If you’re looking to keep your cloud backups secure, recent news about Apple’s iCloud service may have come as a surprise. Reports show that the Cupertino-based company doesn’t encrypt its users’ iCloud backups due to a request from the FBI. But don’t fret; if you’re looking to back up your data to the cloud, several services offer more secure storage with different encryption options. Here we present five applications for iOS that you may want to investigate if privacy is at the forefront of your mind.
Tresorit
Ask around within the cybersecurity community for an excellent secure cloud solution, and, no doubt, Tresorit will continually appear as a compelling option. One of the most popular choices for secure cloud storage, Tresorit, offers encryption services for business, enterprise, and personal users. Secured with AES 256 end-to-end encryption, your files are safe both while on the company’s servers and while in-transit to your device. Tresorit stores your data across multiple Microsoft Azure data centers located in the European Union with the company’s headquarters in Switzerland — a location that has stricter privacy laws than most other countries, including the United States.
Compelling Tresorit features include document version tracking, the ability to share drive documents securely, a maximum 10 GB file upload size, and up to 2 TB of cloud storage. Pricing begins at $10 a month for 200 GB of storage space and $24 a month for 2 TB of storage space, with the latter offering providing GDPR compliance.
Apple App Store
MEGA
Launched in 2013, MEGA provides another secure cloud option for those looking to take their security seriously. The company touts its service as the only cloud provider with browser-based, high-performance, end-to-end encryption. Files are secured with AES 128 encryption, with the company noting that it doesn’t believe “the higher CPU utilization requirements of AES 256 outweigh the theoretical security benefit.” MEGA stores your data via a subsidiary of Cogent, a U.S.-based company, with its servers located in Germany.
Compelling MEGA features include secure sharing of cloud files with others, an integrated audio/video call feature, public source code for its apps allowing third-parties to verify the company’s offerings, and a free tier that includes 50GB of storage. Additional plans start at $5 for 400 GB of storage, extending up to $33 for 16 TB of storage.
Apple App Store
pCloud
Another company offering secure cloud storage is the United States-based data hosting provider, pCloud. Located in Dallas, Texas, pCloud provides secure cloud storage and its pCloud Crypto feature allows you to create secure folders with AES 256 encryption. The company is so confident of its security offerings that it launched the pCloud Crypto challenge in which over 2,800 hackers were given six months to hack into the service. Six months later, the $100,000 prize went unclaimed.
The one compelling aspect we found is pCloud’s lifetime service offering. For a flat price of $175, you can gain 500 GB of cloud storage for life; alternatively, for $350, you can increase that amount to 2 TB. Otherwise, the standard monthly pricing starts at $4 a month for 500 GB of storage and $8 a month for 2 TB of storage.
Apple App Store
Sync.com
Last, but as the saying goes, certainly not least, is Sync.com; the company is based out of Canada and offers a private cloud with secure end-to-end encryption. Some of the features that allow Sync.com to standout include its enterprise-grade infrastructure with multiple data center locations featuring SAS RAID storage, automatic failover systems, and a rated 99.9% or better uptime. This service also offers HIPAA and other compliance options allowing legal, healthcare, and accounting practices to make use of its offerings.
Sync.com subscriptions begin at $8 a month for 2 TB of storage, moving up to $15 a month for 4 TB of storage. All options include sharing and collaboration features, realtime backup, and file recovery options. For file recovery, each tier consists of a different recovery period starting at a minimum of 180-days and expanding up to 365-days.
Apple App Store
Cryptomator and Boxcryptor
These two bonus options aren’t secure cloud storage hosts, but they each enable you to keep your files encrypted on private and public clouds such as Apple’s iCloud. If you’re already a fan of Apple’s services and aren’t looking to move, these software options could allow you to continue working with a cloud storage provider you prefer. Cryptomator is an excellent solution that attempts to be transparent in its operation, encrypting your files before they are uploaded to the cloud. Boxcryptor is a paid alternative that costs $48 a year for personal users — businesses will need to pay $96 a year for the commercial version. If you’re married to iCloud or another existing cloud solution, these two software services may be worth checking out.
Apple App Store