> pdf-archive.com · PDF toolbox · Encrypt a file

Encrypt
a file.

A file nobody can open without the passphrase, not even us. Useful before sending a document through a channel you do not control. Free, processed in France.

  • tool.pricefree 0 €
  • tool.installnothing to install
  • tool.retentiondeleted after the job
  • tool.hostingFrance 100%
§ 01 The tool Free · no account
ToolEncrypt a file
Accountnot required
Processed inFrance
Rev.I

Drop your file here
or
Any fileup to 100 MB
Passphrase
It is the only thing that reopens the file. Nothing here can recover it for you.
Method

Your files are processed on servers in France and deleted automatically once the job is done. More on security.

§ 02 The facts 05 entries

What it takes, what it gives back

  • You uploadAny file, of any type, up to 100 MB
  • You chooseA passphrase, and the method your recipient can use
  • You get backThe encrypted file, under the name of the file you sent
  • What is not doneNo recovery. A lost passphrase means a file nobody can open, including us
  • RetentionNone. The file you send and the encrypted file are erased once the job is done
§ 03 How it works 03 steps

Three steps, nothing to install

Step 1

Upload your file

Any type of file. Up to 100 MB.

Step 2

Choose a passphrase

Long beats complicated. Four ordinary words are stronger than eight jumbled characters.

Step 3

Download the encrypted file

Send the passphrase by another channel than the file itself.

§ 04 When to use it 03 cases

Three situations it was made for

Case 01

Sending a document through a mailbox you do not control

Email crosses machines that are not yours. Encrypted, the attachment is unreadable to every one of them.

Case 02

Putting a copy on a USB stick

A stick gets lost. An encrypted file on a lost stick is a file nobody reads.

Case 03

Storing something with a third party

A file encrypted before it is uploaded stays yours, whatever the host does with it.

§ 05 Worth knowing 03 notes

What the tool actually does

The passphrase never leaves with the file

Send the file one way and the passphrase another: the message and the key travelling together defeats the point. A phrase said on the phone, or sent through a channel the document did not take, is enough.

Long beats complicated

Four ordinary words picked at random are far harder to break than eight characters with symbols in them, and you actually remember them. What matters is length and unpredictability.

Nothing here can recover it

The passphrase is not stored anywhere. That is the property that makes the encryption worth using, and it is also what makes a lost passphrase final. Write it down somewhere you trust before you need it.

§ 06 Common questions 08 questions

Before you upload anything

Which encryption is used?

AES-256, through GnuPG or through OpenSSL, whichever suits your recipient.

How does the recipient open it?

With GnuPG or OpenSSL, both free and available on every system, and with the passphrase you gave them.

What if I lose the passphrase?

The file cannot be opened. Not by you, and not by us. There is no recovery, and that is what the protection means.

Can I encrypt something other than a PDF?

Yes. Any file, of any type.

Is the tool free?

Yes, with no sign-up and nothing to install.

Are my files kept?

No. The file you send and the encrypted file are deleted automatically once the job is done.

Where are my files processed?

On servers in France. Your data stays in the European Union, under the GDPR.

Is the passphrase kept?

No. It is used to encrypt, and it goes with the job when the job is erased.

More questions about the tools? See the toolbox section of the help centre.

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