Secure encrypted data storage and features of working with it. Cloud storage security rating

Important data can be stored on external media - hard drives, USB flash drives, even floppy disks. However, the safety of information in this case will be constantly under threat, because the physical object is easy to lose. If the USB stick contains confidential information about the activities of the organization, the USB stick can be stolen by competitors - which will cause enormous damage to the company.

For these reasons, USB-drives are becoming a thing of the past - like disks and floppy disks in their time. They are being replaced by cloud data storage, allowing you to access files at any time and from any computer. In this article, we will give a rating of cloud storage and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of various services.

Cloud storage is an online storage within which user data is distributed across multiple servers. The user does not know the structure and location of the servers; from his point of view, the "cloud" is a large virtual flash card, the information on which is protected by a password.

Using cloud storage is quite simple: a person needs to register on one of the sites offering data storage services, remember the login / password, then upload valuable information “to the Internet”. When the information is necessary for him, he visits the same site from any PC or mobile gadget, logs in and gets access to the information.

Cloud services have many advantages over other data storage methods:

• The user does not risk losing information irrevocably in the event of a computer or gadget failure.
• Information from the "cloud" is convenient to share - you can send links to individual files via mail or social networks.
• The user has to pay only for large amounts of memory. If his needs are small, he has the right to limit himself to a free quota, which is provided by almost all storage facilities.
• The user can set up file sharing and, as a result, organize joint work with data online.

When it comes to the disadvantages of cloud storage, users first of all express doubts about whether such services are able to guarantee the confidentiality of the information entrusted to them. As an example, a well-known incident that happened to dropbox in 2011 - when, after the update, anyone could log into any account using a random password. Undoubtedly, you cannot vouch for the reliability of all cloud storage- that is why it is so important to approach the choice of a service for storing information carefully and scrupulously.

Top cloud storage: which service to choose?

Some of the best cloud storage services include:

Google Drive

• Free seat: 15 GB.
• : 5 TB.
• : 30 TB.
• : Supported on Android above 4.4 and iOS above 8.0.

The service is quite young - its launch took place only in 2012. However, despite this Google Drive(aka Google Drive) has already managed to achieve well-deserved global popularity and the laurels of one of the most convenient cloud storages.

Convenience Google Drive lies in the fact that this "cloud" is integrated with all other services from Google- of which there are a huge number. The user, for example, can send a letter received to the mailbox to the storage with just one click gmail, save the photo uploaded to the "cloud" in the application Google Photos. Besides, Google Drive allows the user to open and edit documents Google Docs.

The application boasts a curious feature Google Drive for Android - it is capable scan documents. Just click the "Scan" button and take a photo of the document - the PDF file will be in the "My Disk" section.

In favor Google Drive say a large number of supported file formats (over 30), the ability to configure offline access to documents, support for the SSL protocol, which guarantees the security of stored information. Active users of ecosystem services Google you don’t even need to think about looking for another cloud storage - Google Drive make them 100% satisfied!

Premium subscription cost:

139 rub. / month	699 rub. / month	RUB 6,990 / month	RUB 13,990 / month	20 990 rub. / month

Yandex.Disk

• Free seat: 3 GB expandable up to 10 GB.
• Maximum size of one file: 10 GB (when using the program) / 2 GB (when downloading via browser).
• Maximum amount of space: 1 TB.
• Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0.3, iOS above 8.0, Windows Phone 7 / 8 and Symbian 9.3.

In terms of disk space limitations, the Russian service Yandex.Disk looks completely uncompetitive compared to cloud storage Google Drive. In particular, instead of 15 "free" gigabytes, only 3 gigabytes are provided to the user. Another 7 GB can be obtained for participating in the referral program, but not every user wants to spam their friends. The maximum amount of disk space for one account is also small - only 1 TB (for Google 30 TB). However, exactly Yandex.Disk is considered among domestic users the most popular "cloud". For what reasons?

At Yandex.Disk other benefits than the service from Google, and for a Russian they are important. In the "cloud" from Yandex, for example, it is possible to upload photos and videos from social networks " In contact with" and " Classmates» directly without the use of additional software. Cloud storage is integrated with all kinds of services from Yandex, can be integrated with the office suite Microsoft Office 2013, as well as connect to TVs equipped with the function SmartTV.

Besides, Yandex.Disk has the right to boast of its cross-platform - there are web clients and mobile applications not only under iOS, Android, Windows, but also under linux and Symbian.

At the same time, Google experts linux- they are only working on a version of their cloud storage, and apparently they do not intend to release applications for Windows Phone and Symbian at all. Among domestic users of mobile technology, there are a lot of fans of the company Nokia and its smartphones running exactly on the two operating systems named earlier - these users have a mobile Google Drive not available.

As a result, we can say that the popularity Yandex.Disk in Russia is determined not only by the desire of users to support the domestic brand, but also by the presence of quite tangible advantages over foreign services.

Premium subscription cost:

	100 GB
300 rub. / year	800 rub. / year	2000 rub. / year

One Drive

• Free seat: 5 GB
• Maximum size of one file: 10 GB.
• Maximum amount of space: 5 TB.
• Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 9.0, Windows Phone 7 / 8, Symbian Belle and MeeGo 1.2.

