Keep the archival source, digital scan, citation, family-recipient permission, encrypted copy and recovery copy distinct. For living people, minimize birth, marriage, address and identity details before any family handoff.
01 / DECISIONProtect the genealogy record without hiding ownership
File encryption and recipient authorization are different controls. Before handing off a private genealogy record, verify the named recipient, business purpose, approved version and delivery route. Use provider permissions where collaboration is needed and a separate channel for secrets where an offline archive is justified.
A family historian freezes a private collection for relative review. The team first proves the workflow with fictional genealogy scans, documents each authorized role and preserves the working source separately.
Run the control sequence
- 01
Confirm recipient identity, role, purpose and approval.
- 02
Select the smallest genealogy record collection needed for the decision.
- 03
Choose an approved provider permission or controlled archive route.
- 04
Send access instructions through a separate verified channel.
- 05
Capture receipt, review window, revision request and withdrawal owner.
Preserve decision evidence
Record package ID, collection, sender, recipient, authority, provider permission or archive route, instruction channel, receipt, review deadline, replacement and withdrawal status.
Stop when
- The recipient is an unverified shared address.
- A broad archive is sent when one collection is sufficient.
- The password travels in the same message or package.
The record should show the approved collection, tested environment, responsible people and known limitations without storing passwords or unnecessary genealogy record content.
Separate the surrounding controls
Does not replace provider permissions, guaranteed backup, password recovery or enterprise identity management. Encryption does not assign provider permissions, verify a recipient, preserve every backup or remove plaintext working copies automatically.
Genealogy archive questions
Should the encrypted archive become the live genealogy record?
No. Keep the authoritative source and citation in the approved genealogy workspace and archive named scan collections deliberately.
Does resetting a password recover an existing archive?
Do not assume so. Document the product-specific recovery boundary and test a separate recovery copy.
Primary references
References support specific boundaries and do not imply endorsement.