Every day, millions of people share files online without thinking twice about security. Medical records, financial documents, private contracts, personal photos - all uploaded to services that promise convenience but rarely deliver real protection.
The result? Data breaches, identity theft, corporate espionage, and privacy violations that could have been prevented with basic security practices.
Here are 10 essential best practices for sharing files securely online.
1. Use End-to-End Encryption for Sensitive Files
This is the gold standard for file sharing security. With end-to-end encryption, your files are encrypted on your device before upload, and only the recipient can decrypt them. The service provider never has access to your unencrypted data.
Why it matters: Even if the service is breached, hackers only get encrypted gibberish. Even if the company is served a warrant, they can’t hand over readable files because they don’t have the decryption keys.
When to use it: Medical records, financial documents, legal contracts, proprietary business data, private photos, or anything you wouldn’t want posted publicly.
Services with true end-to-end encryption include FileGrab, Tresorit, and Sync.com. Avoid services that claim encryption but hold the keys themselves.
2. Set Expiration Dates on Shared Links
Files shared online often live forever. That link you shared last year? Probably still works. And if it falls into the wrong hands, someone can access your files months or years after you’ve forgotten about them.
Best practice: Set the shortest expiration date that makes sense for your use case. If someone needs a file for a one-time download, make the link expire after 24 hours or after the first download.
Pro tip: For ongoing collaboration, use a service that lets you revoke access manually rather than relying solely on time-based expiration.
3. Add Password Protection as a Second Layer
Even if a link is intercepted or accidentally shared with the wrong person, password protection adds a crucial second barrier.
Important: Password protection is not the same as encryption. It’s a gate that asks for credentials before allowing download. For maximum security, use both password protection and encryption.
Password tips:
- Never use simple passwords like “123456” or “password”
- Use a unique password for each share
- Share the password through a different channel than the link itself
- Consider using a password manager to generate strong random passwords
4. Share Links Through Secure Channels
The security of your file sharing is only as strong as how you share the link itself.
Secure channels:
- Encrypted messaging apps (Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage)
- Encrypted email (ProtonMail, Tutanota)
- In-person or phone calls for extremely sensitive data
Avoid:
- Posting links on social media
- Sending through unencrypted email without password protection
- Sharing in public Slack channels or Discord servers
- SMS for highly sensitive files (SMS is not encrypted)
Advanced tip: For maximum security with end-to-end encrypted files, share the base link through one channel and the decryption key through another.
5. Verify File Recipients Before Sharing
It sounds obvious, but countless data leaks happen because someone shared a file with the wrong person.
Double-check:
- Email addresses (typos are common)
- Names (make sure it’s John Smith from accounting, not John Smith the customer)
- Whether you really need to share the file at all
For business use: Implement a policy requiring confirmation before sharing sensitive files externally. A quick “Hey, I’m about to send you X file - confirm this email address is correct” can prevent disasters.
6. Understand the Service’s Privacy Policy
When you upload a file to a sharing service, you’re trusting them with your data. But what exactly are you agreeing to?
Key questions to ask:
- Can the service access my files?
- Do they scan uploaded content?
- Who can they share my data with?
- What happens to my files if I delete them?
- Where are files stored geographically?
- What’s their data retention policy?
Red flags:
- Vague language about data usage
- Rights to use your content for advertising or AI training
- No clear deletion policy
- Refusal to commit to privacy standards
If a service makes money from ads, they’re likely making money from your data. Look for services with transparent, user-respecting privacy policies.
7. Don’t Upload More Than Necessary
This principle is called “data minimization” in security circles. The less data you expose, the less you risk.
Before sharing:
- Can you redact sensitive information?
- Do you need to share the entire document or just specific pages?
- Can you summarize instead of sharing raw data?
- Are there metadata or hidden fields you should remove?
Example: Sharing a bank statement to verify income? Black out account numbers and transactions. Only show the relevant balance information.
Tool tip: PDF editors and image tools often have redaction features. Make sure to use actual redaction (which removes data) rather than just black boxes (which can be removed).
8. Monitor Access and Download Analytics
If a service provides analytics, use them. Knowing who accessed your files and when can help you spot unauthorized access early.
What to monitor:
- Number of downloads (should match expected recipients)
- Geographic locations (files accessed from unexpected countries?)
- Access times (downloaded at 3 AM when your recipient should be asleep?)
- Failed password attempts (someone trying to guess the password?)
Many services offer email notifications when files are accessed. Enable these for sensitive shares.
9. Delete Files When They’re No Longer Needed
Your files sitting on someone else’s servers are a perpetual risk. Every day they exist is another day they could be breached, subpoenaed, or accidentally exposed.
Best practice: Set a reminder to delete shared files after the recipient confirms they’ve downloaded what they need.
Verify deletion: Some services don’t actually delete files immediately - they soft-delete and keep them for weeks or months. Read the fine print about deletion policies.
Pro tip: Services with true end-to-end encryption are less risky for long-term storage since the provider can’t read your files anyway. But deletion is still good practice.
10. Use Different Services for Different Sensitivity Levels
Not all files require the same level of security. Using maximum security for everything is inconvenient; using minimal security for everything is dangerous.
Create a tiered approach:
Tier 1 - Public/Low Sensitivity:
- Marketing materials, public presentations, screenshots
- Use any convenient service, expiration optional
Tier 2 - Internal/Medium Sensitivity:
- Work documents, non-confidential contracts, team photos
- Use password protection, set reasonable expiration dates
Tier 3 - Confidential/High Sensitivity:
- Financial records, medical data, legal documents, trade secrets
- Require end-to-end encryption, password protection, short expiration dates, and secure sharing channels
This approach balances security with usability. You don’t burn out from excessive security measures on low-risk files, and you don’t accidentally under-protect high-risk data.
The Human Element: Your Biggest Vulnerability
All the encryption and security features in the world can’t protect against human error:
- Sharing the wrong file
- Sending to the wrong person
- Using weak passwords
- Leaving sessions logged in on public computers
- Falling for phishing attacks
Stay vigilant:
- Take a breath before clicking “Share”
- Log out of services on shared computers
- Be suspicious of unexpected requests for files
- Never share credentials or keys through insecure channels
Building a Security-First Culture
If you’re sharing files for work, individual best practices aren’t enough. Your organization needs a security-first culture:
- Training: Ensure everyone understands basic file sharing security
- Policies: Create clear guidelines for different types of data
- Tools: Provide secure file sharing tools and make them easy to use
- Accountability: Regular audits of file sharing practices
- Incident response: Clear procedures for when something goes wrong
Security is only as strong as the weakest link in your organization.
Choose Tools That Make Security Easy
The best security practice is to choose tools that make security the default, not an afterthought.
Look for services that:
- Offer encryption by default, not as an add-on
- Make setting passwords and expiration dates easy
- Provide clear privacy policies
- Don’t monetize your data
- Have a track record of security
FileGrab was built with these principles in mind. End-to-end encryption, password protection, custom expiration dates, and zero ads. Security without complexity.
Try it at filegrab.link - because sharing files securely shouldn’t require a security degree.
Your data deserves better than “good enough.” Follow these best practices, choose the right tools, and make security a habit, not an afterthought.