A pastebin is a temporary online location where you can upload and store text. It is most often used by programmers to share code or technical information. Pastebin services also have been used for illegal and illicit activities, often by hackers who have stolen data and posted it for other thieves to see and use. Like many services that start out with good intent, they can be misused. However, they still provide value for those who need some basic security when sharing information.
The first pastebin, of course, is the service that snagged the dotcom domain name. Pastebin is the website where you can store any text online for easy sharing. It is mainly used by programmers to store pieces of software source code or configuration information, but anyone is more than welcome to paste any type of text, according to the site. Pastebin maintains a wide variety of tools and applications to make it easier for you to keep info private, such as, a Chrome extension, iOS apps, Android apps, Windows 10 app for desktop access, plus even more technical options.
I first found out about the pastebin concept when a financial professional needed to quickly share something with me online and it needed to be secure and encrypted. He shared the content via PrivateBin (with a private URL) and only he and I could see the text. I was shocked that I had not yet heard about the text sharing services like it. This particular service is a minimalist, open source pastebin where the server has zero knowledge of pasted data, so you can think of it as a text-based Snapchat. Your content disappears when you close the browser.
These services have proven increasingly useful to me and while I do not need them often it is useful to have a variety of ways to maintain privacy. As you will see in some upcoming posts that center on apps that help you protect your online data and conversations, this is an area where you will want to know about such services.
We have gotten comfortable, perhaps too much so (myself included) with simply checking the “Agree” on any and all terms of service online. It is simply smart to protect your data, but sometimes hard to do. For people in authoritarian countries, encryption might be what keeps that individual or group alive. Although we might presume a certain level of privacy and protection from our most-used service providers, it is far from reality, so sometimes, you need a little service like a pastebin to protect your privacy and anonymity.
One of the key features to pay attention to with any pastebin is the period of time that a “paste” stays on the server. On the Pastebin dropdown (PrivateBin does this as well on the top of screen where you paste), “Paste Expiration” you can select “Burn after read.” Or leave it up for a few days, if needed. You control it, that’s the main point. So, pay attention to the options as you paste important and possibly private info to any service and dig in a bit to understand how it works. In general, they are meant for short term sharing and get deleted automatically. As you move around the web, keep a pastebin in mind as you share ideas and information with your friends, families, or allies. You may find Pastebin or PrivateBin quite helpful. Feel free to share other privacy-focused apps or services you use with me on Twitter.
