The Danger of Chat History
It happens every day: a developer needs to send a database password to a teammate, or a business owner needs to send API credentials. For convenience, they paste the password into Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, or an email.
While these apps are encrypted in transit, they maintain a permanent chat history. If a teammate's computer is compromised, or if a hacker gains unauthorized access to your chat workspace, the history becomes a treasure trove of active credentials. Passwords should never live indefinitely in a chat log.
What is Ephemeral Sharing?
Ephemeral sharing is the practice of sending sensitive data using links that automatically self-destruct once they have been read, or after a very short time window (e.g., 30 minutes). Once deleted, the data is wiped from the database and storage permanently, leaving no trace.
By using ephemeral links, you ensure that even if your chat history is compromised in the future, the sharing link is already dead and contains no data.
Best Practices for Sharing Credentials
- Never Send Credentials in Plain Text: Avoid typing passwords directly into chat bubbles.
- Use One-Time-Pad (OTP) Links: Share a link that can only be opened once. Once the recipient clicks the link and views the password, the page deletes itself.
- Set Short Expiration Windows: If the link is not opened within a short timeframe (like 30 minutes), it should expire and delete automatically to prevent orphan links.
- Separate Channels: Send the ephemeral link on one channel (e.g., Slack) and the decryption code or context on another channel (e.g., SMS).
Friction-Free Ephemeral Sharing with SharePopa
SharePopa makes secure credential sharing fast and easy. Simply paste your secret messages on SharePopa Text Share or upload your key files on SharePopa File Share. Click "Share" to generate a 6-digit OTP and a private, encrypted link. Send the link to your colleague. Once they input the OTP and download the content, it is deleted from our servers permanently.