A business case for revolutionizing secure file transfer with post-quantum cryptography and user-friendly design
Despite living in an age of daily cyber threats and strict data regulations, businesses still struggle with secure file transfer. Employees routinely bypass IT safeguards – 71% of office workers globally admit to sharing sensitive company data through unauthorized messaging and collaboration tools. This behavior exposes organizations to breaches and compliance penalties. In Australia, the average data breach now costs AUD $4.26 million (≈USD $2.8M), a 27% increase since 2020. Such incidents aren't rare – phishing and stolen credentials are leading causes – and they underscore a critical need for better secure communication channels.
Meanwhile, traditional encryption solutions have failed to gain broad adoption due to complexity. PGP, once the go-to tool for encrypting files/email, is now considered antiquated – security experts bluntly state that "PGP is bad and needs to go away". Its 1990s design and clunky user experience mean that no competent crypto engineer would build a system like PGP today. Usability studies famously showed even tech-savvy users struggling for hours to set up PGP properly. In practice, most people simply won't use such cumbersome tools, leaving sensitive files unencrypted and sent over email or consumer cloud drives. The bottom line: organizations lack a user-friendly, modern way to share files with strong end-to-end encryption. This gap between security needs and practical tools presents a major opportunity.
SurePack is a next-generation secure file transfer platform designed to fill that gap. It delivers end-to-end encrypted file sharing with anonymity and ease of use – essentially "PGP for 2025" but without the pain points. SurePack consists of two main components:
How it works: Users generate an anonymous digital identity (an X.509 certificate) with a simple command. The system produces a random, memorable alias comprising three words (e.g. crow-mandate-current.publickeyserver.org) as the certificate name. This serves as the user's public address on the Suredrop server. No personal details or login are required – the design follows an Anonymous Certificate Enrollment (ACE) protocol, meaning anyone can obtain a certificate without disclosing their real identity. (If desired, an email or name can be optionally bound to the cert, but it's not required.) The three-word alias is easy to communicate and verify, unlike long PGP key fingerprints. It's even a valid DNS name – entering the alias URL in a browser will fetch that user's public key certificate for verification.
With an alias in hand, secure sharing becomes straightforward:
contracts/*.pdf), choose one or more recipient aliases, and "pack" them into a SurePack encrypted package. Under the hood, each file is compressed and split into chunks, then encrypted with a fresh 256-bit AES key in GCM mode. For each recipient, that AES key is encrypted with the recipient's RSA-2048 public key, and then that RSA key cipher is again encrypted using a Kyber1024 post-quantum key encapsulation. This hybrid encryption (AES-GCM + RSA + Kyber) ensures both classical security and quantum resilience. Even if RSA-2048 is cracked in the future, the additional Kyber layer means the file's AES key remains safe. Cryptography is implemented with proven libraries (Bouncy Castle), and all steps are fully automated for the user.POST /package/{recipient} API call. The server, knowing each recipient's public key, stores the encrypted package in that recipient's "dropbox" on S3. The server cannot read the contents – it only sees envelope metadata and the opaque encrypted blobs.surepack list and surepack receive commands or GUI clicks). Upon receiving, the SurePack client will use the recipient's private key to decrypt the small AES key (layered via Kyber+RSA) and then decrypt all file contents. The result is the original files, intact and secure. Because each package used a one-time AES key, Perfect Forward Secrecy is achieved – compromising one package's key reveals nothing about others.From a workflow perspective, SurePack feels simple: users exchange human-readable aliases, not long keys; creating and sending an encrypted bundle is as easy as zipping files; and receiving is as easy as checking an inbox. All the complexity (key generation, encryption, signature, server upload/download) is handled behind the scenes by the SurePack client and server.
SurePack introduces an Anonymous Certificate System that provides the trust of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) without the usual overhead. The three-word random aliases act like self-chosen email addresses for encryption. Key features:
crow-mandate-current) is easy to read and communicate compared to a 40-character PGP key hash. It's unique (collision chance is astronomically low) and tied to our server's domain for authenticity.https://crow-mandate-current.publickeyserver.org), verifying someone's public key is as simple as visiting their alias URL. The server will present their certificate (which browsers can check against the trusted CA). This provides a user-friendly way to confirm keys, tackling a long-standing PGP challenge of key verification. It's a simplified validation model – essentially "if you can reach the alias on our server, you've got the right key," backed by our certificate authority.(For cases where identity is important, the system allows optional binding of an email to the certificate and lookup by that identity. But if anonymity is preferred (e.g. whistleblowing, confidential tips, or simply privacy-conscious collaboration), the alias alone suffices.)