Among cloud storage OneDrive from Microsoft- a real dinosaur. This service has been operating since 2007, but until 2014, users were familiar with it under the name skydrive. I had to go to renaming because of a lawsuit with a television company BSkyB who accused Microsoft in plagiarism.

Unfortunately, lately the "cloud" OneDrive became more and more rapidly losing ground and yielding to similar services from Google and other developers. The fact that in 2016 Microsoft reduced the amount of free space in its cloud storage from 15 GB to 5 GB, obviously did not add OneDrive popularity. "Cloud" Microsoft does not have any outstanding advantages over analogues - the main advantages of this service are integration with the package Office 365 and the ability to organize simultaneous work on documents online. Alas, other services also give access to documents, but in addition they offer a lot of other "goodies".

Continue to store information in OneDrive it is advisable only for those users who applied to the services of this service before the reforms of 2016. Old account holders still have access to 15 free gigabytes.

Premium subscription cost:

Mega

• Free seat: 50 GB.
• Maximum size of one file: unlimited (when downloading from a browser - 2 GB).
• Maximum amount of space: 4 TB.
• Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 7.0, Windows Phone 7/8, BlackBerry 10.

Just think - 50 free gigabytes! Whereas competitors offer only 10-15 GB! About cloud storage Mega- the brainchild of the New Zealand company of the same name - I want to tell so much that it would be enough for several articles.

"Cloud" Mega It is remarkable not only for the large amount of free space. Safety has always been considered its main advantage. Actually, to create Mega developer Kim Dotcom was prompted by the scandalous revelations of Edward Snowden, who said that American citizens can only dream of confidentiality of information. Mega uses end-to-end encryption: data is encrypted in the browser - as a result, the program Mega does not know what information the user has loaded onto the disk.

However, Kim Dotcom himself undermined the credibility of his offspring, saying in 2015 that personal information is in danger and users should urgently make backup copies.

According to the creator of the service, the company experienced significant pressure from the US government, and this pressure was expressed mainly in the refusal to cooperate with Mega all payment systems, including PayPal. In fact, the start-up was doomed to exist without cash receipts at all. In the end, Kim Dotcom announced an unfriendly takeover of the company by Chinese investors and left - in his own words, to develop a competitor program for Mega.

History since Mega like a conspiracy thriller. Each user must decide for himself whether to trust the personal data of a company with such an ambiguous reputation. It is worth noting that in addition to Dotcom itself, the safety of information in Mega so far no one has complained.

Premium subscription cost:

200 GB	500 GB
4.99 euro / month	9.99 euro / month	19.99 euro / month	29.99 euro / month

Mail.ru cloud

• Free seat: 25 GB.
• Maximum size of one file: 2 GB (with the purchase of a place - 32 GB).
• Maximum amount of space: 4 TB.
• Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 7.0, Windows Phone above version 8.

Service Cloud Mail.ru, having appeared in 2013, immediately pleased users with an attraction of unprecedented generosity - each was provided with 100 free gigabytes. Later, the amount of free space was reduced to 16 GB, then increased to 25 GB - this limit is still relevant.

Among the advantages Mail.ru cloud” includes not only a large amount of free space. The service boasts a high download and upload speed for domestic users, as well as cross-platform - " Mail.ru cloud”, for example, is available to advanced users, on whose computers it is “worth” linux.

It is worth mentioning the shortcomings of the service. According to user reviews, " Cloud Mail.ru" is very "buggy" and often crashes when launched on older versions of Windows.

Users also complain that Mail.ru Group in addition to its cloud storage, it installs various toolbars and agents behind the scenes - but this is already a familiar story.

Premium subscription cost:

	128 GB	256 GB	512 GB
690 rub. / year	1 490 rub. / year	2 290 rub. / year	3 790 rub. / year	RUB 6,990 / year	13 900 rub. / year	27 900 rub. / year

Conclusion

The choice of users who are not afraid that their data will be stolen by foreign intelligence agencies is obvious - Google Drive is the most convenient cloud storage, giving an impressive amount of free space for free. Users who wish to support a domestic manufacturer should pay attention to Yandex.Disk and Mail.ru cloud. Both services, however, have very significant drawbacks: the cloud from Yandex provides little disk space, and the product from Mail and it's still quite "raw".

I would like to note that there is no dropbox one of the pioneers of cloud computing. Flaw dropbox in that it offers only 2 GB of free space - a trifle in today's times. In addition, the cloud service does not show flexibility in purchasing additional space; individuals are offered only 1 tariff. Otherwise, as disrespect for users, it is difficult to regard it.

Cloud file storage technologies are today considered an indispensable tool for a modern Internet user. Each of them has an account on one of the cloud drives: Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Mail.ru. Most have at least two of these services. In this article, we will look at the main network file storage services, ways to increase disk space on them, and give tips on how to use them effectively and safely.

What is cloud storage

Local drives and memory cards are physically connected to our computer or tablet by wires. Network drives are physically located in special server centers, where a stable power supply and a comfortable temperature regime are ensured. The local computer communicates with them via the Internet. When you access your cloud drive through a browser or mobile client application, the system displays a list of files stored on the server. When a user transfers a file from the local My Documents folder to the Cloud Storage, the document is physically copied over the Internet and gets to the server.

Therefore, even after the physical destruction of the phone or computer, the files will remain safe and sound. They can be viewed through a web browser on any computer or tablet.

