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Create a Vault

Set up your first secure vault in 3 minutes

Vaults are encrypted containers for your sensitive documents and information. This guide will walk you through creating your first vault and configuring basic settings.

Before You Begin​

Prerequisites:

  • ✅ Torvus Security account created
  • ✅ Two-factor authentication enabled
  • ✅ Logged into the Platform

Time Required: 3-5 minutes

Step 1: Navigate to Vaults​

  1. Log in to app.torvussecurity.com
  2. From the dashboard, you'll see the "Vaults" section
  3. Click "Create Vault" button (green button in top-right)

Alternative: You can also access vaults from the sidebar navigation → Vaults → Create New Vault

Step 2: Basic Information​

Enter the essential details for your vault:

Vault Name​

  • Required: Yes
  • Example: "Personal Documents", "Family Vault", "Legal Files", "Business Records"
  • Best Practice: Use descriptive names that clearly indicate the vault's purpose
  • Tip: You can change the name later in vault settings

Description​

  • Required: No (but recommended)
  • Example: "Important family documents including wills, insurance policies, and account information"
  • Best Practice: Write a brief description (1-2 sentences) explaining what's stored in the vault
  • Tip: This helps recipients understand the vault's contents when released

Tags​

  • Required: No
  • Example: "personal", "legal", "financial", "family"
  • Best Practice: Add relevant tags for organization (especially useful if you have multiple vaults)
  • Tip: Tags can be used to filter and search vaults later

Step 3: Configure Initial Settings​

Storage Settings​

Storage Limit:

  • Default: 10 GB per vault
  • Upgrade plans offer more storage (50 GB, 100 GB, or unlimited)
  • You can monitor storage usage in vault dashboard

File Types:

  • All file types are supported by default
  • Maximum file size: 500 MB per file
  • Supported formats: PDF, images (JPEG, PNG, HEIC), videos (MP4, MOV), Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), archives (ZIP, RAR), and more

Privacy Settings​

Vault Visibility:

  • Private (default): Only you and invited recipients can see the vault
  • Shared: Vault is shared with specific users you designate

Encryption:

  • All vaults are encrypted by default (AES-256)
  • Encryption happens on your device before upload (end-to-end encryption)
  • Even Torvus staff cannot access your vault contents

Access Control​

Who Can Access:

  • Owner (you): Full access to vault (upload, delete, configure policies, manage recipients)
  • Recipients: People you designate to receive vault access when policies trigger
  • Vault Members (optional): Collaborators with specific permission levels

Permission Levels (for vault members):

  • Viewer: Can view documents only
  • Operator: Can view and upload documents
  • Admin: Can view, upload, and manage vault settings (except deletion)

Step 4: Review and Create​

  1. Review your vault configuration:

    • Name: ✅ Clear and descriptive
    • Description: ✅ Explains vault purpose
    • Settings: ✅ Configured appropriately

  2. Click "Create Vault" button

  3. Confirmation: You'll see a success message and be taken to your new vault's dashboard

Result: Your vault is now created and ready to use!

What's Next?​

Now that you've created a vault, here are the next steps:

Immediate Actions​

  1. Upload Documents: Add your first files to the vault
  2. Add Recipients: Designate who should receive vault access
  3. Configure Release Policy: Set up automatic release conditions

Optional Configuration​

  1. Vault Settings: Customize notifications, storage, and access control
  1. Organize Documents: Tag and categorize uploaded files

Common Vault Types​

Personal Vault​

Purpose: Store personal documents, passwords, and important information

Typical Contents:

  • Government IDs (passport, driver's license)
  • Insurance policies (health, auto, home)
  • Medical records and prescriptions
  • Financial documents (tax returns, investment statements)
  • Passwords and account recovery information

Recipients: Spouse, adult children, trusted friend, attorney

Policies: Inactivity policy (monthly check-ins) + date-based release (after death)

Family Vault​

Purpose: Share important family information and documents

Typical Contents:

  • Family will and estate planning documents
  • Life insurance policies
  • Property deeds and titles
  • Birth certificates and marriage certificates
  • Family history and legacy information

Recipients: Spouse, children, executor of estate

Policies: Death certificate verification + manual release option

Purpose: Store legal documents and case files

Typical Contents:

  • Contracts and agreements
  • Court documents
  • Client files (for attorneys)
  • Intellectual property documents
  • Business formation documents

Recipients: Business partners, legal counsel, clients

Policies: Inactivity policy (weekly check-ins) + manual release

Cryptocurrency Vault​

Purpose: Store crypto wallet recovery information

Typical Contents:

  • Seed phrases (12-24 word recovery phrases)
  • Private keys
  • Exchange account information
  • Hardware wallet PINs
  • Instructions for heirs

Recipients: Trusted family member + attorney + technical advisor

Policies: Inactivity policy (monthly check-ins) + death certificate verification

Journalist/Activist Vault​

Purpose: Protect sensitive materials and sources

Typical Contents:

  • Source materials and documents
  • Investigative notes
  • Encrypted communications
  • Evidence and media files
  • Contact information for sources (encrypted)

Recipients: Editor, colleague, attorney, trusted journalist

Policies: Inactivity policy (daily or weekly check-ins) + manual release (emergency)

Vault Limits​

Free Plan​

  • Vaults: 1 vault
  • Storage: 5 GB
  • Recipients: Up to 3 recipients per vault
  • Documents: Unlimited
  • Policies: 1 active policy per vault

Standard Plan ($9.99/month)​

  • Vaults: Up to 5 vaults
  • Storage: 25 GB per vault
  • Recipients: Up to 10 recipients per vault
  • Documents: Unlimited
  • Policies: 3 active policies per vault

Professional Plan ($24.99/month)​

  • Vaults: Unlimited
  • Storage: 100 GB per vault
  • Recipients: Unlimited
  • Documents: Unlimited
  • Policies: Unlimited

Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing)​

  • Vaults: Unlimited
  • Storage: Custom (500 GB - 10 TB per vault)
  • Recipients: Unlimited
  • Documents: Unlimited
  • Policies: Unlimited
  • Add-ons: Journalist Mode, Digital Legacy, Crypto Assets, Document Signing

Tips & Best Practices​

Vault Organization​

✅ DO:

  • Use descriptive vault names ("Estate Planning" not "Vault 1")
  • Add detailed descriptions explaining vault contents
  • Create separate vaults for different purposes (personal, business, crypto)
  • Tag vaults for easy filtering

❌ DON'T:

  • Create too many vaults (3-5 is usually sufficient)
  • Use vague names ("Important Stuff", "Files")
  • Store unrelated documents in the same vault
  • Leave vaults without descriptions

Security Best Practices​

✅ DO:

  • Use strong, unique passwords for your Torvus account
  • Enable two-factor authentication (required)
  • Regularly review and update recipient list
  • Test your release policies periodically

❌ DON'T:

  • Share your Torvus password with anyone (including recipients)
  • Use the same password as other services
  • Forget to update recipients if relationships change
  • Ignore check-in reminders

Content Strategy​

✅ DO:

  • Store truly important documents (legal, financial, irreplaceable)
  • Organize documents with tags and folders
  • Keep vault contents up-to-date (remove outdated docs)
  • Include instructions for recipients in document descriptions

❌ DON'T:

  • Store everyday files (use Google Drive or Dropbox instead)
  • Upload documents without organizing them
  • Let vault become cluttered with old, irrelevant files
  • Assume recipients know what to do with documents

Troubleshooting​

Problem: "Create Vault" button is grayed out​

Possible Causes:

  • You've reached your plan's vault limit
  • Your account is not fully activated

Solution:

  1. Check your current plan in Settings → Subscription
  2. Upgrade to a higher plan if at vault limit
  3. Verify email if account not activated

Problem: Vault creation fails with error message​

Possible Causes:

  • Network connectivity issue
  • Browser compatibility problem
  • Session expired

Solution:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Try refreshing the page and logging in again
  3. Clear browser cache and cookies
  4. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari recommended)
  5. If issue persists, contact support

Problem: Cannot find newly created vault​

Possible Causes:

  • Vault creation didn't complete successfully
  • Vault is filtered out by search/tags

Solution:

  1. Navigate to Vaults page and check All Vaults view
  2. Clear any active filters or search terms
  3. Check Recently Created section
  4. If vault still doesn't appear, try creating again

Need Help?​

Last Updated: October 7, 2025