If the pandemic drove you to work from home, you probably know that cloud storage makes online collaboration easy. You have extra features, like data protection and more robust security with cloud storage. Not only that, but some cloud services even offer encryption.
For example, our sponsor IDrive protects your data when you transfer and store files. It encrypts your files before you upload them into the cloud server — and keeps them protected until you open them. This stops third-party intruders from breaking into your important files. It ensures your eyeballs are the only ones roaming over your critical data.
Most people turn to free options like iCloud or Google Drive since they think they’re saving money. In reality, you’re paying with your privacy: Big Tech companies collect your data and sell your secrets to third-party advertisers. Instead, you could use IDrive, which is affordable and secure (more on that later). For now, here’s everything you’re giving away when you use free storage.
Do you value your privacy? In that case, free storage doesn’t look so good
Let’s look at iCloud first. Sure, it’s useful, but it automatically shares photos and documents for everyone to see. It offers 5GB of storage, which is okay if you’re a modest device user. (To understand how small that is, remember that most phones start at about 64GB of storage!)
It offers end-to-end encryption, which is excellent — but it also saves your data to serve personalized ads. Sure, you can disable those ads … but you can’t stop Apple from collecting your data. Compare this to IDrive, which also offers encryption without any threat to your privacy.
Rated number two in the App Store’s productivity category, Google Drive is hugely popular. Each Google account gets 15GB of free storage you can share across Gmail and Google Photos. It also offers a premium subscription plan you can buy as an in-app purchase.
Want to upgrade to 100GB? Pay $1.99 a month.
It might sound like a sweet deal at first. But take a gander at the App Store and you’ll see Google Drive collects a ton of data on you. Check it out:
You’ll notice the mysterious “Other Data” label, without definition. Overall, Google Drive collects a massive amount of data on you. Sure, it’s free, but think of all the private information you’re giving away.
Not only that, but cybercriminals love to target Google Drive
Since it’s so popular, cybercriminals figure they’ve got a considerable pool of victims to steal from. Last year, security researchers found a bug in Google Drive that lets hackers swap out legitimate files with malicious ones. Here’s how this sneaky swap works and what you can do to protect yourself.
That’s not the only security threat you have to worry about when using Google Drive, though. It’s also a hotspot for phishing schemes. One campaign mainly uses emails with links to malicious PDF files to break into your Google Drive account. From there, hackers could take over your computer.
When it comes to storage, you get what you pay for
IDrive is the safest way to back up your files through the cloud. It covers all of your devices, from Macs and Pcs to Android or iPhones.
Plus, it’s so convenient. You can manage all your backups through a single online account. Not to mention its affordability! Tap or click here to save 50% on 5TB of cloud backup now!
