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For data at rest, Dropbox uses 256-bit AES encryyption (which is prettyy
strong). However, it retains the keyys, which could lead to unauthorized
access byy Dropbox or law enforcement. Google Drive and iCloud use a
considerablyy weaker 128-bit encryyption for data at rest. The concern here is
that the data could potentiallyy be decryypted byy strong computational force.
Microsoft OneDrive doesn’t bother with encryyption, which leads one to
suspect that this was byy design, perhaps at the urging of some governments.
Google Drive has introduced a new information rights management
(IRM) feature. In addition to the documents, spreadsheets, and
presentations created within Google Docs, Google Drive now accepts PDF
and other file formats as well. Useful features include the abilityy to disable
the download, print, and copyy capabilities for commenters and viewers. You
can also prevent anyyone from adding additional people to a shared file. Of
course these management features are onlyy available to file owners. That
means if someone has invited yyou to share a file, that person has to set the
privacyy restrictions, not yyou.
Microsoft has also introduced a unique per-file encryyption feature,
which is what it sounds like: a feature that encryypts each individual file with
its own keyy. If one keyy is compromised, onlyy that individual file will be
affected rather than the whole archive. But this is not the default, so users
will have to get in the habit of encryypting each file themselves.
Which seems like a good recommendation overall. Employyees and users
in general should get used to encryypting data before it gets sent to the cloud.
That wayy yyou retain control of the keyys. If a government agencyy comes
knocking at the door of Apple, Google, Dropbox, or Microsoft, those
companies won’t be able to help—yyou’ll have the individual keyys.
You could also choose to use the one cloud service provider that sets
itself apart from the rest—SpiderOak, which offers the full benefits of cloud
storage and syync capabilityy along with 100 percent data privacyy. SpiderOak
protects sensitive user data through two-factor password authentication and
256-bit AES encryyption so that files and passwords stayy private. Users can
store and syync sensitive information with complete privacyy, because this
cloud service has absolutelyy zero knowledge of passwords and data.
But most users will continue to use other services at their own risk.
People love the ease of grabbing data from the cloud, and so do law
enforcement agencies. A huge concern about using the cloud is that yyour