The main selling point of this new service is it’s user-controlled encryption, so it’s important to the folks in charge of the company to make sure it’s secure. Mega isn’t the first to do this – other tech companies like Firefox, Google and Dropbox also offer monetary rewards to those who find bugs in their systems.

Mega has already been fortunate to have the support of the global cryptographic community, who have been offering their assistance in refining Mega’s encryption and security. It is likely that the offer will solicit further assistance from computer users around the world.

Image courtesy http://bit.ly/aNw5ks

Firesheep is only one of many ways that using an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot opens you and your online accounts (and, thus, personal information) to unauthorized access. But what can you do about it?

Turns out…plenty.

One option is to set up your own Virtual Private Network…but this is a complicated and difficult option. A much easier alternative is to use Cloak – it’s an app that sees whenever you’re connected to an open Wi-Fi network and connects you to it’s own VPN service for private, secure browsing. It really is that simple! Just sign up for an account with Cloak, then download and install the app (currently only available for iOS & Mac). If you’re using it on your iPhone or iPad, the app adds a switch labelled “VPN” to your device’s settings. Just go into settings and flip the switch for secure browsing on an open network. The service is free for up to 2 hours or 1GB per month (whichever comes first) but there are paid accounts available for those of us who spend a lot of time in coffee shops.

Another weapon in your “how to stay safe on the Internet” arsenal is a free browser extension called HTTPS Everywhere. The extension simply sits in your browser’s address bar and, if it detects that a site can be accessed through HTTPS, will automatically switch you to that encrypted connection. We highly recommend it because of it’s potent combination of effectiveness and ease of use.

Considering what appears to be a proliferation of hackers and other online privacy threats, it’s good to know that there are tools out there – free and otherwise – that can help us stay safe on the World Wide Web. Do you have any favorites that weren’t mentioned here? If so, let us know in the comments!

Long accused by media companies and trade groups of assisting in copyright infringement around the world, the U.S. grand jury indictment (which you can view here) accuses Megaupload of causing $500 million in damages to copyright owners and of making $175 million (via the sale of ads and subscriptions). The sting is the result of an investigation that began 2 years ago and relies extensively on private correspondence between the accused, showing that the operators of the sites knew that their services were being used to share illicit content, despite advertising their sites as a way to transfer large files.

The hacker group Anonymous responded by shutting down a number of prominent websites, including the Justice Department itself, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, and others.

Interestingly, the raids took place the day after widespread online protests against proposed “antipiracy” bills SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (the Protect I.P. Act). Whether or not the timing is coincidental, it adds an interesting element to the debate around these proposed laws: the U.S. Department of Justice was able to shut down the major player in the file sharing industry (and accused violator of intellectual property rights) with currently existing laws. Neither SOPA nor PIPA (with their broad powers of censorship and ability to shut down domestic and foreign sites without due process) was needed to shut these sites down or prosecute their owners and employees.

Additionally, FileSonic and Uploaded.to, two of Megaupload’s competitors, have reacted to the site’s shutdown in different ways: FileSonic has disabled all sharing features and Uploaded.to appears to have stopped offering it’s services to American consumers. While these might be viewed as overreactions to the situation, these events may force other companies in the large file transfer industry to re-examine the situation and their own service offerings. As of this writing, FilesDIRECT has no intention of reducing its service offerings – either in terms of transferring files or in for clients in the United States.

You can read more about these events at the New York Times website and at Digital Trends.

“FilesDIRECT has been awarded and recommended as the top rated file sharing tool provider by Web Hosting Search, a leading hosting review site on the Internet.”

So, there you go. Sounds all impressive and press release-y, doesn’t it?

And look! They’ve even given us a fancy badge! 

So, there you go. Thank you, Web Hosting Search! We appreciate your kind words and hope they help encourage more people to try our 30-day free trial.

*Cough! 30 days free! Cough* Sorry, had something caught in my throat, there. ;)

File Sharing and Collaboration

A good file sharing service makes it easy for team members to share design files that are too large to email back and forth. It saves on setting complex file systems or maintaining servers, and should track file uploads and downloads from the service (including who transferred the file and when) so that the workflow runs more smoothly. It also adds an additional “Safety net”, since the file is saved both at the firm and in the Cloud. This being the case, firms looking for a file sharing solution would be better served by a service that includes a great deal of storage (the amount needed could be determined by the size of the files and the number of projects the firm is / will be working on). It is also important to find out how long files are stored on the system, as some services delete them after a few weeks (or less!)

Share Files with your Clients

Once a design is ready for client review, sending it to them can be as easy as sending an email. These emails include a link to a Web page where the clients can directly download the file through their web browser – thus avoiding the file size limits imposed by email. The clients can then download the file and make any suggestions or changes they see fit. If the file sharing service allows uploads from non-members, the client can then navigate to the architectural firm’s upload page and send the file back. Unlike email, this process is nearly instantaneous, so the file is available as soon as the upload is complete.

How Secure is File Sharing?

Most companies are keen on keeping their information private (and for good reason). Thankfully, Internet-based file sharing is much more secure than email…many such services include at least password-protection, and several include encrypted uploads and downloads at no additional cost to their users. This is a boon to architectural firms in particular as it helps ensure that the plans and drawings they share with their clients are not accessible to the wider world (or competitors).

So there you have it: cheaper than couriers. Easier than FTP. More secure than email. For architects looking for an easier way to collaborate and work with clients, online file sharing is a good bet – but don’t take my work for it: sign up for a 30 day free trial and find out for yourself!

File Sharing Should be Easy

All these services (including FilesDIRECT) do, however, offer the ability to share files with people who may never set foot in your office. Really good services let you share any kind of file: documents, spreadsheets, Photoshop files, videos, etc. no matter how exotic or unusual the file type. New users can usually sign up in a matter of minutes (or seconds!) and are usually easy to use – especially when compared to outdated technologies like FTP. This is great for folks who aren’t that comfortable with technology and can really smooth workflow for everyone involved.

File Sharing vs. FTP

Many companies used to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to send or receive large files, but have found it to be a generally difficult system: difficult to set up, difficult to train people on and difficult to use. Using a file sharing service like FilesDIRECT means companies can provide simple, easy to use file sharing to employees and clients without the expense of hiring an IT specialist to set up, maintain or modify an FTP system.