Secure File

Secure File is a lightweight and portable application designed for secure file sharing. It consists of two parts, a server and a client, which can be started on any two computers in the local network to securely send encrypted files.

Before proceeding any further, you should know that some antivirus applications may view Secure File as infected with malware. Our tests, however, have revealed that this are, in fact, false positives, so it's safe to download and run the app.

Two executable files are responsible for the client and server components. The way it works is that the client can send files to the server, so the receiver acts as the receiver only. If the interface isn't intuitive enough, you can open the readme file to view instructions on how Secure File works.

Firstly, the server must be configured with a TCP port, saving directory (for all incoming files) and password (must have exactly 11 characters). Once this information is specified, you can start listening to the TCP port. If it was already occupied, then you have to set a different TCP port.

Secondly, the person operating the server must inform the client of the server IP address (local IPv4 IP address, shown in the main window of the server), as well as the specified TCP port and password. If everything is set correctly and provided that the server is still listening to the TCP port, you should be able successfully send files using the built-in file browser (it worked smoothly in our case).

The transfer speed depends on the size of the file as well as quality of the network connection. Once it's over, both the client and server receive messages. The received file is encrypted in a different format than the original, so the person operating the server has to change the format to the original extension (the original filename is not mandatory).

Although the developer specifies the fact that Secure File works globally, it wasn't possible to send and receive files outside of the local network in our tests. The server window shows only the local IP address and doesn't work if you manually specify the public address.

Also, there are several aspects that we consider to be inconvenient. For example, it's not possible to send multiple files at the same time. The tool doesn't accept passwords more or less than 11 characters, the client must get hold of the password to be able to send files, and the server must get hold of the original file extensions to be able to decrypt files. We feel that all of this makes Secure File troublesome to use, especially when considering the fact that (according to our tests), it works only in the local network.