Private & Public
Pentos Files has two libraries: Private and Public. You pick the library when you upload a file or create a folder, using the Private and Public tabs in the left sidebar. A file stays in the library it was created in.
Private Files
Private files and folders are visible only to you and the people you share them with. Their names and descriptions are encrypted, so they are unreadable in our database. Every time you open a private file, Pentos checks that you have access before it gives your browser a signed link to it.
Public Files
Public files are meant to be seen by anyone. Each one has a permanent link: anyone with it can open the file, even without a Pentos account. Copy it from the file’s three-dot menu with Copy Link, or from Public Link in the file’s Info sidebar.
Public file and folder names are not encrypted, since the content is meant to be openly available. A public file’s link works only after the file passes its security check, and it keeps working while the file is archived or in the Recycle Bin. It stops only when the file is permanently deleted.
Comparison
| Public | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can open it | Anyone with the link | You and people you share it with |
| Link | Permanent, no sign-in required | Issued after an access check, for signed-in users |
| Name encryption | None | Names and descriptions encrypted |
| Best for | Content you want anyone to see | Personal or sensitive files |
Security
Files in both libraries are protected in the same ways:
- Encrypted connections: files are uploaded and served over HTTPS.
- Checked uploads: every file is checked and scanned before anyone else can open it.
- Inert content: web pages and scripts are stored and shown as plain text, and SVG images are cleaned of scripts, so a file can’t run code in a viewer’s browser.