Each file package is secured through multiple layers, combining time-tested algorithms with cutting-edge cryptography:
AES-256-GCM for content encryption: A robust, industry-standard symmetric cipher provides the actual data confidentiality and integrity (with GCM authentication).
RSA-2048 for key encryption: Widely trusted public-key encryption ensures that only the intended recipient (with their RSA private key) can unwrap the AES key. RSA-2048 has decades of scrutiny and is still deemed secure against classical computers.
Kyber1024 for post-quantum security: SurePack is ahead of the curve on quantum threats. Kyber (a lattice-based KEM) was selected by NIST as the primary post-quantum encryption standard. We've integrated Kyber at the top layer, meaning even a future quantum computer cannot break the key exchange. This "belt-and-suspenders" approach (RSA and Kyber) future-proofs our encryption – a crucial differentiator as experts warn that quantum computers capable of cracking RSA/DH could be reality within the next decade. In fact, the industry has already begun migrating: 13% of TLS 1.3 traffic in 2024 was observed using post-quantum encryption – early adopters taking the quantum threat seriously. SurePack positions us at the forefront of this shift, offering quantum-resistant security now.
Digital signatures (SHA-512 with RSA): Every SurePack package includes a signed manifest and envelope, ensuring that recipients can verify the package indeed came from the claimed sender and hasn't been tampered with. This prevents spoofing or alteration of files. The signatures use SHA-512 hashes with RSA, providing strong integrity checks.
The result is a system that meets or exceeds modern cryptographic best practices. Unlike PGP's dated ciphers and lack of forward secrecy, SurePack employs forward secrecy by design (one-time keys) and up-to-date primitives. Security engineers have long called for such measures – e.g. key management that is transparent to users, forward secrecy, and "cryptography that post-dates the Fresh Prince" (i.e. anything but 1990s algorithms). SurePack delivers exactly these elements in a cohesive package.
SurePack ensures that only the intended recipients can decrypt files – not even the server operator (us) can read the data. The server simply relays encrypted packages and stores public certs. This aligns with a zero-trust philosophy and gives clients confidence that their sensitive files (financial records, contracts, IP, personal data, etc.) remain private. Even if our server or S3 storage is compromised, the attackers get only gibberish ciphertext. End-to-end encryption is increasingly a baseline expectation – for example, over 90% of web traffic is now sent over HTTPS, and popular messengers like WhatsApp and Signal have familiarized users with E2E encryption for messages. SurePack brings that same level of protection to file transfers.
Unlike PGP which only handled encryption and left actual delivery to email or other means, SurePack integrates the delivery mechanism via Suredrop. The user doesn't have to separately figure out how to share the ciphertext – the system seamlessly provides a drop-box style delivery. This makes it far more convenient to use. It also adds features like download tracking and expiration – the server can note when a package was picked up and can enforce one-time download or auto-delete after a period, reducing lingering sensitive data. (Packages are typically removed from the server once all recipients have downloaded, or after a certain time-to-live, to minimize exposure.)
Each SurePack certificate (alias) is intentionally short-lived and disposable by default. This is a security design choice: if a key is compromised, it limits the damage window. Users are encouraged to generate new aliases over time or for different contexts. (The system could implement revocation lists or automatic expiration to enforce this in future updates.) This contrasts with PGP's model of long-lived keys tied to identities, which experts criticize as risky. Here, if there's any concern a private key might be exposed, the user can simply create a new alias/certificate and move on – no extensive "web of trust" fallout. Ephemeral keys and identities by default make the system more resilient.
The SurePack client already supports a comprehensive set of operations (as a result of our completed development effort). Users can create identities, pack/unpack files, send/receive packages, list incoming files, verify certificates, and even launch a GUI for those less command-line inclined. The inclusion of a GUI is important for adoption – many users prefer a simple visual interface, and we have that covered. For power users or integration into other software, the client's CLI and the open RESTful API mean the solution can be scripted or built into other tools. For example, a company could integrate SurePack into an email gateway or a document management system using the API, automatically encrypting outgoing files that meet certain criteria.
