Setting Up File Access Controls: Who Gets What

You probably have files that different people need: your spouse needs bank access, your kids need photos, your business partner needs domain credentials. Here's how to set up access controls so each person gets exactly what they need - nothing more, nothing less.

The Problem with Sharing Everything

The simple approach is to give everyone access to everything. But that's rarely what you want:

• Do your kids really need access to your bank statements?
• Should your business partner see your family photos?
• Does your spouse need your company's API credentials?
• Should everyone have your cryptocurrency wallet keys?

Access controls let you compartmentalize. Each person gets the files they need for their specific purpose. Nothing more.

The Three Types of File Recipients

Most people need to set up access for three categories of recipients:

1. Family/Personal

Spouse, children, close relatives who need:

• Bank account credentials
• Insurance policy documents
• Property deeds
• Family photos and videos
• Medical records
• Tax documents

2. Business/Professional

Business partners, co-founders, or key employees who need:

• Domain registrar access
• Hosting credentials
• GitHub/repository access
• Email admin credentials
• API keys and secrets
• Customer lists or contracts

3. Technical/Crypto

Trusted tech-savvy people who need:

• Cryptocurrency wallet seed phrases
• Hardware wallet PINs
• Exchange account access
• Server SSH keys
• Encrypted backup recovery keys

How to Structure File Access

The practical way to set this up is with "packages" - groups of files designated for specific people or purposes.

Example: Family Package

Recipient: Your spouse

• Bank account logins (checking, savings, credit cards)
• Insurance policies (life, health, home, auto)
• Investment account credentials
• Property documents (deed, mortgage)
• Family photos folder
• Tax returns (last 7 years)

Example: Business Continuity Package

Recipient: Business partner or co-founder

• Domain registrar credentials (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
• Web hosting login (AWS, DigitalOcean, etc.)
• Email provider admin access (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
• GitHub organization owner credentials
• Payment processor access (Stripe, PayPal)
• Server SSH keys and passwords

Example: Crypto Recovery Package

Recipient: Tech-savvy family member or friend

• Hardware wallet seed phrases (24-word recovery phrases)
• Hardware wallet PINs
• Exchange account credentials (Coinbase, Kraken, etc.)
• Wallet addresses and balances (for reference)
• Instructions for recovery process

Access Control Best Practices

1. Use the Minimum Necessary Principle

Only give people access to files they actually need. Your business partner doesn't need to see family photos. Your spouse doesn't need API keys for your SaaS product.

2. Separate Sensitive from General

Create different packages with different sensitivity levels:

• High Security: Cryptocurrency, bank accounts (maybe 1-2 recipients)
• Medium Security: Business credentials, domain access (relevant people only)
• Low Security: Photos, general documents (can be shared more broadly)

3. Consider Encryption Modes by Package

With Inheritfy, you can use different encryption modes for different packages:

• Server-side (SSE): For general files like photos - convenient for recipients
• Client-side (CSE): For sensitive files like bank credentials - maximum privacy
• CSE+Escrow: For cryptocurrency - zero-knowledge with recovery option

4. Document Recovery Instructions

Include a README file in each package explaining:

• What these files are
• How to use the credentials
• Who to contact if they have questions
• What to do first, second, third

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Giving Everyone Everything

Sharing all files with all recipients defeats the purpose of access controls. Be selective.

Not Updating Access Lists

People's roles change. Your business partner might leave. Your kids grow up and become more trustworthy with financial info. Review quarterly.

Forgetting About Dependencies

If someone needs access to email to reset other passwords, make sure they get the email credentials too. Think through the access chain.

No Recovery Instructions

Just giving someone a seed phrase isn't helpful if they don't know what a cryptocurrency wallet is. Include step-by-step guides.

Technical Implementation

Modern file delivery systems let you set this up programmatically:

1. Create separate vaults for different categories (family, business, crypto)
2. Upload files to the appropriate vault with clear labeling
3. Create packages that pull from one or more vaults
4. Assign recipients to each package
5. Choose encryption mode per package based on sensitivity
6. Set verification requirements (how many people must confirm before release)

Testing Your Setup

Before you rely on this system, test it:

• Can recipients actually access the files when released?
• Do the instructions make sense to someone who isn't you?
• Are there any files missing that someone would need?
• Can people decrypt client-side encrypted packages if needed?

Some platforms let you do a "test release" to verify everything works without actually triggering the dead man's switch.