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Cloud storage solutions are services that allow users to store and access scalable data storage on remote servers managed by providers. Users access the service via internet or dedicated connections, with the cloud providers overseeing capacity, security, and data accessibility. Cloud storage solutions on the market offer different features tailored to varying user needs. Here we’ve assessed the top cloud storage solutions with emphasis on their security capabilities.
These are the six most secure cloud storage solutions:
- IDrive: Best overall secure cloud storage solution
- pCloud: Best for extended storage functionalities
- OneDrive: Best for Microsoft systems integration
- Internxt: Best option for secure file sharing features
- Sync.com: Best for ease of use and administration
- NordLocker: Best for core cloud storage capabilities
Table of Contents
Top Secure Cloud Storage Solutions Comparison
Here’s a quick comparison of the most secure cloud storage solutions, their key features, free tier storage provision, and monthly cost:
| Zero-Knowledge Encryption | Collaboration & Productivity Features | Backup & Recovery | Free Tier Storage | Monthly Cost Per 100 GB Storage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDrive | ✔️ | ➕ | ✔️ | 10 GB | $0.25 |
| pCloud | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 10 GB | $1.00 |
| OneDrive | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 5 GB | $0.50 |
| Internxt | ✔️ | ➕ | ✔️ | 10 GB | $0.68 |
| Sync.com | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | 5 GB | $0.60 |
| NordLocker | ✔️ | ➕ | ✔️ | 3 GB | $1.60 |
✔️=Yes ❌=No/Unclear ➕=Add-On
IDrive – Best Overall Secure Cloud Storage Solution
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
- Core features: 4.1/5
- Pricing and transparency: 4.7/5
- Extended functionalities: 4.4/5
- Compliance certifications: 4/5
- Ease of use and admin: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4.9/5
IDrive is a low-cost cloud storage service that provides online backup, storage, sharing, and local backup alternatives. It caters to those looking for adaptable data management solutions, offering a variety of capabilities for securely storing, accessing, sharing, and backing up data. IDrive is our top choice for cloud storage solutions with its all-inclusive strategy, which includes extensive functionality and security measures to protect user data across platforms and devices.
Pros
- Backup for unlimited number of devices
- Standard and end-to-end encryption
- Low cost
Cons
- UI aesthetics needs enhancement
- Users report backup speed drops for large data
- Continuous backup feature lags
- Free tier storage: 10 GB
- IDrive Mini: $2.95 per year for 100 GB storage
- IDrive Business: $69.65 for the first year with unlimited users, 250 GB
- Contact for quote: Custom plans with add-ons available
- Free demo: Video tutorials accessible anytime
- Zero-knowledge encryption: Transfers and stores files with 256-bit AES encryption.
- Files backup: Provides local back-up to external or network drive for all versions.
- Real-time sync: Updates files continuously to reflect most recent changes.
- Storage format: Stores multiple types of file formats or converts files to proper format.
- Disaster recovery: Delegates backup settings for easier file recovery.
While IDrive offers excellent cloud storage, some users prefer a modern UI aesthetic. For a sleeker interface, consider pCloud.
pCloud – Best for Extended Storage Functionalities
Overall Rating: 4.3/5
- Core features: 4.3/5
- Pricing and transparency: 4.4/5
- Extended functionalities: 5/5
- Compliance certifications: 3/5
- Ease of use and admin: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4/5
pCloud is a Swiss cloud storage service that provides access to various digital materials across several platforms. It offers extended storage capabilities via its collaboration and productivity features, mobile access, and multi-platform compatibility. pCloud provides adaptable usage, backed by transparent privacy standards and regular audits. It places a high priority on user control and data protection, making it a reliable cloud storage solution for all types of users.
Pros
- Customizable landing page
- Multi-device accessibility
- Clean user interface
Cons
- Needs to add more compliance certifications
- Users report data upload takes time
- Disruptive ads in free plan
- Free tier storage: 10 GB
- Business plan: $7.99+ per year for 1 TB storage per user
- Business Pro plan: $15.98 per year for 2 TB storage per user
- Contact for quote: Custom plans available
- Free trial: 30 days
- Free demo: Contact to schedule
- Device syncing: Manages file syncing between devices to ensure files are up to date.