In summary, SurePack's innovation is offering military-grade security with consumer-grade simplicity. It eliminates the historical trade-off between security and convenience:
The timing for SurePack is ideal. Secure file transfer is a growing market and a pain point for many organizations. Multiple independent analyses show this market is already multi-billion dollar in size and rising steadily. For example, one report estimates the global secure file transfer market at $2.4 billion in 2024 and projects it to reach about $3.7 billion by 2033. Another study projects an even faster growth trajectory – from ~$2.3 billion in 2023 to over $5 billion by 2033 (8%+ CAGR). This growth is driven by the urgent need for data protection across all industries. As digital transformation and remote work expand the exchange of sensitive data, companies are investing in secure transfer solutions "to avoid data breaches and comply with privacy laws".
Importantly, regulatory pressures are increasing. Laws like the EU's GDPR, California's CCPA, HIPAA in healthcare, and Australia's own Privacy Act demand strict safeguarding of personal data in transit. Companies face heavy fines and legal penalties for exposing customer or confidential information. (GDPR, for instance, allows fines up to 4% of global turnover for serious violations.) According to market research, the rollout of privacy regulations worldwide has pushed organizations to prioritize secure file transfer methods to remain compliant. In Australia, the government passed the Cyber Security Act 2024, the first cybersecurity-specific law, signaling a regulatory push for better cyber hygiene. Businesses that proactively secure their file exchanges will not only avoid penalties but also build trust with clients who are increasingly concerned about privacy.
Additionally, high-profile data breaches and espionage cases have made cybersecurity a boardroom issue. Executives now recognize that insecure file sharing (e.g. emailing unencrypted spreadsheets or using personal Dropbox accounts) is a liability. In a recent survey, 68% of U.S. employees admitted to saving or deleting company information from IM apps on their own, outside of official IT control – behavior that could lead to compliance nightmares. Organizations are actively seeking solutions that lock down file sharing without disrupting workflow. SurePack fits this need perfectly: it gives employees an easy tool that actually enhances security without forcing them to jump through hoops. By embracing a solution like SurePack, a company can mitigate the human factor in data leaks (often cited as the weakest link in security) while enabling productivity.
On the technology front, the need for post-quantum encryption is emerging as a strategic concern. Government agencies and large enterprises are already planning upgrades to their cryptography, fearing a "harvest now, decrypt later" scenario where adversaries steal encrypted data today to decrypt in a decade. NIST's standardization of algorithms like Kyber in 2024 is a clear green light: organizations are expected to start integrating PQC into products immediately. In fact, global tech players have started doing so – e.g., Cloudflare's data shows significant adoption of PQC in web traffic. This is a key timing advantage for SurePack: we are delivering a solution that is quantum-resilient from day one. This can attract forward-looking customers (finance, government, defense, critical infrastructure) who are mandated to achieve quantum safety in the near term. It also future-proofs our product, giving it a longer market lifespan and differentiation against older solutions.
In short, the confluence of market demand, regulatory drivers, and technological transition creates a perfect storm that SurePack is positioned to capitalize on:
SurePack stands out against both legacy solutions and current competitors:
Versus PGP and Email Encryption: PGP has notoriously low adoption outside niche tech circles, due to poor usability and outdated design. Experts have documented PGP's myriad problems – from "absurd complexity" in its format to the lack of forward secrecy and reliance on long-term keys. Even modern email encryption efforts (S/MIME or PGP-based plugins) struggle with key distribution and user errors. SurePack eliminates these pain points. There is no key ring chaos, no manual exchange of public keys or signatures, and no risking that someone doesn't have the right plugin. By using a centralized lookup server for certificates (similar in spirit to how Let's Encrypt provides certificates automatically), SurePack removes the friction that stopped PGP from ever going mainstream. It's the "no IT overhead" solution – users don't need to be cryptography experts or hunt down each other's keys. Additionally, SurePack is built on modern encryption (AES-GCM, RSA-2048, SHA-512) with no outdated ciphers. As one blogger quipped, PGP is so old that if "Will Smith looked like this when your cryptography was current, you need better cryptography". We use 2020s crypto, not 1990s crypto.
Versus Consumer File-Sharing (Dropbox, WeTransfer, etc.): Typical file-sharing services prioritize convenience but not end-to-end privacy. They might encrypt data on the server, but the service can still access your files (holding the keys), or the files are sent via just TLS and then stored unencrypted on the receiver's side. Those services also offer no sender authenticity guarantees or long-term confidentiality. In contrast, SurePack provides true zero-knowledge file transfer – even if a cloud storage provider or network is compromised, the attacker gets nothing useful. For industries like legal, healthcare, or finance dealing with confidential documents, this level of security is essential. Moreover, our solution can be self-hosted if needed (since it's based on ASP.NET Core and S3, a company could run their own instance for complete control). This appeals to enterprises with compliance requirements to keep data in-country or under specific governance.
