Why Exposing Storage is a Bad Idea while Sharing Files

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Why Exposing Storage is a Bad Idea while Sharing Files

Exposing Cloud Object Storage (like AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, or Google Cloud Storage) directly during file sharing can be a bad idea from the perspective of security, operations, and compliance.

Security Risks

  • Unauthorized Access:  Exposing a storage bucket or container can enable anyone on the internet to access, modify, or delete sensitive data.
  • Credential Leaks: If misconfigured, attackers can easily get tokens, access keys, or other sensitive configuration files stored in public buckets.
  • Enumeration Attacks: Enumeration Attacks: Public storage can be enumerated through automated scripts to find and download files, even if the URLs are encoded.
  • Link Sharing Risks: Whenever you’re sharing a URL (especially a long-term or permanent one), it can be forwarded, indexed, or brute-forced.

Compliance Violations

  • Data Privacy Laws: Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA enforce strict protocols on data storage and dissemination. Public disclosure can lead to non-compliance, incurring heavy fines and litigation.
  • Auditing Failures: Exposed files are more difficult to trace, and it becomes challenging to provide audit trails and access logs for compliance reporting.
  • No user-level usage tracking: You can’t easily identify a person who downloaded a file unless logs are integrated.

Loss of Control

  • No Revocation or Expiry: Public links do not support easy ways to revoke or expire once they are shared.
  • Version Control Issues: Once a file is downloaded or cached by someone, you don’t have any control over which version they’re using or sharing.

Unexpected Costs

  • Egress Fees: When a file is accessed multiple times because it is public (for instance, posted in a viral message), you may incur high bandwidth fees.
  • Resource Drain: Open access can lead to denial-of-wallet attacks—when your cloud bill rises due to malicious or unintentional access.

Scalability and Abuse

  • No abuse protection or throttling: A file shared can be downloaded thousands of times, increasing bandwidth usage and the associated costs.
  • Denial of Service risk: Malicious users can exploit exposed endpoints to drive up bills or crash your services.

Not Built for End Users

  • No preview, versioning, or collaboration features: End users expect features like previews, commenting, or file versioning that object storage lacks.
  • Bad UX: Exposed object URLs give a clunky experience; users may be confused or suspicious of them.

How NirvaShare Prevents Storage Exposure and Safeguards Data

NirvaShare is a secure file sharing software designed to help organizations share files stored in cloud storage (like AWS S3, Azure Blob, or Google Cloud Storage) without exposing their storage buckets directly. Here’s how NirvaShare helps prevent cloud storage bucket exposure while enabling secure file sharing:

Access Control Without Public Bucket Exposure

NirvaShare enables you to send files to external or internal users without sharing the storage bucket publicly. NirvaShare acts as a secure proxy or intermediary between your users and your storage.

  • No open permissions or public URLs are needed for the bucket.
  • Files are delivered to users in safe, temporary, and managed links by NirvaShare

Authentication and Authorization

You can enforce identity-based access control, meaning only authorized users can access shared files.

  • Supports SSO, email OTP, password-based access, or integration with identity providers (like Okta, Azure AD).
  • You can restrict access based on user identity, email domains, IP addresses, or time-based expiration.

Secure File Sharing Workflow

When you share a file:

  • The document stays in your personal cloud storage.
  • NirvaShare generates a secure download/upload link which points to NirvaShare (not the cloud storage).
  • Upon access, NirvaShare verifies permissions and shares the files securely.

Time-Limited and Auditable Sharing

You can define:

  • Expiry dates for shared links.
  • Download limits.
  • Audit logs for who accessed which files and when

No Need to Move or Duplicate Files

While other applications require moving files to independent public folders or services, NirvaShare works alongside your existing storage but offers the same degree of security.

Summary

NirvaShare provides enhanced security by:

  • Eliminating public access to cloud buckets.
  • Adding identity controls for shared files.
  • Creating time-limited, auditable, secure links.

If you’re on S3, Azure Blob, or GCS and have a requirement to share files with the outside world without exposing data, NirvaShare is a decent zero-trust alternative for sharing files from buckets or generating signed URLs manually.