To assess the popularity of disk storage, it is enough to cite one fact of statistics. As of 2014, the most popular cloud was Google Drive. The storage works by default on all Android devices, except for Chinese ones, where access to Google is limited. Its users were 240 million people.

What can you use Cloud Disk for?

The main tasks solved by users using network storages:

Developers are constantly improving the security system of their services. The standard today is to store user files in encrypted form. Without a special key, this is a useless collection of bytes.

The security of services should not be overestimated. In 2011, the reputable company IDC published its report, where it unsatisfactorily assesses the level of their secrecy and resistance to hacking. Experts recommended strengthening the level of authorization and encrypting files in storage and in transit. Most developers listened to the recommendations and made changes to their applications.

Logging into the Cloud Storage can be protected by two-factor authorization: specifying a password and confirming the login using your phone. But for most users, one password is enough.

When compiling this rating, the company's experts took into account technological solutions to ensure the security of user data and the presence of failures in the service in the past. Considering that all the storages presented in the diagram have been operating for more than 5 years, the history of the statistics of failure situations is comparable.

1. 1. Recognized as the safest OneDrive. Experts added to the advantages of the service innovative security system when the keys to encrypted files and the data themselves are stored on separate servers. By gaining access to only one of these arrays, the attacker will not be able to gain benefits. Recall that OneDrive is focused on the corporate market and is the default drive when subscribing to Office365. Subscribers are allocated up to 100 GB immediately, while free users receive only 6 GB.
   2. Named second in safety iCloud Drive. This cloud serves users of the apple ecosystem: iPhone, MacBook and other corporate solutions. Data encryption is performed here both during storage and during transmission. Overall, the storage is reliable and comparable to OneDrive in terms of security, but earned a negative point for failure in 2014. Many users were attracted to this scandal. The network went private photos of stars stored on their iPhone. if you use Apple technology, then you cannot do without a proprietary cloud. It backs up the data and system settings of the phone and laptop. With it, deleted photos and documents are recovered.
   3. Third place awarded Google Drive. Reason - insufficiently high degree of security when storing files . When transmitting data to the server and to the client device, the traffic is encrypted. In the pluses of the cloud, experts added two-factor authorization with password confirmation via SMS to the phone specified during registration. Experts note that in business accounts designed for corporations, Google Drive provides an increased level of security comparable to OneDrive. Regular users are advised to encrypt sensitive data themselves. For example, archive them with a password.
   4. Russian fourth place Yandex.Disk. Experts attributed a wide range of authorization methods to the security advantages of this cloud, including TouchID, PIN code and QR code. An important advantage for ordinary users - checking files for viruses . The transmission channel at the Yandex storage is encrypted, like that of competitors. The only serious failure is considered to be an error in the client program of the service under Windows, made by the company's programmers in 2013. Users were not left behind. They are allocated 200 GB of disk space for perpetual free use as compensation.
   5. Fifth place at the old-timer of the market - drop box. Its security flaw is no client-side encryption . Theoretically, this allows an attacker to intercept data in transit from a local device to a server. In 2011, there was a serious failure in the DropBox service. It only lasted 4 hours. During this period of time, it was possible to access the entire storage, and not just the data area of ​​a particular user. But we note that in 2011 there were simply no other competitors from the rating. DropBox was a pioneer in the field of network storage and had the right to make mistakes.

How to get more free cloud storage space

All cloud storages are commercial. Their main task is to earn the money required to cover the costs of supporting the development team and developing the server infrastructure. Therefore, a limited amount of space is provided to users for free. To get additional free space for storing photos and documents, you will need to meet certain terms of service or participate in promotions.

For example. Yandex.Disk offers 32 gigabytes of free space. autoload photos on mobile device.

Other cloud services also offer space expansion options for free:

• For inviting friends.
• For installing a cloud drive mobile application or program on a computer.
• Students and teachers for providing a photo of a student card or a pass to the university. Yandex.Disk allocates an additional 32 free gigabytes for this promotion.

Also, cloud file storage services provide free space through an affiliate scheme. For example, when buying laptops or tablets of a certain brand.

A universal way to multiply the space on cloud storage for free is to create several accounts.

How to install cloud drive on a computer

Three network storages are most suitable for a computer:

1. Google drive. It is chosen by active users of GMail services and a powerful online document and spreadsheet editor - Google Docs.
2. Yandex.Disk. A good choice when you don't need to use Google services. This is a reliable Russian cloud drive, for which you can easily get up to 42 GB or more of free space by enabling auto-upload of photos on your mobile device.
3. OneDrive. Users of computers and laptops with the Windows 10 operating system receive support for this network drive “in the load”. If you have a Windows account, 5 GB of space is allocated on OneDrive. A folder of the same name is created in the This PC shortcut, synchronized with the cloud.

Installing the program on a computer is required only for the first two services. OneDrive support is implemented at the system level. Here is a step-by-step instruction for installing the application using Yandex.Disk as an example.

Every modern smartphone out of the box includes support for at least one cloud storage.

