🕐
Time-based security
Core concept
Secret lifetime is limited regardless of user actions
Security formula:
Risk = Value × Time_existence
✅Advantages
- Guaranteed deletion at set time
- Independent of recipient actions
- Suitable for different time zones
- Simple to use
⚠️Considerations
- Recipient might not read in time
- Need to account for time zones
- Cannot extend after creation
- Requires time coordination
⏱️
Time-to-live options
10min
Emergency
For urgent situations
Confirmation codes
Emergency passwords
1h
Work
Within work day
Temporary access
Meetings and calls
24h
Planned
Day with buffer
Different time zones
Weekends and holidays
7d
Long-term
Complex coordination
International projects
Vacations and trips
How to choose TTL
Selection factors
- •Task urgency
- •Participant time zones
- •Information importance
- •Ability to recreate link
Golden rule
TTL = Task_time + 50% buffer, but no more than week
🌍
Time zone challenges
Typical problem
Sender and recipient in different time zones
Problem example:
Moscow (UTC+3): created at 6PM, TTL=2 hours
London (UTC+0): received at 4PM, time until burn: 1 hour
Tokyo (UTC+9): received at 12AM, time until burn: -3 hours
Result: link already unavailable in Tokyo!
✅Solutions
- Time bufferAdd +4-8 hours to estimated time
- Time coordinationAgree on receive time in advance
- PlanningCreate links during recipient's work hours
Best practices
•Specify time in UTC when sending
•Add +25% buffer to estimated time
•Warn recipient about expiration time
•Use calendar apps for coordination
🎭
Practical scenarios
💼
Business meeting
Situation:
Need to share data for presentation tomorrow at 2PM
Solution:
Create link tonight
⏰TTL:18 hours
💡Until meeting + 2 hour buffer
🏠
Personal planning
Situation:
Share address with friends for weekend
Solution:
Send Friday evening
⏰TTL:3 days
💡Weekend + Monday morning
🚨
Emergency
Situation:
Urgently share password with colleague
Solution:
Minimal TTL + phone call
⏰TTL:30 minutes
💡Time to read + small buffer
🆚
Comparison with other methods
| Method | Time control | Best for | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-time message | On read | Quick sharing | Simple |
| Burn after reading | On read + control | Critical data | Medium |
| Disappearing messages | Strictly by time | Different time zones | Simple |