k)
+	if utils.IsEmpty(v) {
+		errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("config %s is required", k)
+		panic(errMsg)
+	}
+	return v
+}
+
+func mustValidateKeySource(key, keyFile string) {
+	if utils.IsNotEmpty(key) && utils.IsNotEmpty(keyFile) {
+		errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("only one of %s, %s should be provided", c.ViperKeySFTPKey, c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile)
+		panic(errMsg)
 	}
-	return sftpKey, nil
 }
 
-func LoadConfig(fs afero.Fs) (Config, error) {
+func mustValidateAuthTypes(pass, key, keyFile string) {
+	if utils.IsEmpty(pass) && utils.IsEmpty(key) && utils.IsEmpty(keyFile) {
+		errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("either one of %s, %s, %s is required", c.ViperKeySFTPPass, c.ViperKeySFTPKey, c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile)
+		panic(errMsg)
+	}
+}
+
+func MustLoadConfig(fs afero.Fs) Config {
+	user := mustGetString(c.ViperKeySFTPUser)
+
+	pass := viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPPass)
 	encodedKey := viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPKey)
 	keyFile := viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile)
-	key, err := resolveKey(encodedKey, keyFile, fs)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	mustValidateAuthTypes(pass, encodedKey, keyFile)
+
+	key := mustResolveKey(encodedKey, keyFile, fs)
 
 	return sftpExporterConfig{
 		BindAddress: viper.GetString(c.ViperKeyBindAddress),
@@ -74,13 +95,13 @@ func LoadConfig(fs afero.Fs) (Config, error) {
 		SFTPConfig: sftpConfig{
 			Host:          viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPHost),
 			Port:          viper.GetInt(c.ViperKeySFTPPort),
-			User:          viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPUser),
-			Pass:          viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPPass),
+			User:          user,
+			Pass:          pass,
 			Key:           key,
 			KeyFile:       keyFile,
 			KeyPassphrase: viper.GetString(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyPassphrase),
 		},
-	}, nil
+	}
 }
 
 func (c sftpExporterConfig) GetBindAddress() string {
@@ -119,6 +140,6 @@ func (c sftpExporterConfig) GetSFTPKeyFile() string {
 	return c.SFTPConfig.KeyFile
 }
 
-func (c sftpExporterConfig) GetSFTPKeyPassphrase() string {
-	return c.SFTPConfig.KeyPassphrase
+func (c sftpExporterConfig) GetSFTPKeyPassphrase() []byte {
+	return []byte(c.SFTPConfig.KeyPassphrase)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index 6fb6b59..fea39c9 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-package config
+package config_test
 
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/arunvelsriram/sftp-exporter/pkg/config"
 	c "github.com/arunvelsriram/sftp-exporter/pkg/constants"
 	"github.com/spf13/afero"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -22,62 +23,67 @@ func (s *ConfigTestSuite) SetupTest() {
 	s.fs = afero.NewMemMapFs()
 }
 
-func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfig() {
-	s.Run("should return config", func() {
-		actual, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TearDownTest() {
+	viper.Reset()
+}
 
-		s.NoError(err)
-		s.Equal(sftpExporterConfig{}, actual)
-	})
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfig() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPPass, "sftp pass")
+	actual := config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs)
 
-	s.Run("should return err when both key and keyfile are provided", func() {
-		viper.Reset()
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "sftp private key")
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, "sftp private keyfile")
+	s.Equal("sftp user", actual.GetSFTPUser())
+	s.Equal("sftp pass", actual.GetSFTPPass())
+}
 
-		_, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigPanicsIfSFTPEmptyUser() {
+	s.PanicsWithValue("config sftp_user is required", func() { config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs) })
+}
 
-		s.EqualError(err, "only one of key or keyfile should be specified")
-	})
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigPanicsWhenBothAllAuthTypesAreEmpty() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
 
-	s.Run("should return error if key is not encoded properly", func() {
-		viper.Reset()
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "invalid encoding")
+	s.PanicsWithValue("either one of sftp_pass, sftp_key, sftp_key_file is required", func() { config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs) })
+}
 
-		_, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigPanicsWhenBothKeyAndKeyFileAreGiven() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "sftp private key")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, "sftp private keyfile")
 
-		s.EqualError(err, "illegal base64 data at input byte 7")
-	})
+	s.PanicsWithValue("only one of sftp_key, sftp_key_file should be provided", func() { config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs) })
+}
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigPanicsForInvalidKey() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "invalid encoding")
 
-	s.Run("should store decoded key for given encoded key", func() {
-		viper.Reset()
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "YXJ1bg==")
+	s.PanicsWithValue("illegal base64 data at input byte 7", func() { config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs) })
+}
 
-		actual, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigStoresDecodedKey() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKey, "YXJ1bg==")
 
-		s.NoError(err)
-		s.Equal([]byte("arun"), actual.GetSFTPKey())
-	})
+	actual := config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs)
 
-	s.Run("should return error if reading keyfile fails", func() {
-		viper.Reset()
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, "invalidfile")
+	s.Equal([]byte("arun"), actual.GetSFTPKey())
+}
 
-		_, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigPanicsIfReadingKeyFileFails() {
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, "invalidfile")
 
-		s.EqualError(err, "open invalidfile: file does not exist")
-	})
+	s.PanicsWithValue("open invalidfile: file does not exist", func() { config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs) })
+}
 
-	s.Run("should store key and keyfile for a valid keyfile", func() {
-		file, _ := afero.TempFile(s.fs, "", "config-test")
-		_, _ = file.WriteString("private key")
-		viper.Reset()
-		viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, file.Name())
+func (s *ConfigTestSuite) TestConfigLoadConfigStoresKeyForValidKeyFile() {
+	file, _ := afero.TempFile(s.fs, "", "config-test")
+	_, _ = file.WriteString("private key")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPUser, "sftp user")
+	viper.Set(c.ViperKeySFTPKeyFile, file.Name())
 
-		actual, err := LoadConfig(s.fs)
+	actual := config.MustLoadConfig(s.fs)
 
-		s.NoError(err)
-		s.Equal(file.Name(), actual.GetSFTPKeyFile())
-		s.Equal([]byte("private key"), actual.GetSFTPKey())
-	})
+	s.Equal(file.Name(), actual.GetSFTPKeyFile())
+	s.Equal([]byte("private key"), actual.GetSFTPKey())
 }
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils.go b/pkg/utils/utils.go
index 59310e1..c27e333 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils.go
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@ package utils
 
 import "strings"
 
+func IsEmpty(s string) bool {
+	return len(strings.TrimSpace(s)) == 0
+}
+
 func IsNotEmpty(s string) bool {
-	return strings.TrimSpace(s) != ""
+	return !IsEmpty(s)
+}
+
+func PanicIfErr(err error) {
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils_test.go b/pkg/utils/utils_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e9e64e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package utils_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/arunvelsriram/sftp-exporter/pkg/utils"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestIsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		in       string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "empty string",
+			in:       "",
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "non-empty string",
+			in:       "some value",
+			expected: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			actual := utils.IsEmpty(test.in)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIsNotEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		in       string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "empty string",
+			in:       "",
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "non-empty string",
+			in:       "some value",
+			expected: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			actual := utils.IsNotEmpty(test.in)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPanicIfErrShouldPanicForErr(t *testing.T) {
+	err := fmt.Errorf("some error")
+
+	assert.PanicsWithValue(t, "some error", func() { utils.PanicIfErr(err) })
+}
+
+func TestPanicIfErrShouldNotPanicWhenErrIsNil(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() { utils.PanicIfErr(nil) })
+}