You need to send a colleague an access password. Or a contract in PDF to a client. Or just move a piece of text from your computer to your phone. What do most people do? They drop it into email, Messenger or SMS. It works, but it is one of the most common security mistakes there is.

Why email and chat are a bad idea for passwords

  • Messages stay forever. A password you sent over chat a year ago is still there. Whoever gets into that phone or account gets the password too.
  • Email is not end-to-end encrypted. It travels through several servers and stays in the sent folder on both sides.
  • It is easy to forward. One “forward” or a screenshot and the sensitive data is where it should not be.
  • A password is often reused elsewhere. If it leaks, an attacker will try it on other services too.

In short: whatever you send over a regular channel, you lose control over.

It is better to put the sensitive content into an encrypted clipboard that generates a link for you. The content only opens after entering a password and after a while (or once deleted) it disappears. You send the link and the password via two different channels (for example the link by email and the password by SMS), so even if someone intercepts one, they have nothing without the other.

That is exactly what we built a free tool for, right here on our site: Secure clipboard. No sign-up, no ads.

How it works (step by step)

  1. Open the Secure clipboard.
  2. Paste your text, optionally attach images, PDF or ZIP.
  3. Choose a password and an expiry (7 days, 30 days, or until deleted).
  4. Click and get a link and a QR code.
  5. Send the link to the recipient and give them the password by a different channel. They open the link, enter the password and view and copy the content (or download the files).

Sending something to a phone? Just scan the QR code and the link opens right on the mobile, with no retyping. Ideal for quickly moving something from a computer to a phone.

The content is stored encrypted on our side and is removed automatically once it expires.

A few rules to make it count

  • Send the password by a different channel than the link. Link by email, password by SMS or over the phone. That is the whole trick.
  • Set a short expiry. If a colleague should read it today, do not leave the clipboard alive for 30 days.
  • Use a proper password for the clipboard. See our guide on a strong password you can remember.
  • It is not for storing passwords long term. For that, use a password manager with two-factor authentication. The clipboard is for one-off secure sending.

What it is good for in practice

  • Sending access credentials to a colleague or client.
  • Handing over a contract, invoice or document (PDF) you do not want sitting in email forever.
  • Moving text or a file between your own devices (computer to phone) without logging into a cloud.
  • Sending a bundle of files in a ZIP once, securely.

Sending sensitive data safely is part of a bigger topic. To keep order in your passwords and protect your business, read our cybersecurity overview and, for companies, the 7 cybersecurity principles.

Secure sharing of passwords and data for your business

We set up encrypted sharing, password management and encryption of sensitive files so your data stays safe. For homes and businesses in the Liptov region.

Set up secure sharing

This article is part of our Cybersecurity overview.