Progress in the digital world has come with multiple benefits, with online file sharing among the most remarkable. It has simplified the sharing of files, including word documents, images, music, and audio files that you could initially only send via USB drive or Bluetooth.
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In this article, we’ll learn more about file2share, including how it works, how to identify unsafe websites for file transfer, and whether or not file2share is legit.
Contents
File2Share is an online file-sharing website that lets you share files digitally and access them with others. These files include audio, PDFs, Word documents, video, and pictures. The website provides features like a search function, a file manager, and private messaging for convenient, efficient, and reliable online file sharing.
How Does File Sharing Work?
File sharing through digital platforms works by sending files via the internet between users. You could do this through emailing, instant messaging, sharing through social network platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, or online file-sharing websites and applications.
File sharing is beneficial since it provides a quick and easy way of sharing large files. Besides, you send files from wherever you are without worrying about losing important files.
Are File Sharing Sites Safe?
The safety of file-sharing sites depends on how equipped and foolproof the website is. It is crucial to ensure that the site you are using for file sharing is safe. Some tell-tale signs of a potentially safe file-sharing website include a valid SSL certificate in the web server, the homepage having little to no ads and pop-ups, and the majority of good reviews online.
A glance at file2share, for instance, reveals it as a potentially safe file-sharing website. Giveaway signs include the provision of features that promote the safety and security of shared files, like data encryption and password protection. However, its homepage is suspicious-looking.
File2share is an online file-sharing website that has been functioning since 2014. It is available in English and Dutch, and has amassed an enviable following, thanks to its ease of use and dependability.
To use file2share, visit their website https://file2share.co or https://www.file2share.us/. First-time users must create an account, whereas repeat users will log in to their existing accounts. Then, upload your file(s) to their server then share them with your friends and colleagues. Simple, right?
While technology simplifies digital file sharing, the landscape of cyber threats is ever-evolving. Users should remain vigilant, scrutinizing a platform’s security credentials, user reviews, and the presence of features like password protection and data encryption to safeguard their sensitive information.
– Kurt Sanger Cybersecurity Expert
Signs A Website is Potentially Unsafe
Sadly, like in real life, not everyone on the internet has good intentions. There exist hundreds of thousands of victims of cybercrime. An unsafe website exposes you to malware, data breach, and more. Please be on the look-out for these as signs of a potentially-unsafe website before sharing any files online:
The homepage is filled with ads and pop-ups
Ads are almost inevitable, especially with free websites. It is one way that these platforms earn revenue through the traffic directed toward them. However, these ads and pop-ups should not be so in your face that they divert your attention from the website’s content.
A website’s homepage filled with ads and pop-ups could mean that the owner targets you with these distractions. In addition, the type of ad serving also reveals the probable safety of a website. For instance, an online file-sharing platform sharing explicit ad-servings or ads that prompt you to feed in your details could show that the website is potentially unsafe.
The web server does not have an SSL certificate
Data encryption in online transactions is vital as it promotes personal data security. Every online business handling payments and sensitive user data must have an HTTPS connection since it enhances data encryption for the data and website.
However, HTTPS connections may be unnecessary for personal websites like blogs and portfolios. Still, it is not a good idea to pay for something via an online shop lacking an HTTPS as that may expose you to cybercrime.
To identify whether or not a website has a valid SSL certificate, check its URL and confirm that it begins with https://. If it is http:// or otherwise, it could be lacking data encryption, meaning hackers could access and manipulate your data via the website. File2share has an SSL certificate, meaning it is in our good books on data encryption.
The website has little information available on it
Truth is, users always speak volumes of things they like. An online file-sharing website with limited information means there is not enough to form an opinion. Unsafe website owners intentionally put out little information concerning such sites to condition users into thinking they are okay sites.
One way to conduct a website safety check is by inspecting its popularity. Alexa, a popular service for ranking websites based on traffic and pageviews, reveals that a site that ranks under 500k has a lot of traffic, under 5 million has some traffic, while that with over 15 million has very little traffic. However, those ranking 0 have no traffic. According to Alexa, file2share ranked #1,675,109, meaning it has traffic.
Another relevant way to identify unsafe websites is by checking domain age. For instance, file2share’s domain name was created two years ago. An online file-sharing website created under four months ago could mean it is too new and possibly suspicious. This is because there is not enough information to judge a new website. However, file2share has been around for enough time for users to form an opinion.
Other relevant findings about file2share include that it is not located in a risky country. Scanning several domain blocklists via engines like Fake Website Buster, Avira, Badbitcoin, and Spam404 shows that it is not blocked. A blocked website indicates malware and potential spam activities. Also, APIVoid security findings show it as undetectable, meaning it is a legitimate webshop.
Lots of bad reviews and negative sentiments online
It is vital to look up online reviews of a website during a website safety check. A potentially unsafe website will have most users complain about it online. These bad reviews and negative sentiments ought to warn potential users about probable cybercrime.
The URL looks fishy
Cybercriminals are getting smarter, with website URL phishing increasing in complexity. Clicking these links installs malicious software such as spyware, a virus, or ransomware into your electronic device. They could then hack your data, including your bank details, making you lose money and compromise sensitive data.
Malicious web users create websites that mimic the intended one. However, you could spot a fishy URL by hovering your mouse over the URL before clicking on it to tell where the link will take you before actually clicking on it. Also, ensure the website is secure and encrypted by checking for https:// or shttp://.
Furthermore, pay attention to the lettering to avoid clicking on potentially harmful links. One could swap the letter ‘o’ with the number ‘0’. An example is, say, http://m0ney.com imitating https://money.com. Taking time to inspect URLs before clicking saves you from multiple cyberattacks.
Is file2share safe? Is file2share legit? These are among the popular questions people ask on the internet. File2share has the features we spoke about that promote its safety and security, like password protection plus data encryption. Besides, its strict no-logs policy enhances privacy when sharing and receiving files online.
However, a recent ranking by Scam-detector gave it an overall 14.5 rank out of 100. Some letdowns include proximity to suspicious websites at 100%, a malware score of 54%, a threat profile of 54%, a phishing score of 40%, and a spam score of 16%.
Conclusion
It is crucial to prioritize safety and security when sharing files online. Even though features like a valid SSL certificate and no detection by blacklist engines may uphold its legitimacy, file2share still has a long way to go to earn our trust. For example, Scam-detector does not endorse it as it has a poor trusting rank. Please conduct a website safety check before clicking on a file-sharing site to avoid falling victim to cybercrime.
