The files are encrypted before being sent. #Tresorit sending files for free freeWeTransfer declined to answer our questions about the incident yesterday, referring us instead to the security notice on its site.įollow on Twitter for the latest computer security news.> I have been trying out the free service at Tresorit to send files It allows you to send files 2.5Gb in size if you have a Firefox account, or 1Gb if you don’t. This uses the Web Crypto API, which employs asymmetric encryption. There are alternative free services offering end-to-end encryption, such as Mozilla’s Firefox Send, officially launched in March 2019 after a two-year test period. The upside is that even if the file transfer service messes up and sends your files to the wrong person, they won’t be readable.Īs it stands, the free version of WeTransfer doesn’t protect its files with any secrets at all, which is why the email misfire is so problematic. The challenge with asymmetric encryption is creating a product that is easy enough to use and hides all that complexity from the user. That proves that only the sender could have sent the message, rather than an imposter. Then, the recipient must go through an extra step, decrypting the message with the sender’s public key. As long as the recipient keeps their private key safe, they can read a message encoded with their public key while keeping it away from eavesdroppers.Īs a bonus, the sender can also prove their own identity by encoding the file with their private key as well. Only the recipient’s private key can decrypt it. The sender of a file uses the recipient’s public key (viewable by anyone) to encrypt it. This creates its own security and usability issues.Īsymmetric (public key) cryptography is more complex but also more secure because it uses two digital keys for each user – a private (secret) one that is never sent via any channel, and a public (non-secret) one. Instead, they either need to meet in person to share the secret, or share it through an alternative channel like a text message or phone call. The sender can’t securely send the secret and the file via the same channel because an eavesdropper could intercept both the file and the secret. #Tresorit sending files for free passwordThe problem with password protecting files is that it’s a form of symmetric encryption, where the sender and recipient of a file use the same secret to access the file. It would need to be done correctly, though. End-to-end encryption would stop anyone other than the sender and recipient of a file from seeing it. While it’s obviously trying to promote its own service, it has a point. This wouldn't have happened if they used end-to-end encryption (see thread).- Tresorit June 24, 2019 In the recent #WeTransfer security incident, they were sending user files to the wrong recipients for two days. Rival service Tresorit was quick to jump on the incident: However I’m sure others are not so relaxed about it, bearing in mind the way the service is used! Thankfully we mostly use WeTransfer for sending and receiving brand photos for use on – so they’re mostly heading into the public domain anyway, and the worst that might happen is an embargo being broken for an upcoming event. “Almost certainly” won’t exactly fill people with confidence.īrown told Naked Security that the incident affected a batch of photos that a client had sent him on 16 June 2019. Our records show that these files have been accessed, but almost certainly by the intended recipient. We have learned that a transfer you sent or received was also delivered to some people it was not meant to go to. Not a good look from WeTransfer /Dh5Eu37Rwm- Jamie Brown June 21, 2019 The same day that the security notice appeared, Jamie Brown, CEO of fashion site Chicmi, tweeted a direct notification that WeTransfer had sent him: WeTransfer had blocked the links and logged users out of their accounts, it said. We are currently informing potentially affected users and have informed the relevant authorities. The issue began on 16 June 2019, the notice said, adding:Į-mails supporting our services were sent to unintended e-mail addresses. On 21 June 2019 WeTransfer posted a security notice warning of an incident it had discovered five days earlier on Monday 17 June 2019. It also offers a paid ‘Plus’ service that lets users password protect their files. The service, which became profitable in 2013, provides its free version through an advertising model. It has 50 million users sending a billion files each month, amounting to a Petabyte (1,000 Terabytes) of data. It’s an alternative to email services, which typically place limitations on file size. Popular file transfer service WeTransfer faces embarrassment this week after admitting that it has mailed file links to the wrong users.įounded in 2009, WeTransfer enables users to transfer large files between each other for free.
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