Local data encryption for cloud storage
Cloud Master
© Lead Image © Luciano De Polo, 123RF.com
Synchronizing your data in the cloud is practical, but it's risky if you don't encrypt your data. Desktop encryption utilities offer various levels of security and ease.
Backing up data in the cloud sounds easy and useful; little wonder then that many individuals and companies take advantage of this opportunity. Companies that offer these services take your locally stored data and sync it with a storage service on the Internet – often automatically. In this way, you keep your directories synchronized without having to worry about backups. Of course, such services offer not only benefits but also risks. The burning issue to consider is: Who has access to you data?
Sometimes cloud providers automatically scan the uploaded files to check them for unacceptable content (e.g., child pornography or copyright infringement) [1]. In the first case, suspicious data is sent to investigating authorities, and in the second, the algorithm locks the sharing feature. If you opt for a free version of a service, you might start receiving advertisements based on the content of your evaluated files.
As the Snowden documents reveal, the NSA is also interested in data of any kind. From the beginning, administrators of cloud services also have had access to user data. Additionally, many companies in Europe are increasingly unsure about what happens when they offload their personal data onto servers elsewhere in the world.
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