• Apple phones come with iCloud support for backing up settings, system files, and syncing photos. Additionally, you can connect the Yandex storage using a program downloaded and installed from the official Apple app store.
• Samsung phones include support for two clouds at once: Samsung Cloud and Google Drive. Owners of smartphones of this brand have a Google account as Android users and a Samsung account for the manufacturer's proprietary services.
• Xiaomi phones out of the box support communication with Xiaomi's own cloud MiCloud. Everything works by analogy with the iPhone: backup copies are made on the network storage and photos from the camera are sent.
• Windows Phones come with OneDrive enabled. If you have an Office365 subscription, the amount of available space is increased by 100 GB.
• Smartphones on Android from other manufacturers have support for one cloud storage - Google Drive.

You can purchase additional space by fulfilling the requirements of service promotions or by purchasing it with money.

Please note that Android smartphones support Google Drive, but Google Docs and Spreadsheets require separate mobile apps to be installed. There is also a client program from Google Drive for easy navigation through the network storage. The latter is most often preinstalled on the phone.

If the capabilities of the pre-installed NAS are not enough for you, install a third-party one. The most popular: Yandex.Disk, DropBox, Mail.ru.

We will show how to install an application for them using Yandex Drive as an example.

Come up with a complex password. Your private photos and videos are more likely to be leaked online if you come up with a simple password. A complex one can be generated using a special program or invented independently using the following algorithm: !-!123HELLO-WoRlD123!-!. Such a combination is easy to remember, but is a very difficult password to crack.

Encrypt sensitive data before uploading it to the network. It is dangerous to store passwords and keys to accounts in clear text. If you don't have a dedicated encryption program, zip confidential files with a password before sending them to the network.

Use dual authorization. A number of NASes support dual authorization. You need to enter a password and confirm the entry by sending a code from the SMS sent by the service. This procedure seems less convenient, but provides more data protection.

The history of cloud storage technologies

The term "cloud technology" was first used in 1997. The new global wide area network required a new computing paradigm. Professor Ramnath Chellap of the University of Texas has proposed a shift to cloud computing as an alternative to increasing local computing power.

Real developments in terms of sharing resources on the network date back to the year 2000. We owe the commercial launch of the service on the new cloud scheme of work to Amazon. This happened in 2002.

Google has become a pioneer in the implementation and development of cloud-based applications that work through a browser. The new technology has been on the market since 2009.

The idea of ​​creating cloud storage on the Internet is described by its inventor Drew Houston as follows. The guy was sitting on the bus from Boston to New York, with a laptop, but without a flash drive, left at home. To overcome the poverty, he began to think about accessing files without wires and came up with an application that implements this idea. The first DropBox code is written, according to this version of events, right on the bus.

According to the founder of DropBox, Steve Jobs wanted to acquire the project at the startup stage, but was refused. Today the company is worth approximately $4 billion.

All subsequent network storages: iCloud, Google and Yandex, appeared much later. Their main promotion paradigm is the conditional free service. Part of the gigabytes the user receives immediately, free of charge and unconditionally. The rest must be purchased by subscription.

Modern cloud drives have become not only a place to store information, but offer a number of technological solutions for collaborating on files to people living in different parts of the world. About the most popular tasks solved with their help, further.

Complain about content

Copyright infringement Spam Invalid content Broken links

Send

The idea of ​​cloud storage is brilliant. Instead of storing data locally on used devices, external drives and home network storages and fiddling with access, synchronization and backups, users over the Internet transfer files and folders to service data centers and do not know the worries. Access is provided from an application or client program, wherever the user is - you just need to enter a password. There are no problems with storage space: the services offer up to 30 TB, and there is no charge for the initial period of use.

And yet there is a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey, because of which all the charm of using clouds is forgotten. Users transfer their data into the wrong hands: a photo from the last vacation at sea, or a video from a wedding, or personal correspondence. Therefore, in this comparison, we focused on the security of ten cloud storage services: IT giants - Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, two hosting companies - Box and Dropbox - specializing in cloud storage, as well as two service providers from Russia - Yandex. and Mail.ru.

Plus a billion users in five years

Back in 2015, the number of cloud storage users was about 1.3 billion. By 2020, there will be 1 billion more of them.

Data traffic - three times more

In 2015, cloud storage users transferred an average of only 513 MB of data per month. By 2020, the volume will triple.

Functionality: can you believe advertising

Suppliers, of course, know that users attach great importance to security and must meet their requirements. If you skim through all the offerings, it seems that cloud services use the highest security standards and vendors go to great lengths to protect their customers' data.

However, upon closer reading, it becomes clear that this is not entirely true and the standards are not always new. Service providers are far from exhausting the possibilities of secure data storage, and “high security”, “SSL protection” or “secure encryption” are just slogans to take advantage of the fact that most customers do not have special knowledge in security issues.

Network memory

Cloud storage services lure customers with free offers. For a fee, the volume can be increased.

TLS is far from everything

"SSL" and "HTTPS" are popular and well-known security abbreviations. But vigilance should not be lost. This type of encryption is a necessity, but not a guarantee of exceptional data security. The cryptographic protocol TLS (Transport Layer Security - “transport layer security protocol”), which officially replaced SSL 3.0 (Secure Sockets Layer - “secure sockets layer”) in 1999, provides secure data exchange between the cloud storage website and the client program on your computer or an application on your smartphone.

Encryption during data transfer is important primarily to protect incoming metadata. Without TLS, any attacker can intercept the transmission and change the data or steal the password.

