Heavy reliance on internet connectivity requires businesses to find more convenient ways to store their data. Cloud storage has managed to fill that market gap and provide a solution to businesses.
However, sometimes businesses have to sacrifice security for a convenient storage solution. Thankfully, providers have stepped up and created some great technology that doesn’t lack security.
This article will discuss the most secure cloud storage available on the market.
Let’s discuss.
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud technologies have taken the internet by storm. Consumers expect some form of cloud storage for any service they sign up for, from the latest Apple iPhones to email service providers. Cloud storage growth is not looking to slow down any time soon, and businesses are catching on to its utility. In a heavily information-reliant business environment, data storage is essential to any internet-based business, and physical servers have become limiting. Cloud storage has the benefit of storing your critical data off-site and on the providers’ virtual servers without clogging up your systems.
Cloud storage benefits the business by:
- Streamlining information flow onto one system
- Making the data accessible to anyone in the organization instantly
- Freeing up space within the internal business network
- Digitizing archived information that benefits outdated business processes
However, these benefits do not come without a cost. Generally, there is a formula for convenience when it comes to technology. The more comfort a product gives, the less secure it is, in most cases.
Of course, developers are always trying to balance security and convenience, but they don’t always succeed. They are not security experts at the end of the day, and their talents lie in making life easier for all of us.
But then, what does security look like in cloud technologies? Let’s see.
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The Most Secure Cloud Storage
Security in cloud storage is of extra concern because of the type of data you may store. There have already been cases of cloud hacks that have seriously impacted individuals’ privacy, like the Apple iCloud hack of 2014. The hack gained access to over 500 private photos of a few high-profile individuals.
The kind of security measures that the provider should apply is a combination of technical and organizational.
Technical Security
Technical security is the application of encryption on the cloud storage infrastructure. Encryption will protect data hosted on the service through rest and transit. This technical security means that when users send data to other users, attackers cannot intercept it. And encryption at rest means attackers can not gain access to the stored data (i.e., not processed). There is little influence the user has on the type of encryption a provider uses. As part of your due diligence, ensure that providers are using encryption to pass your security standard. None of the technologies mentioned in this article will be without, as that is a bare minimum standard that all providers should be using.
But one encryption type in particular, which you will see in a couple of them, is zero-knowledge encryption. Privacy-centered encryption where the provider doesn’t even know what your log-in details are.
The downside is that if you lose these details, you will lose access to all your data.
Organizational Security
The second security measure is more challenging to pin down when making a purchasing decision, as it has more to do with the company culture. Cybersecurity is a combination of security software and policy, and in a lot of cases, the procedure is more important.
The main reason being that technology is easy to spot when it fails, policy not so much. It requires constant adjustment to match the chaotic nature of people within an organization.
With this in mind, we won’t be speaking to organizational security as part of secure cloud technology unless the business showcases security as a selling point.
You will need to make the final call on whether the cloud storage passes your security standards even then.
pCloud
The first on the list is pCloud. This cloud storage service offers a wide range of features, including collaboration, allowing you to share and invite new members onto your system. It got excellent file management and recovery options. It even allows backups from some of the more prominent cloud providers like Google Drive, Onedrive, and Dropbox. But what about security features. They are not bad, using SHA 256 encryption. However, they have an extra paid option for end-to-end encryption for data in transit. Unfortunately, this does not come with the initial offering. Some may object to paying for a feature that should already be part of the package.
In terms of organizational security, they are GDPR compliant, which is a good sign. On top of that, pCloud is Swiss-based, which claims to have the strictest data protection laws.
Tresorit
The second cloud storage service provider on the list, Tresorit, sells itself on its security. This provider’s cloud storage features include the usual file sharing and storage in another Swiss-based cloud storage company. However, it does have some exciting integration with outlook, allowing you to send attachments securely. So if your organization uses outlook as an enterprise email platform, you may want to consider Tresorit. Lastly, the most exciting feature of Tresorit is its solutions by industry. They offer a compliant solution with the healthcare industry regulations (HIPAA) and are also GDPR compliant.
All their security features are ready to use out the box, so there are no hidden or extra costs for end-to-end encryption (using zero-knowledge proofs).
The only downside is that it is one of the more expensive cloud providers listed.
Mega
One of the cloud storage providers with the most interesting history is Mega. Created by internet pioneer Kim Dot Com, Mega cloud security is quite thorough. Also, offering a 15GB free account, this one is easy to test. Using SHA-126 bit encryption, Mega has encryption for both data at rest and in transit.
Coupled with the fact that the CEO is experimenting with file unlocking and cryptocurrency, this is a project that is worth keeping an eye on even if you chose not to purchase. The features are also nothing to scoff at; the service comes with 2-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security against hackers.
Besides, it offers pretty decent collaboration tools.
Sync.com
Sync.com holds privacy at the heart of its product. Their cloud storage service is relatively standard with file sharing availability and backup recovery. Where they shine is their security. Like others on the list, Sync.com uses zero-knowledge encryption. They are using this end-to-end encryption for both data at rest and in transit. They are globally privacy compliant, with GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA (so it is also great for the healthcare industry). They have a few extra security features, such as 2FA and granular user access controls, giving different access levels to all users.
Conclusion
Cloud storage is quickly becoming a standard in organizational IT infrastructure. There are growing concerns with security.
It is hard to decide the most secure cloud storage because it is context-dependent. Some organizations have different security and regulatory needs. However, scoping out good technology should not be the responsibility of non technically inclined staff. RSI Security is the nation’s premier cybersecurity provider. Whether you are looking for security in cloud storage or need a partner to manage your security infrastructure, we are confident we are right for you.
Get in contact today, and schedule a consultation here.
