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Encrypt legal case files without a document management system
You don't need a document management system to run privileged material safely. A per-case Elba vault gives you a sealed folder per matter — locked at rest, portable to any machine, and free of any third party in the middle.
One vault per matter
Name the vault by matter number. Drop in pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and client notes. Back up the sealed bytes to your usual cloud drive — the drive stores an opaque box.
Why this matters for privilege
Client-side encryption keeps you in the ‘direct custodian’ position. No vendor holds a key to your client's file; no vendor can be compelled to hand it over.
Questions people actually ask
- Can two lawyers share the same vault?
- Yes — copy the sealed folder to a shared drive and share the password out of band. Elba does not manage multi-user access.
- What about e-discovery?
- You can produce specific files by exporting them from the unlocked vault. Elba doesn't index for you.
Take the island
Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.
- €49MMXXVI· now ·
- €39MMXXVII2027
- €29MMXXVIII2028
- €19MMXXIX2029
- FreeMMXXX2030
the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030
pay once · no account · nothing leavesRelated guides
- File encryption for lawyers: privilege, at rest
A quiet, offline way for lawyers to protect client files at rest. Elba seals a folder with AES-256-GCM — no cloud, no account.
- Encryption for private investigators — case files sealed
For PIs: per-case Elba vaults for surveillance notes, photos, and witness statements. AES-256-GCM at rest, portable to any client meeting.