We tested cloud storage using the comprehensive Qualys testing tool (sslabs.com/ssltest). All providers use the current version of the TLS 1.2 standard. Six of them prefer 128-bit AES encryption, four - more powerful AES 256. Both of them are satisfactory. All services activate the additional protection of Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS - “perfect forward secrecy”) so that the transmitted encrypted data cannot be decrypted even later.

HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security - "strict transport security HTTP") - another security mechanism that protects against operations such as downgrade attacks - most vendors do not use. The entire list, that is, TLS 1.2 with AES 256, PFS and HSTS, is only available from Dropbox.

Double access protection

Access to personal data must be protected by two-step verification. Amazon asks for a PIN code in addition to the password, which is generated by the application.

Encryption on the server - a matter of trust

Another standard feature besides secure transmission is data encryption on the provider's server. Amazon and Microsoft, alas, make an exception to the rule by not encrypting data. Apple uses AES 128, others use the more recent AES 256.

Encryption in data centers is not a novelty: if attackers, despite all security measures, still manage to steal user data, they still need a key - unless they resort to extortion. And this is where the problem often arises: this type of encryption is a very dubious solution if providers store the keys to your data.

That is, some cloud service administrator can easily view all your photos at any time. If it’s hard to believe, maybe the option of access by the investigating authorities to the data will be more convincing. Of course, vendors show a serious attitude in every possible way, but customers have to overcome themselves and show confidence, because in this way their data is not completely protected.

Dropbox secures with 256-bit AES encryption during storage and SSL/TLS during transmission

No end-to-end encryption

In summary, most services secure user data by securing transmission and encryption on the server, with all of the participants in our comparison that encrypt user data holding keys. None of the services use end-to-end encryption. Its fundamental difference from encryption during transmission and on the server is encryption from the very beginning.

End-to-end implies encryption locally on the user's devices and transmission already in this form to data centers. When accessing data, they are returned back to the user in the same encrypted form and decrypted on his devices. The point is that the user, firstly, sends data exclusively in encrypted form, and secondly, does not issue any keys to the provider.

That is, even if the admin burns out of curiosity, the attacker steals the data or the investigating authorities need to disclose it, they will not succeed.
Closely related to Always Encrypted is the implementation of the so-called Zero Knowledge Principle.

Translated into plain language, the essence of it is this: no one but you knows how to decrypt your data. No cloud storage service provider receives information that can be used to decrypt encrypted data - you did not tell him anything, he has "zero knowledge". It is difficult and rather inconvenient to implement this in practice, and the participants in our comparison by this criterion cannot present anything to us.

Without two-factor authentication

It is obvious that providers are concerned with the security of their customers' data, but for some reason they do not fully think through the action plan. Access to data stored in the cloud is effectively protected by two-factor authentication. Its essence is as follows.

To successfully complete the login process, only a username and password are not enough - you also need a PIN code, and not a permanent one, as, for example, for a bank card, but generated by an application on a smartphone or sent via SMS to a phone. Usually such codes are valid for 30 seconds.

The user needs to keep a smartphone linked to the account at hand, and during the login after the password, enter the received code. Domestic providers do not offer this simple and effective method of protection, unlike the Internet giants, as well as the "narrow profile" Box and Dropbox.

Actual cloud storage speed

We measured the speed of cloud storage over cable (up to 212 Mbps), DSL (18 Mbps) and LTE (40 Mbps). The diagram shows the average speed for all connection methods.

Myself a cryptographer. Boxcryptor encrypts files on the device and provides convenient management of cloud storage accounts in one window. Users can choose whether they need to manage the key themselves or not

Location is also an important aspect.

Despite all efforts, at home it is impossible to achieve the level of security offered by the cloud storage service in the data center, and this is a powerful argument in favor of cloud storage. This can be seen by looking at their equipment. All providers except Dropbox, even for free offers, are ISO 27001 certified.

The location of the data centers also plays an important role. Servers of Amazon, Google and other companies are located in the US and are subject to US laws. Servers located only in Russia, such as Yandex and Mail.ru, respectively, are subject to Russian laws.

In order not to interfere with the work of other programs, Dropbox uses an automatic limit in the client

Conclusion: room to grow

The cloud storage services that we reviewed offer only a standard set of security features. Looking for End-to-end encryption or Zero knowledge does not make sense. All services provide data transfer protection, but Amazon and Microsoft servers do not encrypt.

But data centers meet high information security requirements. At the same time, the comparison did not reveal cloud storage with ideal protection.

The advantages of Russian suppliers are in location, but they ignore the simplest security methods, such as two-factor authentication. It is up to you to ensure that your data is protected at all times, even if it means high costs and complex management.

Many cloud storage providers offer very good subscription plans, but are they secure? In this article, I decided to answer this question.

At the very beginning of the article, I would like to provide you with a summary of the research I did. The table below lists the current security offerings of the 5 cloud storage providers I have selected.

The following is my experience with these cloud storages, as well as information I have gathered from expert sources. The article looks at the security tools offered by these online storage companies with the aim of determining which provider is the most secure. First, we will look at the security features of each individual provider, and at the end we will summarize the results.

Google Drive

The web giant Google provides many great features in its cloud storage. Google provides 15 GB of free cloud storage for Gmail, Docs, Google+ Photos and Drive users. So you should use Google Drive more rationally, since this size is distributed among several services. Google says it's safe to store data with them. Even if your computer, tablet, or phone crashes, your Google Drive data is safe. The company also claims that files stored in their data center cannot disappear.