Versus Enterprise Managed File Transfer (MFT) Solutions: There are enterprise MFT and secure email gateway products (e.g. Kiteworks, Globalscape, Accellion). While they offer secure channels, they are typically expensive, complex to deploy, and often not truly end-to-end (they decrypt and re-encrypt data on servers for DLP scanning, etc.). Many require users to log into a web portal to retrieve files or have cumbersome password exchange for each file sent. SurePack's simplicity is a differentiator – it's more agile and user-centric. It can be rolled out without heavy infrastructure (the cloud server backend could even be offered by us as a service, lowering client IT burden). And unlike typical MFT, our anonymous certificate model means built-in user privacy – we don't force every user to be registered with personal details. This could be a selling point for journalists, NGOs, or any collaboration where participants need pseudonymity.
Uniquely Anonymous + Identity-Optional: In today's world, providing privacy-preserving technology can be a market winner. Messaging apps like Signal gained adoption partly by not requiring user identities beyond a phone number. SurePack's ability to operate without tying files to explicit identities opens up use cases – from whistleblowing platforms to simply protecting employee privacy on internal communications. Yet, when identity is needed (say a law firm wants to know which attorney sent a file), the system supports it. This flexibility sets us apart: competitors either focus on anonymity (e.g. OnionShare for anonymous file sending over Tor) but lack enterprise manageability, or they focus on enterprise identity and forget privacy. SurePack uniquely bridges that gap, offering the option for either mode.
In summary, SurePack combines the security experts have long desired with the usability that end users actually need. As one cryptography professor noted, there is "so much potential in this area and so many opportunities to do better... it's time to stop looking backwards". SurePack is that better, forward-looking solution – delivering secure file sharing that is robust, easy, and ready for the threats of tomorrow.
The SurePack platform has been fully developed and validated in real-world conditions. The heavy R&D lifting (architecture design, cryptographic implementation, and prototyping) is complete and validated in action. A working codebase exists for both client and server components. In fact, a reference implementation is live at publickeyserver.org, demonstrating the technology's real-world viability. This significantly de-risks any commercialization effort: this is not unproven technology, but rather a complete solution ready for productization and market launch.
Key development milestones already achieved:
With the core platform complete, what remains is primarily polish, packaging, and go-to-market execution – areas where investment can accelerate success:
From an investment perspective, this represents a compelling opportunity because much of the technical risk has been eliminated through completed development work. Investment would primarily accelerate product hardening and market scaling rather than fundamental research. Essentially, there is a proven engine that needs productization and go-to-market execution. The platform's modular architecture and cloud-native design enable rapid scaling without major infrastructure investment.
SurePack represents a unique market opportunity to deliver a cutting-edge cybersecurity solution at the exact moment enterprises need it most. It addresses a clear and growing pain point with a solution that combines technical sophistication with user-centric design. All current trends – remote collaboration, stricter privacy regulations, rising cyberattacks, and the emerging post-quantum cryptography transition – point toward surging demand for exactly this type of secure file sharing capability.
The platform is a working, innovative solution that outperforms legacy alternatives (as evidenced by expert criticisms of existing tools) while offering concrete, measurable advantages. The approach is supported by defensible market data: global surveys demonstrate the need for better security practices, market research shows increasing organizational investment in secure file transfer, and government bodies like NIST are urging immediate adoption of the very cryptography that SurePack implements. This provides strong customer value propositions and competitive differentiation.
Investment in SurePack's productization and go-to-market represents an opportunity to capitalize on a proven innovation with significant revenue potential. The platform leverages cutting-edge technology, addresses global market demand, and could establish market leadership in a niche aligned with the future of cybersecurity. The upside is substantial – even capturing a small fraction of a multi-billion dollar market yields significant returns – while the downside is minimized by the substantial development progress already completed.
Secure, anonymous, quantum-ready file sharing is not theoretical; it's operational today in SurePack, and the market is actively seeking such solutions. This presents a clear opportunity to transform a proven innovation into commercial success, positioning stakeholders at the forefront of secure communication technology. SurePack represents the right solution at the right time, with the technical foundation to deliver on market demand.
Sources:
© 2024 Public Key Server Project | GitHub Repository