- Secure file sharing: Allows to share files with anyone while admin assigns edit privileges.
- Restrictions: Controls user file access, external sharing, and editing permissions.
- Role management: Enables admin to provide segmented role-based access to tools.
- Authentication: Calculates data’s cryptographic hash during encryption and decryption.
pCloud supports various operating systems, but Microsoft system users may benefit from enhanced compatibility and integration with OneDrive to ensure an ideal user experience.
OneDrive – Best for Microsoft Systems Integration
Overall Rating: 4.1/5
- Core features: 4.1/5
- Pricing and transparency: 4.2/5
- Extended functionalities: 4.5/5
- Compliance certifications: 5/5
- Ease of use and admin: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 1.7/5
OneDrive integrates well with other Microsoft systems, which improves compatibility and functionality for users within the ecosystem. Native integration with Windows, Office, and other Microsoft applications offers a seamless experience. It ensures data security and privacy by adhering to significant compliance certifications, making it a reliable alternative for enterprises that want regulatory compliance and effective data management within Microsoft’s space.
Pros
- Syncs data fast
- Integrated with other Microsoft programs
- Easy to use
Cons
- No Linux support
- No zero-knowledge encryption
- Duplicate file syncing takes more storage
- Free tier storage: 5 GB via Microsoft 365
- OneDrive for business (Plan 1): $5 per month per user for 1TB storage
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per user per month
- Contact for quote: Custom plans available
- Free demo: Accessible anytime via Microsoft support
- Scalability: Ensures that the software scales effectively to meet the increased demands.
- Collaboration: Allows users to work together on Office files and documents in real time.
- Personal vault: Stores sensitive files and uses an extra layer of verification for security.
- Virus scanning: Scans documents at download time via Windows Defender.
- Suspicious activity monitoring: Raises alerts for attempts to illicitly access data.
OneDrive offers 5 GB free storage via Microsoft 365. If you need more storage at no cost, Internxt offers 10 GB of free storage.
Internxt – Best Option for Secure File Sharing Features
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core features: 4.1/5
- Pricing and transparency: 4.4/5
- Extended functionalities: 4.4/5
- Compliance certifications: 5/5
- Ease of use and admin: 2.5/5
- Customer support: 4/5
Internxt, a zero-knowledge cloud storage solution, provides one of the most secure file sharing options available with its military-grade encryption. It offers a regulated access rights feature while still ensuring accessibility across platforms, so users can maximize their collaborative work. It also promotes ultimate privacy and security by giving users control over their data, protecting against data or identity thieves, and assuring complete secrecy.
Pros
- Strong commitment on privacy
- Military-grade encryption
- Cost-efficient
Cons
- Complex setup for first time users
- Users report that upload speed is slow
- Android app occasionally crashes
- Free tier storage: 10 GB
- Individual plan: $13+ per year for 200 GB storage
- Lifetime plan: $136+ one-time payment for 2 TB storage
- Contact for quote: Business and custom plans available
- Privacy-focused design: Allows users to choose sharing and downloading limits.
- Open source: Makes code public on GitHub for anyone to review, audit, and verify.
- Zero-knowledge technology: Encrypts files so only users can access them.
- Authentication: Lets users use any 2FA tools to generate 2FA code with Internxt.
- Accessibility: Requires no identity or email verification to start using the services.
Internxt provides extremely secure file sharing; however, some users feel that its ease of use and setup needs improvement. Sync.com is a good option for simplicity.
Sync.com – Best for Ease of Use & Administration
Overall Rating: 4/5
- Core features: 4.6/5
- Pricing and transparency: 4.2/5
- Extended functionalities: 4.2/5
- Compliance certifications: 3/5
- Ease of use and admin: 4.8/5
- Customer support: 2/5
Sync.com is regarded as great for ease of use and administration due to its intuitive user interface and straightforward admin capabilities. Users may easily utilize the platform for file management, sharing, and sync functions. The web interface is designed with less disruptive elements so users can focus on the content, plus a drag-and-drop feature for easier uploads. Sync.com uses zero-knowledge encryption to ensure that only the user can access their data.