But what security features does Google offer at the consumer level? What can a consumer do to protect their online data? To answer this question, we need to delve into the security features of Google Drive.

To use Drive, you need a Google account. Creating a Google account is easy. Google will prompt you to come up with a strong password. The password must contain at least 8 characters. However, there are no requirements for case-sensitive or varied letters and numbers when registering with Google. Although it could improve security.

Protecting your Google account is the first step in securing your Drive storage. Google Suggests two-step verification(two-factor authentication) in order to increase account security. Once you activate this feature, you will need to enter an additional code each time you sign in to any of the Google services. After entering the correct username and password on the Google account page, you will receive an SMS with a verification code on your mobile phone. You will only be able to sign in to Google after entering this code. Thus, two-step authentication can make Google Drive more secure from hackers. You can also receive such codes using smartphone applications.

The Google account has a security question and the ability to enter an email address or phone number to recover the account, and it also allows you to regain control of the account in the event of a hack. You also control the apps you sign into with your account. Browsing history, IP address, and device data are also available so you can track activity on your Google account.

Encryption is simply vital for any cloud service. Although Google Drive uses HTTPS at work, it does not provide its own file encryption service. So if you want to encrypt your files, do so before sending them to Google Drive. You can use Boxcryptor for free to secure your cloud files.

Google Drive offers a range of custom sharing options. Using these settings, you can control who can access files, who can upload them, edit them, and more. You can view file versions in Google Drive. So if you need a previous version, you can get it by right-clicking on the required file and selecting the 'Version Control' option.

In conclusion, the security of Google's online data storage service depends on the security of your Google account. If you can secure your Gmail ID account, then you can count on your Google Drive files to be secure.

Microsoft One Drive

dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most popular online storage providers. It is used for both personal and commercial purposes. Dropbox is purely cloud storage. So all their forces are concentrated on the cloud. Dropbox offers new users 2 GB of free cloud storage. You can increase this volume with a new customer acquisition program.

Dropbox says data security is their top priority. When subscribing to Dropbox, I noticed that the process is quite simple and fast. I was required to enter a name, email address and password. The account creation page prompted me to use a strong password. However, there was no obligation to maintain a certain level of security. Near the password entry field, only its strength was indicated: ‘weak ... strong’.

However, a Dropbox subscription may not require immediate email verification, but in order to seamlessly share files, you need to verify your email. All these options will be available to you as you use the service.

Dropbox offers a file versioning feature so you can quickly revert to an older version of the files you need. If you have edited a file and later want to retrieve its previous version, simply right-click on the new version of the file, and select the "Previous Versions" option from the context menu.

Your Dropbox account comes with a range of additional security features. You can use two-step verification, which requires you to enter a unique code each time you sign in to Dropbox. You receive this code on your mobile phone. You can also get the code through the smartphone app. Either way, two-factor authentication can greatly increase the security of your account.

From the Dropbox security settings page, you can also monitor and manage connected devices, browsing history, linked apps, and more to prevent unauthorized access.

Dropbox uses an HTTPS connection on its site and during the transfer of your data between you and the cloud storage. You can control access to your files with the sharing options.

Dropbox itself does not provide an option to encrypt files before uploading to their server. Dropbox claims to encrypt files during transfer and at all times. However, you can encrypt your files before sending them to Dropbox. There are a lot of tools for this. Boxcryptor is one of them. It uses industry standard "AES-256 bit" encryption technology to further enhance the security of your files.

Copy

Copy is one of the most popular cloud storage services, competing with Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc. Copy gives every new user 15 GB of free cloud storage. The service also offers a referral bonus with which existing users can increase their free space. The registration process on Copy takes only a few seconds. You will be asked to provide a name, email address and password. During the registration process for Copy, I was not prompted to choose a strong password. All that was indicated regarding the password is that it must consist of at least 6 characters.

Mega

Now let's move on to the Mega service, which is known for its privacy. Mega was founded by Kim Dotcom. The service provides each new user with 50 GB of free space. To register with Mega, you need to provide basic information such as your name, email address, password, etc. Mega requires you to use a strong password. If your password is not strong enough, you will receive the following message: 'Your password is not strong enough to continue'.

Mega uses HTTPS connection and client-side encryption technology. This means that your locally encrypted information will be sent to the Mega. When downloading information from the service, it is decrypted. As stated on the Mega security help page, your files cannot be read on the server. The company strongly recommends not to lose your password. The password to Mega is not only a password, but a code that opens your main decryption key. Mega claims that the password on the service cannot be recovered. If you do not have a backup copy of your master decryption key and you lose your password, then you will also lose all the data stored on the service server. So grab your main Mega key from this Mega link and keep it in a safe place. It is very important.

However, there are reports that there are certain weaknesses in Mega's browser-based encryption system.

Mega offers excellent security features, but, unfortunately, the service does not have a file version history. You can simply recover deleted files using the 'SyncDebris' application from Sync Client, or from the 'Rubbish Bin' folder on the Mega. To monitor your activity, Mega provides a browsing log option and an application management option.

Interestingly, Mega doesn't have a two-step verification option, which could greatly improve the service's privacy and security efforts.

