What blockchain does it run on? How is it free? Who's paying the blockchain transaction fees?
Bitcoin. It uses Blockstack DNS made on Bitcoin blockchain to give decentralized access to anyone.
The PLUS plan is on the way.
Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
31–37 of 37 posts
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#32This service will be used by people who have a sexual interest in children to share images of child sexual abuse.
What processes do you have in place when law enforcement approach you for information?
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#33You can have your own private web-based file transfer server in maybe around 100 lines of PHP where you have total control over file expiry and no need to trust any third parties except perhaps your VPS provider. If you need more secure than that, courier an encrypted thumb drive or something.
As I point out earlier, BlackHole goal is to give you a hassle free way to send your file in a private way. Many many users cannot and do not want to make their own service. Also, BlackHole has many layers of security and a nice interface to work with. For pro users, we are making a cool CLI version.
Also, you can use your own Gaia provider at signup, and all the files will be uploaded there.
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#34How does it work? Who is hosting the data and what incentive do they have for storing and serving unlimited amounts of your private data?
Simply put, it works like this:
-Check the file or folder you want to send
-Compress it, if it is needed and wise
-Split and Encrypt with advanced standards
-Give you an optional choice to add a heavy layer of password protection
-Give you a nice link to share
-Upload the parts, in the meantime, the receiver can get the file as you upload them
We are using a Gaia provider, and give users a limited 512MB per file plan, that should cover most of the daily uses. But, you can make your own provider and set it at sign up, then all the files will be uploaded on that provider, and no files, key, or metadata will touch our servers. Also, PLUS plan is on the way.
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#35Cool. Congrats on the launch. What's plus going to cost?
Thank you very much!
BlackHole is a young project, and PLUS plan will be available along the way.
You should pre register, we will contact you with all the info.
https://blackhole.run/pre-register
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#36This service will be used by people who have a sexual interest in children to share images of child sexual abuse. What processes do you have in place when law enforcement approach you for information?
We do not store any info from the users, except authentication info getting at signup that Blockstack needs.
BlackHole is not a social network or sharing service internally, see it like a secure post or a flash drive, whoever use it or post it publicly owns the responsibility, and where the links are shared, could be controlled.
Re: Show HN: BlackHole – Fast, free and encrypted file transfer for Windows and Mac
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd say the primary use case is data which you want to keep public forever. Such as your legacy before you pass away (it is pay once, host forever, right?). Such as an encrypted insurance file for Mr. Assange. I can also imagine this would be interesting for copyright infringement (eventually with spliced files; e.g. with RAR .rar .r01 r02 etc), or for an activism, or whistle-blower. I suppose though that once that '…
Yes Fnoord, this is one potential use case but not the primary one. Our focus is on giving people an EASY and SECURE way to send their file to each other. Most other services out there are easy to use but not secure or private, or very secure, but you need to be a semi developer to use them. If anyone shares their file publicly, it will be their responsibility.
https://send.firefox.com/ is probably the easiest way to securely send a file that I can think of off the top of my head. You don't need to be a developer, and the file is automatically deleted after a period of time.
With a file stored on the blockchain, I remain continuously and permanently vulnerable to a data breach or any other loss of secrecy control. The moment that link/password combo is compromised, that file is permanently public.
Now, you could argue that the moment a file is briefly public, it can be downloaded and thus is outside of your control anyway, and you'd be correct. But the case I'm more specifically thinking of is trying to send a large, reasonably secret file through email. You can't attack 1GB to mail, so you upload it somewhere and send the email with the url/password.
If you use Firefox Send, that file gets to its recipient, and then shortly thereafter, the link becomes invalid. If I use this service, that link stays valid forever. If my company's email archive is then later exfiltrated by a hacker or disgruntled employee, that secure file in the first case remains secure. In the second case, it's now compromised.
This doesn't invalidate certain uses of your service, but to not mention anywhere on your site that uploaded files will remain available irrevocably and forever is negligent.