Pros
- Smart sync
- 256-bit AES encryption
- 30 days file history and recovery
Cons
- No Linux support
- No live chat support
- Limited, outdated mobile app features
- Free tier storage: 5 GB
- Teams Standard plan: $6 per user per month for 1 TB storage
- Teams+ Unlimited plan: $15 per user per month with unlimited storage
- Contact for quote: Enterprise plan and custom plans available
- Free demo: Contact to schedule
- Data recovery: Offers 30 days file history and recovery, with easy data restore settings.
- Authentication: Enables 2FA for new devices and SSO for direct log-ins.
- Zero-knowledge HTML5: Decrypts files locally in users’ browsers as they download.
- Intuitive user interface: Features login monitoring, file activities, and history.
- Scalability: Stores large amounts of data and scales capacity to fit storage needs.
Sync.com provides good security for your cloud storage; however, it does not support Linux. Consider NordLocker for cross-platform compatibility.
NordLocker – Best for Core Cloud Storage Capabilities
Overall Rating: 3.8/5
- Core features: 4.6/5
- Pricing and transparency: 3.4/5
- Extended functionalities: 4.4/5
- Compliance certifications: 2/5
- Ease of use and admin: 3.8/5
- Customer support: 3.7/5
NordLocker is file encryption software built by Nord Security that uses strong encryption techniques to protect data privacy and security. It’s a feature-rich software that includes secure cloud storage, folder locking, file versioning, and cross-platform compatibility to improve data security and privacy. It also provides users with a secure way to store and transfer data by encrypting it before uploading it to the cloud or sharing it with other devices.
Pros
- Straightforward UI
- Integrates well with other Nord tools
- Offers wide range of security features
Cons
- Costs more than other solutions
- Users report phone battery drains fast during use
- Low storage, limited syncs for the free plan
- Free tier storage: 3 GB
- Standard plan 500 GB storage: $2.99 per month
- Standard plan 2 TB storage: $6.99 per month
- Contact for quote: Custom plans available
- Free trial: 30 days
- Free demo: Contact to schedule
- Local file encryption: Encrypts and stores files on computers, free and unlimited.
- Ransomware protection: Helps protect devices from malware with data encryption.
- Zero-knowledge architecture: Secures private files with only the users having access.
- State-of-art encryption: Keeps files safe via crypto-algorithms and next-gen ciphers.
- Authentication: Provides users with several methods of authentication, including MFA.
NordLocker offers a wide range of cloud storage features, but it’s pricier than its competitors. IDrive surpasses it in cost-effectiveness.
Top 5 Features of Secure Cloud Storage Solutions
The five primary features of secure cloud storage solutions — zero-knowledge encryption, secure data transfer protocol, file syncing and sharing, platform integrations, and backup and recovery — all play critical roles in data protection. They maintain confidentiality, defend against illegal access during transmission, enable cross-platform collaboration, and provide reliability through backups, ensuring data integrity and security for users’ peace of mind.
Zero-Knowledge Encryption
Zero-knowledge encryption is a security technique in which data is encrypted so that the service provider or third-parties are unable to access or understand it. Only the individual with the decryption key can unlock and read the data. This offers utmost privacy and security, as the service provider has no knowledge of the encrypted data.
Secure Data Transfer Protocol
This function provides safe transmission of data between client and server, protecting data in transit. This protocol is critical in cloud storage for protecting sensitive information during transmission, supplementing data-at-rest security techniques. It ensures that data is encrypted and secure while being moved across networks, reducing the danger of interception and illegal access.
File Syncing & Sharing
This feature ensures that data is synchronized seamlessly and securely across different devices while also allowing users to easily share files. It’s important in cloud storage because it allows for rapid collaboration and access to updated files while adhering to data-at-rest and data-in-transit security regulations, which protect sensitive information during the synchronization and sharing process.
Platform Integrations
Platform integrations in cloud storage refer to compatibility with multiple operating systems (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux) and mobile devices. It allows users to access their data from any device, increasing flexibility and productivity. Compatibility across platforms allows for smooth collaboration and file management, catering to a wide range of user preferences and improving the overall experience.