Conclusion

In this article, I tried to take a closer look at the available security features of 5 popular cloud storage providers such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Copy, and Mega. When it comes to security, they all have their own and special offerings. Now let's see what are the main security features these services offer. Below is a handy checklist.

1. Password strength requirement: Google, Microsoft and Mega require a strong password. Dropbox and Copy are more flexible in this regard.
2. Email verification requirement: All services sooner or later require you to verify your email address.
3. Two step verification: Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox provide two-step verification. Copy and Mega do not currently provide this option.
4. Encryption of the client side: Only Mega offers client side encryption. This is done from the device from which the files are being downloaded.
5. Server End Encryption: Dropbox, Mega and Copy keep your files encrypted on their servers. You can use local encryption to avoid risks.
6. Using a secure connection (HTTPS): All five providers use a secure HTTPS connection. However, Mega gives users the option to turn it off (by choice).
7. Using security questions to verify users: Google Drive has this option available. OneDrive, Dropbox, Copy, and Mega do not currently use a security question.

From the above it becomes clear that Google Drive provides almost all security features except encryption. Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox follow suit. Mega provides sophisticated security like encryption, but the service lacks two-step verification. Copy needs to work on turning a beautiful cloud storage into a more secure environment with two-step verification, password strength requirements, and other innovative security systems.

I hope this article has been helpful to you in your search for a secure cloud storage provider. For even more tips and tricks, stay tuned. Thank you for attention. May safety be with you!

To exchange files between computers and mobile gadgets, cables and flash drives are no longer needed. If the devices have Internet access, files can "fly" between them "on the cloud". More precisely, they can “settle” in cloud storage, which is a collection of servers scattered around the world (combined into one virtual cloud server), where users place their data for free or paid. In the cloud, files are stored in exactly the same way as on a computer hard drive, but are available not from one, but from different devices that can connect to it.

Every second or third Internet user has already taken cloud storage technology into service and uses it with pleasure, but someone is still saved by flash drives. After all, not everyone knows about this possibility, and some simply cannot decide which service to choose and how to use it. Well, let's figure it out together.

What are cloud storages from the user's point of view and how they work

If you look through the eyes of an inexperienced user, cloud storage is a common application. All it does is create a folder on the computer under its own name. But not simple. Everything that you put into it is simultaneously copied to the same cloud-based Internet server and becomes available from other devices. The size of this folder is limited and can grow within the limits of the disk space allocated to you (from 2 GB on average).

If the cloud storage application is running and the computer (mobile gadget) is connected to the global network, the data on the hard drive and in the cloud are synchronized in real time. When working offline, as well as when the application is not running, all changes are saved only in the local folder. When the machine is connected to the Internet, access to the storage becomes possible, including through a browser.

Files and folders uploaded to the cloud are full-fledged web objects, the same as any content of Internet sites and ftp storages. You can link to them and share links with other people, even those who do not use this service. But only those who you yourself have allowed to download or see an object from your storage will be able to. In the cloud, your data is hidden from prying eyes and securely protected with a password.

The majority of cloud services have additional functionality - a file viewer, built-in document editors, screenshot tools, etc. This, plus the amount of space provided, creates the main differences between them.

is a cloud storage service that does not need to be introduced to Windows users. No wonder, because in the latest releases of this OS (in the "top ten") it really climbs on top of everything on the screen, as it is set to autorun by default.

For Windows users, the advantage of the Microsoft OneDrive service over its counterparts is, perhaps, only one - it does not need to be installed. You also do not need to create a separate account for it - to enter the cloud, you just need to enter your Microsoft account details.

The owner of one Microsoft OneDrive account provides 5 GB of free disk space to store any information. To get extra volume, you have to pay extra. The maximum is 5 TB and costs 3,399 rubles per year, however, this package includes not only disk space, but also the Office 365 application (home edition). More democratic tariff plans are 1 TB (2,699 rubles per year - storage and Office 365 personal) and 50 GB (140 rubles per month - only storage).

Additional features of all tariffs:

• Support for other operating systems - Mac OS X, iOS and Android.
• View and edit documents using the built-in Office applications.
• Remote access to everything on the computer (not just OneDrive folders) that has the service installed and uses your Microsoft account.
• Creation of photo albums.
• Built-in messenger (Skype).
• Creation and storage of text notes.
• Search.

Only paid versions:

• Create expiration links.
• offline folders.
• Multi-page scanning with saving documents to a PDF file.

In general, the service is not bad, but sometimes there are problems with logging into the account. If you are going to use the web version of the repository (through a browser) and access it under a different IP address than you used to, Microsoft will sometimes run a verification that the account belongs to you, which takes quite a lot of time.

There were also complaints about the removal of user-generated content from OneDrive - when Microsoft suspected that it was unlicensed.

is one of the oldest cross-platform cloud storages. Unlike the previous one, it supports all major operating systems, as well as some rarely used ones, such as Symbian and MeeGo. The service is very easy to use, works quickly and stably.

For free, a DropBox user is provided with only 2 GB of disk space for storing personal files, but this amount can be doubled by creating and attaching another one to your account - work (which can actually be personal). Together you get 4 GB.

Switching between personal and work disk space on the DropBox website and in the application is carried out without logging out of your account (you do not need to enter your login and password every time). A separate folder is created on the computer for both accounts - 2 GB each.

