If you are reading this, you are probably not worried about a random slide deck.

You are thinking about documents that actually carry weight:

Financials, cap tables, investor updates
Contracts, NDAs, HR records
Customer datasets, medical or insurance documents
M&A, fundraising or board materials

And the quiet question underneath is:

“If this gets into the wrong hands, how bad could it be – and would I even know?”

You are right to take this seriously. Verizon's latest Data Breach Investigations Reports show that around two-thirds of breaches involve a human element – misdirected emails, bad sharing settings, stolen credentials, not just "hackers."

Let's walk through the real risks, what "good enough" looks like in 2025, and how to build a simple but strong setup around your files.

1. Fundamental risks of conventional file sharing methods

Most leaks come from tools that feel familiar and convenient.

Email attachments

Attachments are still the default, and they are a problem:

Duplication everywhere – once you attach a file, it exists in your Sent folder, your recipient’s mailbox, backups, and every forwarded chain. A Progress Software analysis calls attachments “the crux of the data leakage problem” because every forward multiplies copies.
No revocation or update – you cannot pull a file back or silently fix an error once it has left.
Malware and phishing vector – email remains the top attack vector for malware and malicious attachments.

"Anyone with the link" in cloud drives

Cloud storage is powerful, but the "share link" button is deceptively dangerous:

Permissions like "anyone with the link" effectively turn private files into public ones; anyone who gets or guesses the URL can view them. Analyses of Drive and SaaS misconfigurations show years-long exposures caused by this single setting. Without identity-bound access, you lose control over distribution.

Over-broad internal access

Entire folders open to "everyone in the company," even as people change roles or leave.
No clear boundary between internal work-in-progress and externally shareable "final" documents.

No audit trail or deterrence

You often cannot answer basic questions like: Who accessed this file? When? From where?
Files are rarely watermarked, so screenshots and re-uploads leave no trace. Yet modern data-protection guidance increasingly points to digital watermarks as a way to deter leaks and trace them when they do happen.

Put simply: conventional methods are built for convenience, not control.

2. What’s “good enough” secure file sharing in 2025?

You do not need perfection. You do need a clear bar.

In 2025, “good enough” for sensitive documents means:

Identity-based access, not just links You share with specific people or domains, not the entire internet behind one URL.
Least privilege by default
- View-only unless someone truly needs to download.
- No editing of “official” copies.
Encryption in transit and at rest Serious platforms use strong algorithms (like AES-256) for data at rest and TLS for data in transit – this has become a baseline expectation in secure file transfer tools.
Revocation and expiry You can turn off access for a person, a domain, or an entire room, and you can set links to expire automatically when a deal or project ends.
Deterrence against quiet leaking
- Dynamic watermarks that include who the file was shown to.
- Optional screenshot protection / interference so casual captures are not trivial.
Activity visibility You can see who viewed what, roughly when, and can spot weird patterns (unexpected geos, sudden spikes) with page-level analytics.
Low friction for recipients This part matters. If security is too painful, people route around it. A "good enough" solution in practice is one your team and your counterparties will actually use.

Peony is built to hit that bar out of the box. Secure document sharing platforms provide all of this in one place.

3. How to accomplish secure file sharing with Peony (step by step)

Think of Peony as the front door for anything that really matters. Your existing tools are where you create documents; Peony is where you expose them safely.

Step 1 – Decide which documents go into a secure room

Start with:

Investor / board materials
Client contracts, pricing, proposals
HR, payroll, legal and tax documents
Anything with personal or regulated data

These should never be floating around as raw attachments.

Step 2 – Create a room and upload files

In Peony:

Create a room named for the context, for example:
- “Investor – Seed Round Data Room”
- “Client – ACME 2025 Engagement”
Upload all relevant documents (PDFs, Word, Excel, slides, ZIPs).

Peony stores these encrypted and treats the room as a secure bundle for that relationship.

Step 3 – Configure access and permissions

For each external party:

Add their email addresses or allowed domains (e.g. @fund.com) using identity-bound access.
Add passwords to Peony rooms for an additional layer of protection—you can require both identity verification and a password.
Set view-only by default for sensitive docs.
Disable downloads if you do not want files leaving the viewer using secure document sharing platforms.

Turn on:

Dynamic watermarking – Peony automatically overlays identity (email/name) on each page so any screenshot or export carries a clear fingerprint.
Screenshot protection – where technically possible, Peony blocks or degrades common screen-capture paths, raising the effort required to leak content.

Step 4 – Add an optional passcode

If you or your counterpart want "password protection":

Add a passcode to the room or link using password protection.
Share that passcode in a different channel (call, SMS, secure messenger), not in the same email as the link – which is exactly what many email-security best practices recommend.

Step 5 – Share one secure link and keep control

From here on:

You send a single Peony link, not files.
If you update documents, you replace them inside the room – the link stays the same.
If the relationship ends or something feels off, you revoke access in one place using access management.

You move from "I hope this attachment doesn't leak" to "I know where my documents are, and I can close the door." See who accessed files with page-level analytics: when, how long they viewed them, and which parts they engaged with.

4. Other methods if you can't use Peony

If Peony is not available yet, you can still improve things.

Harden your existing cloud drives

In Google Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox, avoid "anyone with the link" for anything sensitive; use restricted, named users instead.
Turn on MFA and, if you have them, DLP / sensitivity labels to warn or block risky shares.

Use encrypted containers over email

When you must email:

Put files in an encrypted ZIP or password-protected PDF using strong encryption.
Send the file.
Share the password by another channel.

This is clunky but still better than naked attachments.

Consider specialised secure-transfer tools

There are secure file-transfer platforms and zero-knowledge cloud drives that offer strong encryption, sometimes with audit trails and 2FA. They are good for one-off transfers, though usually less tailored to ongoing, relationship-level sharing than a data-room style setup. Peony provides identity-bound access, password protection, watermarking, and tracking for secure document sharing.

5. Practical tips to make this a calm default

A few habits will give you most of the benefit:

Ban sensitive attachments as a norm If it involves money, identity, or legal risk, it goes through a secure link, not as an attachment.
Standardise on "one secure room per relationship" Investors, top clients, key vendors: each gets their own Peony room and link. Everyone on your team knows "this is where we share sensitive files with X."
Reserve watermarking for what truly matters Use dynamic watermarks on your most sensitive documents; keep lighter content simpler so people do not feel over-policed.
Review access periodically Once a quarter, take 20 minutes to remove stale access and close rooms that are no longer needed.

You do not need to be perfect. You just need a system where sensitive documents do not casually escape, and where, if something does go wrong, you are not completely blind. If you let Peony sit between your important files and the outside world, you get that system with a lot less stress than trying to bolt it together yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you securely share sensitive documents?

Peony is best: upload to a secure Peony room with identity-bound access, password protection, watermarking, and tracking. Never use email attachments or "anyone with the link" sharing.

What's the most secure way to share sensitive files?

Peony is most secure: upload to a secure Peony room with identity-bound access, password protection, watermarking, screenshot protection, and analytics in one platform.

Can you revoke access to shared sensitive documents?

Most platforms don't allow revocation after sharing. Peony provides instant revocation: revoke access to specific people or entire rooms immediately, and the secure link stops working.

Can you see who accessed sensitive documents?

Most platforms provide limited or no access tracking. Peony provides complete visibility: see who accessed documents, when, how long they viewed them, and which parts they engaged with.

What's the best secure file sharing solution for sensitive documents?

Peony is best: provides identity-bound access, password protection, watermarking, revocation, and analytics without password sharing risks.

Share Files Securely

Secure File Sharing for Sensitive Documents in 2025: Complete Protection Guide