How to Share Files Securely Online

If you want to share documents and files with others over the Internet, you should be able to do it quickly, securely, and easily. Fortunately, many applications and services meet these three criteria.

Regardless of whether you use the tools included in the cloud storage application you are already using or drag the files into an open browser window, there are various weighing options available.

All of these services encrypt files during and after storage so that hackers and third parties cannot access them. However, only Firefox Send uses end-to-end encryption, so even Firefox cannot see the files. The others reserve the right to access your data if required by law or necessary to manage the cloud services. It is also essential to ensure that the shared links you generate are strictly protected as they act as decryption keys to access your files.

sharing files and the features

Firefox

The admired Mozilla Firefox browser has recently named several additional applications and services, including Firefox Send. It’s wonderfully easy to use, with or without a Firefox browser and allows you to share files up to 2.5 TB for free.

Here you likewise have various valuable choices. Download links can be configured to expire after a certain number of downloads or after a certain period. If you want an additional layer of security, you can also protect it with a password so that someone else can put both the link and the password in the file as required

You can drag and drop directly into your browser without installing additional software or having to register for an additional service. You can also control when your shared files are accessed. The link can be revoked at any time.

Dropbox

Dropbox offers you 2 GB of free cloud storage at the cost of $ 12 every month for 2 TB of storage. Also, to file sharing on the web, your files and folders are synced between your devices and the cloud. You can also view data on the Internet, collaborate on files with others, and more.

The service also offers you a variety of ways to share files. You can do this from the main Dropbox application on the web, on your computer or on your phone, or through a unique and simplified sharing tool called Dropbox Transfer that includes a few extras, e.g., B. Record the number of times your shared files have been downloaded.

You can share individual files or entire folders, either read-only or with editing privileges, and you can password-protect the shared links and set an expiration date. The people you interact with don’t need a Dropbox account unless you want to work with them in a file folder.

WeTransfer

Like Firefox Send, WeTransfer is a great option if you need something quick and easy without necessarily signing up for a new service (although you can create an account if you want). You can share one or more files through a custom link that stays active for a week by default.

A WeTransfer Pro account costs $ 12 a month but offers some useful features: you can set your expiry times, password-protect the download link, and transfer up to 20 GB of files at a time, instead of the 2 GB run limit free users inside. Pro accounts also get 1TB of permanent cloud storage and better tools to monitor how often their files have been downloaded and who downloaded them. Regardless of whether you choose paid or free options, with WeTransfer, you can exchange data securely and without complications over the Internet.

Google Drive

Google offers you 15 GB of free cloud storage space, divided into various services (including Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos). Paid plans start at $ 2 a month for 100 GB of storage and go from there. Of course, you also get Google Docs, Sheets, and the rest of the online office suite from Google.

You can easily create links to share entire files or folders from the web or Google Drive mobile applications. You have full control over whether files can be edited or only viewed. Recipients don’t necessarily need a Google account to access the data.

What makes Google Drive special is that you can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with others over the Internet. However, merely sharing old files is not the best option. There are no options for setting expiration dates or passwords. However, if you’re already using it, your sharing options will likely be enough.

OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive offers you 5 GB of cloud storage for free. You can update this for a fee. Pricing starts at $ 2 per month for 100 GB of storage. If you upgrade to $ 7 a month, you’ll get Office 365 and 1 TB of cloud storage.

OneDrive is available on the web, on mobile devices, and under MacOS and integrated into Windows. Any files or folders that you’ve synced with your OneDrive account can also be shared with others via a link. If you have a paid OneDrive plan, you can set due dates for your links and add password protection.

OneDrive is useful if you already spend a lot of time in Windows, Office, or both. This is also a good option if you are working on other people’s office files in real-time, as OneDrive handles this well. You can configure shared files as read-only or editable as needed.

SendAnywhere

We like a service that tells you exactly what it does in its name, and SendAnywhere is sure to mark this particular box. It’s easy, fast, and free (at least for the basics). Open the site, click the red plus icon, and you can share one or more files using a single link or a six-digit code.

If you use the six-digit code that must be forwarded to the recipient within 10 minutes, there is no limit to the size of the file upload. If you use the link method, the limit is 10 GB. Sign up for a $ 5 Plus monthly account. This limit is 50 GB, and you can set your own expiration time.

With a paid subscription, you can also see how many times your files have been downloaded and activate password protection in your links. In addition to the web interface, you can use SendAnywhere as a desktop or mobile application.

iCloud

iCloud, Apple’s cloud storage service, lags behind the competition in file sharing, although there are signs of improvement. The ability to share individual folders and files has recently been added in iOS 13.4 and macOS Catalina 10.15.4.

File sharing is relatively easy via the web or an Apple device. The shared resources can be configured as read-only or editable. So far there is no password protection, and there is no way to set an expiration date for the shared links.

Everyone with an Apple ID gets 5 GB of free storage on iCloud. Paid storage prices start at $ 2 per month for 50 GB of storage. If you and your contacts only use Apple hardware, iCloud shares files because they are integrated everywhere. Otherwise, there are better alternatives.