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Share files between users

Encryption keys in Sophos Secure Workspace are derived from passphrases.

Do not create a new encryption key for every file but think about how you want to organize access to your content.

If you have a group of files that should be shared with other persons:

  1. Encrypt all these files with the same encryption key.
  2. Tell the other users the passphrase for the key.
  3. If another user, with access to the same file (for example using shared cloud storage), opens the file from their device and the key is not yet in their keyring, Sophos Secure Workspace asks for the passphrase. If the user enters the correct passphrase, the encryption key is added to their keyring.

    This is why you only need to distribute the passphrases, not the encryption keys.

Note

Two encryption keys created from the same passphrase will be different. This is because some random data is added during key creation to improve security.

Tell recipients of your encrypted files not to create encryption keys before receiving files but to wait until they are asked for the passphrase for a document.

Note

If Sophos Secure Workspace is managed by Sophos Mobile, you can share files without the need to distribute a passphrase if both you and the recipients have the encryption key in the corporate keyring.