Tips To Safely Share Photos Online

Sharing photos online has become a part of the daily routine for many. Nowadays, pictures on the Internet go far beyond personal expression, becoming integral tools for branding and business communication. 

But this simple act carries many challenges and risks regarding privacy and security. Therefore, it is important to learn how to navigate the complexities of online photo sharing with an informed mind. This article highlights safe practices for sharing photos online, addressing common concerns, and providing practical solutions. This guide delves into ensuring pictures remain private and using secure platforms for storing and sending images.

The Risks of Sharing Photos Online

Sharing pictures online in general, and via email in particular, includes a lot of risks. 

• It may lead to identity theft, privacy invasion, and financial manipulations.
• Once an image is uploaded to the Internet, it becomes almost impossible to trace it further. 
• Photos can be screenshot, saved on other devices and reshared without the consent of their owners. 
• Once online, it is almost inevitable that third parties will gain access to every picture you send or post online. 
• Another significant concern is the security of the platforms used for storing and sharing these images. Professionals frequently question the credibility of popular cloud storages. For instance, is Dropbox safe for pictures? While popular cloud services offer convenience, their security measures and privacy policies should be thoroughly evaluated.
  

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Balancing Quality and Security

The importance of visual content quality for branding and business promotion is undeniable. Choosing the best photo sharpening software is paramount for professionals since the image quality represents the brand’s reputation to potential customers. Low resolution, blurriness, and lack of focus on pictures are just not aesthetically unpleasing. These drawbacks are often the reason why a product is not properly represented and does not appeal to customers.

That is why investing in photo editing tools, such as 4k image upscaler or an AI image generator,is pivotal for every business that works with visual content. However, it creates a new challenge for picture-sharing security. The higher the quality of a photo, the larger the file size is. The capacity of cloud storage like Dropbox is usually limited. It means that users are often forced to choose between the amount of  images shared safely and the quality of these images. 

Luckily, there are several websites to share photos privately without sacrificing their quality — ShootProof, SmugMug, Format, etc. Their features might include, in part, photo storage with no limit, the ability to download high-resolution photos, watermarking digital files, shareable link creation, full-resolution cloud storage services for large files, options to deliver images, etc. It’s also possible to upscale your images if you loss your image quality.

Photo Sharing Safety Recommendations

The following photo sharing recommendations will help you securely share images with reduced cybersecurity risks: 

1. Analyze Photos You Share

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should carefully analyze the information you share. It is important to understand what information is safe to share online. To maintain a business successfully, business owners should share news about their company and the products or services it offers, including prices. However, sharing personal details of employees on public platforms is often not advisable!

2. Photos Shouldn’t Contain Personal Data

Before sending a picture via email or posting it on social media pages, make sure it does not contain:

• Financial records
• Other people’s personal data (for business owners, this point particularly refers to information about their workers and customers)
• Computer systems and databases
• Intellectual property

If the  image does contain any of these, conceal them using a free blurring tool. And you’ll be able to send your picture without any worries.

3. Use File Encryption Tools

When choosing the most secure way to send pictures, especially when dealing with sensitive client data or proprietary information, it is important to regard that file-sharing tools should be encrypted. Encrypted file transfer services or secure email platforms provide a safer alternative to conventional methods. This reduces the risk of interception or unauthorized access.

4. Study the Privacy Policy

We all know that our digital privacy is important, so while using social media platforms, cloud storage or photo-sharing websites, take your time to study the service’s privacy policy. Adjust privacy settings to control who can share your content. Ensure that your devices and cloud storage services are protected with the latest security software. 

5. Apply Watermarks

Watermarking is an easy and effective way for professionals to protect their content. Watermarks helps establish ownership and discourages unauthorized use or distribution. 

An AI image editor can automatically apply subtle, non-intrusive watermarks across batches of images while maintaining visual quality. For example, a graphic designer might use AI tools to efficiently watermark draft versions of their work when sending them for client review.

6. Backup Your Images 

Regularly backup your images in secure locations like an external hard drive, a secure cloud service, or both. Backing up ensures you have a safe copy of your photos in case of any online breaches. For photographers who use stock photo platforms like Depositphotos, it’s particularly important to maintain backups of original, high-resolution files, as these are often required for uploads and potential future edits.

7. Review Shared Photos

Periodically review your shared photos and remove those no longer necessary to have online. Regular reviewing minimizes the risk associated with having numerous images accessible on the Internet.

How To Safely Send Photos By Email?

• Use Encrypted Email Services: Email services offering end-to-end message encryption can be a safer way to communicate. For instance, a marketing agency sending draft designs to a client could use a service like ProtonMail to ensure the content is secured against unauthorized access.
• Compress and Password-Protect Files: Before sending photos, compress them into a ZIP file and secure it with a strong password. Use a different communication channel to share this password. For example, a freelance photographer sending a batch of photos to a magazine could use this method for added security.
• Avoid Sending Sensitive Information: Be cautious about the content within the photos. Avoid sending images that display sensitive data. A cybersecurity expert, for example, should never email photos that include visible passwords or confidential data on their screens.
• Verify Recipient’s Email Address: Always double-check the recipient’s email address to prevent sending photos to the wrong person. A digital agency could implement a policy where email addresses are verified against client records before any sensitive material is sent.
• Use Watermarks for Intellectual Property: If you send photos of your intellectual property, consider using watermarks. A graphic designer might watermark draft versions of their work when sending them for initial review.
• Regularly Update Security Software: Ensure your email client and antivirus software are up-to-date to protect against malware and phishing attempts. It is vital for all professionals, from entrepreneurs to SaaS companies.
• Educate Yourself on Phishing Scams: Be aware of phishing emails that may request you to send photos or personal information. For example, you could get a seemingly legitimate email request for portfolio photos. This may be a phishing attempt.
• Use Alternative Secure Sharing Methods When Appropriate: Consider whether a secure cloud-sharing service might be a better option than email for large or numerous files. For instance, an architectural firm might use a secure file-sharing service to send high-resolution blueprints instead of email.

Wrapping up

Sharing pictures on the Internet has become an inevitable part of our self-expression and a crucial component of most business strategies. This brings in new challenges regarding privacy and safety. 

Information security is much more than a personal concern; it is a business imperative. The digital world demands a compromise between enhancing your visual content and ensuring its safe storage and transmission.

This guide aimed to provide you with valuable insights and actionable advice to mitigate risks associated with online photo sharing. The purpose is to inform you about potential risks and ways to avoid them. We hope that by implementing these practices, you can share your photos online more confidently than before!

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Ahona Rudra

Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC

Ahona is the Marketing Manager at PowerDMARC, with 5+ years of experience in writing about cybersecurity topics, specializing in domain and email security. Ahona holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism and Communications, solidifying her career in the security sector since 2019.

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