DropBox, as expected, also has several tariff plans. Free was mentioned above, Paid is "Plus" (1 TB, $ 8.25 per month, intended for personal use), "Standard" (2 TB, $ 12.50 per month, for business), "Advanced" (unlimited volume, $20 per month for 1 user) and "Enterprise" (unlimited volume, individually set price). The differences between the last two are in the set of additional options.

In addition to storage, free users have access to:

• DropBox Paper Document Collaboration Service.
• Ability to share links and create shared folders.
• A log of file changes with the ability to restore them to a previous version (up to 30 days).
• Commenting on files - both your own and other users, if the file is available for viewing.
• Search function.
• Receive event notifications (configurable individually).
• Automatically upload photos from the camera (by the way, for enabling this option some time ago, DropBox provided users with additional space).
• Choice of full or selective synchronization.
• Data encryption during storage and transmission.

The possibilities of paid tariffs can be listed for a very long time, so we will note only the main ones:

• Remote destruction of data from DropBox on a lost or stolen device.
• Link expiration date.
• Two-factor account authentication.
• Setting access levels to different data.
• Enhanced information security class HIPAA / HITECH (secure storage of medical records).
• 24/7 technical support.

DropBox, if not the best, then a very worthy service. Despite the small amount of free space by today's standards, it is used by millions of people around the world.

Mega (Megasync)

As you can see from the description, Amazon Web Services is focused only on the corporate sector and is not intended for storing albums with photos of cats, although it is possible that someone uses it for this as well. After all, cloud file storage - Amazon Glacier, like Yandex disk, provides users with 10 free GB. Additional volume costs $0.004 per GB per month.

Comparing Amazon Glacier to the web resources described above is perhaps incorrect, as they serve slightly different purposes. The functionality and capabilities of this service are determined by business objectives, including:

• Uninterrupted operation, increased reliability.
• Compliance with enhanced data protection standards.
• Multilingual interface.
• Unlimited volume (extension for extra charge).
• Ease of use and flexibility of settings.
• Integration with other Amazon Web Services.

Those who are interested in Amazon's capabilities can check out the full AWS product documentation, which is located on the official website.

Mail.ru

It occupies the second or third place in the popularity rating of file web storages among the Russian-speaking audience. In terms of its set of features, it is comparable to Google Drive and Yandex Disk: it, like them, contains web applications for creating and editing documents (texts, tables, presentations) and a screenshoter (a utility for taking screenshots). It is also integrated with other Mail.ru projects — mail, the My World and Odnoklassniki social networks, the Mail.ru service. Dating, etc., has a convenient file viewer with a flash player and is also very affordable (for those who do not have enough allocated space).

The Mail cloud has 8 GB of free storage space (this figure has changed several times in the past). The premium plan for 64 GB costs 690 rubles per year. For 128 GB you will have to pay 1,490 rubles a year, for 256 GB - 2,290 rubles a year. The maximum volume is 512 GB, it will cost 3,790 rubles a year.

Other functions of the service are not much different from similar ones. It:

• Shared folders.
• Synchronization.
• Built-in search.
• Ability to share links.

The Mail.ru client application runs on Windows, OS X, iOS and Android.

Cloud storage is a proprietary web service for owners of smartphones and tablets of the same manufacturer. Designed to store backup copies of data from mobile devices - multimedia content, OS files, and other things at the discretion of the user.

The Samsung Cloud client application is preinstalled on phones and tablets released after the second half of 2016 (after the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, to be exact). Registering an account on the service is possible only through it, apparently to screen out outsiders.

Free storage is 15 GB. An additional 50 GB costs $0.99 per month, and 200 GB costs $2.99.

iCloud (Apple)

- a favorite among cloud storages among users of Apple products. Still, because it is free (though not very roomy) and is integrated with other apple services. The service is designed to store backup copies of data from the iPhone, iPad and iPod, as well as user media files, mail and documents (the latter are automatically synchronized with the contents of iCloud Drive).

Free iCloud storage is 5 GB. Additional storage is priced at $0.99 for 50GB, $2.99 ​​for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB.

The iCloud client app supports Mac OS X, iOS, and Windows operating systems. There is no official application for Android, but owners of devices based on this OS can view mail from the Apple cloud on their device.

The Chinese service completes the top cloud storage parade. As you can see from the screenshot, it is clearly not adapted for you and me. Why is it needed then, if there are domestic, European and American analogues more familiar to the Russian-speaking person? The fact is that Baidu provides users with a whole terabyte of free disk space. For the sake of this, it is worth overcoming the difficulties of translation and other obstacles.

Signing up for Baidu Cloud is significantly more labor intensive than the competition. It requires confirmation by a code sent via SMS, and SMS from a Chinese server does not come to Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian numbers. Our fellow citizens have to get out by renting a virtual phone number, but that's not all. The second difficulty is that an account cannot be registered for some email addresses. In particular, on gmail services (Google is blocked in China), fastmail and Yandex. And the third difficulty is the need to install the Baidu Cloud mobile application on a phone or tablet, since this is what 1 TB is given for (when registering on a computer, you will receive only 5 GB). And it, as you understand, is entirely in Chinese.

Aren't you afraid? Go for it and you will be rewarded. Information on how to create a Baidu account with your own hands is available on the Internet.