Maintaining data security in a network device

1. A method of maintaining data security, implemented in a network device, the method comprising:

generating different keys comprising a secret key, a client key, and a server key, wherein the client and server keys form the secret key when combined;

encrypting data received from a sender with the secret key;

generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for requesting the data from the network device, the URL comprising the client key and a randomly-generated data identifier associated with the data;

sending the URL to an electronic address of a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request comprising the client key and data identifier from the recipient;

recreating the secret key by combining the server key with the client key from the received request;

decrypting the data using the recreated secret key;

sending the data to the recipient responsive to decrypting the data using the recreated secret key.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising discarding the recreated secret key responsive to decrypting the data using the recreated secret key.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving further data from the sender or recipient, wherein the further data is associated with, and received separately from, the data received from the sender;

encrypting the further data with the recreated secret key.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein recreating the secret key is responsive to:

sending an authentication code to the recipient; and

receiving the authentication code from the recipient within a threshold period of time allowed to the recipient for authenticating.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein recreating the secret key is further responsive to receiving the authentication code from the recipient within a threshold number of authentication attempts allowed to the recipient for authenticating.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a file and a separate text-based message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the different keys is responsive to receiving the data from the sender.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing one or more of the different keys in, and retrieving the one or more of the different keys from, a key storage repository.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the URL further comprises a randomly-generated recipient identifier associated with the recipient, the method further comprising;

generating a different URL, the different URL comprising the data identifier, the client key, and a different randomly-generated recipient identifier associated with a different recipient;

sending the further URL to an electronic address of the different recipient.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the secret key comprises combining the client and server keys.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the client and server keys comprises selecting respective parts from the secret key as the client and server keys.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the client and server keys is responsive to receiving an instruction informing the network device to discard the secret key.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discarding:

the secret key responsive to encrypting the data; and

the client key responsive to sending the URL.

15. A network device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to exchange signals over a network;

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry and configured to:

generate different keys comprising a secret key, a client key, and a server key, wherein the client and server keys form the secret key when combined;

encrypt data received from a sender with the secret key;

generate a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for requesting the data from the network device, the URL comprising the client key and a randomly-generated data identifier associated with the data;

send the URL to an electronic address of a recipient via the communication circuitry.

16. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive a request comprising the client key and data identifier from the recipient;

recreate the secret key by combining the server key with the client key from the received request;

decrypt the data using the recreated secret key;

send the data to the recipient responsive to decrypting the data using the recreated secret key.

17. The network device of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to discard the recreated secret key responsive to decrypting the data using the recreated secret key.

18. The network device of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive further data from the sender or recipient, wherein the further data is associated with, and received separately from, the data received from the sender;

encrypt the further data with the recreated secret key.

19. The network device of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to recreate the secret key responsive to:

sending an authentication code to the recipient; and

receiving the authentication code from the recipient within a threshold period of time allowed to the recipient for authenticating.

20. The network device of claim 19 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to recreate the secret key further responsive to receiving the authentication code from the recipient within a threshold number of authentication attempts allowed to the recipient for authenticating.

21. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the data comprises a file and a separate text-based message.

22. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the different keys responsive to receiving the data from the sender.

23. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to store one or more of the different keys in, and retrieving the one or more of the different keys from, a key storage repository.

24. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the URL further comprises a randomly-generated recipient identifier associated with the recipient, and the processing circuitry is further configured to:

generate a different URL, the different URL comprising the data identifier, the client key, and a different randomly-generated recipient identifier associated with a different recipient;

send the further URL to an electronic address of the different recipient.

25. The network device of claim 15 , wherein to generate the secret key, the processing circuitry is configured to combine the client and server keys.

26. The network device of claim 15 , wherein to generate the client and server keys, the processing circuitry is configured to select respective parts from the secret key as the client and server keys.

27. The network device of claim 26 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the client and server keys responsive to receiving an instruction informing the network device to discard the secret key.

28. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to discard:

the secret key responsive to encrypting the data; and

the client key responsive to sending the URL.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product for controlling a programmable network device, the computer program product comprising software instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of the programmable network device, cause the programmable network device to:

generate different keys comprising a secret key, a client key, and a server key, wherein the client and server keys form the secret key when combined;

encrypt data received from a sender with the secret key;

generate a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for requesting the data from the network device, the URL comprising the client key and a randomly-generated data identifier associated with the data;

send the URL to an electronic address of a recipient.