Backup & Recovery
Backup and recovery features in cloud storage involve routinely copying and storing data to avoid loss and allow restoration in the event of data corruption, unintentional deletion, or system failure. It’s critical in cloud storage to assure data integrity, continuity of operations, and regulatory compliance. Reliable backup and recovery techniques reduce downtime, lower risks, and protect key information assets.
How We Evaluated the Most Secure Cloud Storage Solutions
Our review of the best secure cloud storage systems involved a predefined scoring system based on six major criteria. We split down each criterion into subcriteria, which we assessed and scored, contributing to the overall score of each product. We chose the top solutions based on the six highest ratings and then defined their unique use cases using these scores plus extensive research and user reviews.
Evaluation Criteria
Core features topped our six criteria, as it reflects the efficiency of a cloud storage solution. Extended functions and pricing came next, as these determine the tools’ affordability, scalability, and added benefits. Then, we assessed the ease of use and administration for simplified user management. Lastly, we looked into customer service and compliance for user satisfaction and conformity to industry standards.
- Core features (25%): To ensure a thorough evaluation, we assessed critical functionality such as zero-knowledge encryption, file syncing, backup, threat detection, and ransomware protection, as well as other fundamental tasks in secure cloud storage.
- Criterion winner: NordLocker
- Pricing and transparency (20%): We assessed free tier storage, pricing transparency, and discounts offered to determine accessibility and affordability, which are critical factors in customer decision-making.
- Criterion winner: IDrive
- Extended functionalities (20%): Here we evaluated collaboration and productivity integrations, mobile and platform compatibility, transparent privacy policies, and regular audits to ensure a thorough review of tool characteristics.
- Criterion winner: pCloud
- Ease of use and admin (15%): This category looks into the multi-user admin console capabilities, admin role delegation, and ease of use and setup ratings from platforms like G2 and Capterra, ensuring an extensive look of admin functionality and user experience.
- Criterion winner: Sync.com
- Customer support (10%): This criterion refers to the service quality and takes into account the availability of live chat, phone, and email assistance, documentation, demo and training materials, and user-rated support quality on G2 and Capterra.
- Criterion winner: IDrive
- Compliance certifications (10%): We looked at ISO 27001/9001, HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, and SOC2 certifications to see if they meet industry standards and requirements.
- Criterion winner: Multiple winners
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Cloud Storage Secure?
Cloud storage is generally secure due to the expertise and assistance of cloud security providers, robust data recovery capabilities, and specific security features such as threat defense integration. These elements help to improve the overall security and reliability of cloud storage systems.
What Are the Risks of Using Cloud Storage?
While cloud storage is advantageous, it also poses threats and challenges like misconfiguration, data breaches, unsecured interfaces, unauthorized access, DDoS assaults, insider threats, loss of control, encryption weaknesses, and patching issues. Recognizing these risks enables businesses to develop informed risk management and mitigation strategies to properly protect their data.
Do I Lose Ownership of My Data if It’s in the Cloud?
When you store your data in the cloud, you retain ownership and control over it. You set the access rights, and your technical team may track its status as if data were kept in-house. Cloud providers often have restricted access, and network administrators are unable to view client data without permission. However, it’s imperative to review your provider’s privacy policy and discuss data ownership and access rights with your cloud vendor.
What Are the Common Challenges in Data Transfer?
Software selection affects issues for private clouds, but public clouds pose concerns regarding format, turnaround time, and assistance. Your contract with your provider should specify data format clarity, timely delivery, and exit plans with support to ensure smooth transitions.
Bottom Line: Protect Your Files with Secure Cloud Storage Solutions
Protecting files with secure cloud storage entails selecting services that have encryption, secure protocols, and backup. To effectively minimize risks and maintain data safety, comprehensive security includes combining cloud storage with other safeguards like multi-factor authentication, antivirus software, and knowledge of best practices. Cloud storage solutions typically provide free tiers and trials that allow enterprises to assess suitability before making a full commitment.
A secure cloud storage solution should complement other tools for comprehensive security. Consider integrating your cloud storage solution with a good password management tool for reduced vulnerabilities and enhanced overall data protection within the cloud environment.
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