Learn & Resources
Everything you need to understand how 4EverFile protects your documents — from upload to permanent proof.
🔗 Platform Overview
4EverFile is a document management platform built on distributed ledger technology. When you upload a document, we generate a unique mathematical fingerprint (SHA-256 hash) and write it permanently to a public, tamper-proof ledger. This creates an irrefutable, timestamped record that the document existed in its exact form at that moment.
No central authority can alter or delete this proof. Anyone with the original file can independently verify it against the ledger — without needing an account, without seeing any private data, and without trusting a third party.
🚀 Getting Started
Upload & Anchor
Navigate to Upload and drag-and-drop your file. A SHA-256 hash is computed instantly in your browser — before the file ever leaves your device. The hash is then queued for ledger anchoring, and you'll receive a transaction receipt once confirmed.
Manage Documents
Access all your anchored files in the Documents section. View anchoring status, organize files, request signatures, generate verification certificates, and track version history — all from a single dashboard.
Verify Authenticity
Use the Verify tool to check any document against the ledger. Drop a file into the verification zone — if it matches a previously anchored hash, the system mathematically proves its authenticity and original timestamp.
⚓ Document Anchoring
What is anchoring?
Anchoring is the process of permanently recording your document's cryptographic fingerprint on a distributed public ledger. Once written, this record is immutable — it cannot be altered, backdated, or deleted by anyone, including 4EverFile.
How does it work?
- Your browser computes a SHA-256 hash of the file — a unique 64-character string derived from the file's binary content.
- The hash is submitted to 4EverFile's anchoring service, which writes it to our on-chain smart contract on a high-throughput Layer-2 network.
- Once the transaction is confirmed (typically under 10 seconds), you receive a transaction hash — a permanent receipt linking to the public ledger record.
🏛️ Permanent Vault
Standard anchoring records the proof of your document on the ledger, but the file itself is stored on 4EverFile's encrypted cloud infrastructure. The Permanent Vault goes further — it stores the actual file on a decentralized, permanent storage network.
How is this different?
| Standard | Permanent Vault | |
|---|---|---|
| Hash on ledger | ✓ | ✓ |
| File on 4EverFile servers | ✓ | ✓ |
| File on permanent network | — | ✓ |
| Survives if 4EverFile shuts down | Hash only | Hash + File |
🔐 Encryption & Key Management
4EverFile offers client-side encryption using a three-envelope key architecture. Your document is encrypted before it ever reaches our servers, and the decryption key is split across multiple independent recovery paths.
Platform Envelope
Managed automatically by 4EverFile. Used for seamless access when you're logged in. You never need to think about this key.
Recovery File
Protected by your personal passphrase. You download a .4evervault recovery file that works independently — even if 4EverFile ceases to exist.
Ledger Backup
The same passphrase-protected key is stored alongside your document on the permanent storage network. A last-resort recovery path that lives forever.
✍️ Digital Signatures
4EverFile supports three types of digital signatures, each recorded in a tamper-proof hash chain attached to the document.
Cryptographic Signature
Paste your RSA private key to produce a mathematically verifiable signature. The strongest form of non-repudiation — proves the signer possessed the private key.
E-Signature
Draw your signature on a canvas pad. The drawn image is hashed and chained to the document record. Simple, fast, and legally recognized in most jurisdictions.
Wallet Signature
Connect a Web3 wallet to sign with your blockchain identity. The wallet address becomes a permanent, publicly verifiable part of the signature chain.
📋 Approval Workflows
Send documents for multi-party review and approval. Each step in the workflow generates a unique, secure link for the reviewer.
How workflows operate
- From a document's detail page, click Request Signatures and add one or more reviewers (name, email, role).
- Each reviewer receives a unique, one-time approval link — no 4EverFile account required.
- Reviewers can Approve, Decline, or Request Changes, with an optional written response.
- All actions are recorded with timestamps and visible on the document's workflow panel.
🏅 Verification Certificates
Generate a public, shareable certificate page for any anchored document. Certificates serve as self-contained proof — usable in courts, mediations, audits, or any setting requiring independent verification.
What a certificate contains
- Document title and file metadata
- SHA-256 content hash
- Ledger transaction ID with link to the public record
- Block number and confirmation timestamp
- Permanent Vault status (if activated)
- Verification badge showing current anchoring state
🗃️ Document Archiving
Keep your active workspace clean by archiving documents you no longer need day-to-day. Archiving is non-destructive — the document's ledger proof and all associated data remain fully intact.
How archiving works
- From any document's detail page, click the Archive button and confirm.
- The document moves from your active Documents list to the Archive section.
- To restore, open the Archive, find the document, and click Restore.
🛡️ Security Architecture
4EverFile implements enterprise-grade, multi-layer security across every stage of the document lifecycle.
🔒 Encryption at Rest
All stored files are protected with AES-256 server-side encryption, managed automatically by our infrastructure. Data is encrypted the moment it arrives and remains encrypted on disk.
🔐 Encryption in Transit
All connections use TLS 1.3 with modern cipher suites. Data moving between your browser, our servers, and storage backends is always encrypted end-to-end.
🧬 File Validation
Every upload undergoes multi-layer validation: magic byte verification, extension whitelisting, ZIP bomb detection, and SVG XSS prevention. Malicious files are rejected before processing.
🧱 Content Security Policy
Strict CSP headers prevent cross-site scripting, code injection, and unauthorized resource loading. All scripts and styles are authorized via nonce-based enforcement.
🗂️ Path Sanitization
Filenames are sanitized to prevent path traversal and shell injection. Downloads are served with nosniff and attachment headers to block browser-based execution.
🔑 Access Control
JWT-based authentication with HttpOnly cookies. Every API call verifies organization membership before returning any document data. No document is ever served without an authorization check.
📜 Version History
Every time you upload a new version of an existing document, 4EverFile preserves the full chain of prior versions. Each version gets its own independent ledger anchor and hash.