Security

Hiding a page doesn’t protect the files inside it. FileDeck Pro moves protected files into a deny-all directory and streams each download only after re-checking your permission, so a restricted file has no working public URL by default. When you need to share one deliberately, it can also issue a signed link that expires. Here’s exactly how both work — and where the limits are.

How protected files are stored

When you protect a document, its file is moved out of the openly served uploads folder into a directory shielded by web-server rules (an .htaccess deny on Apache; an equivalent snippet for nginx). The file no longer has a working public URL of its own.

How downloads are authorised

• Streamed, not linked (by default): the file is read and streamed by FileDeck after an access check; the standard download URL isn’t a public file link.
• Access checked every time: each ordinary request re-verifies the visitor still meets the document’s rules before a byte is sent.
• Default URL carries no token: the standard download link has nothing to copy or leak — access is tied to the visitor, not baked into the URL.
• No direct URL ever works: the raw file path returns 403 Forbidden, whether or not anyone is logged in.

Optional: expiring share links

Sometimes you need to send a protected file to someone who can’t log in — an auditor, a parent, a printed QR code. FileDeck can generate a signed download link that works for 15 minutes, then returns 410 Gone. Be clear on what this is: a valid signed link is itself the authorisation. During its window it lets whoever holds it download the file without logging in, and it deliberately skips the lead-capture form — that’s the point of a share link. So treat a signed link like the file itself, and only issue one when you mean to share. Any request without a valid signature still falls back to the full per-visitor access check.

Access rules you can set

• Password: per category — visitors enter a password to unlock it.
• Role: restrict a category to one or more WordPress roles.
• Per-document visibility: public, logged-in users only, or author only.
• Expiry: a document drops out of libraries and downloads after its expiry date.

What happens if you deactivate FileDeck

Your documents and files are never deleted on deactivation. Protected files remain in their shielded directory; re-activating restores the download routing. (Uninstalling only removes data if you explicitly opt in.)

Honest limitations

We describe controls precisely and let you assess them — we don’t claim FileDeck makes any organisation “compliant” with a particular standard.

• Protection depends on your web server honouring the deny rule. Apache (and most managed WordPress hosts) apply it automatically; nginx needs one location block added once — FileDeck writes the exact snippet into the protected folder for you.
• An authorised user can always re-share a file they were legitimately given — no download system can prevent that.
• File protection is a Pro feature; the free version uses standard WordPress visibility only.
• This page will gain a full changelog, a security contact and a disclosure policy.