Each year, there are increasing risks to the security of cloud data and our online privacy. Cloud storage statistics help us understand these risks in the cloud, how to prevent them, and which is the best cloud storage you can choose to protect your data.

Throughout this article, we will cover:

• Cloud security statistics
• Data privacy statistics
• Online privacy statistics
• Internet privacy statistics
• How to protect your security and privacy online

By understanding the common security risks in the cloud, we can also learn how to prevent them with cloud storage services and online privacy tools.

Table of contents

• Cloud security statistics
• Data privacy statistics
• Online privacy statistics
• Internet privacy statistics
• How to ensure the best cloud security
• Best cloud storage to protect your data
• Related tools

Cloud security statistics

Below are cloud security statistics from 2026, covering data stored in the cloud, how organizations store data, and the common threats to cloud environments.

1. 88% of organizations operate in hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
2. 66% of organizations are not confident in their ability to detect and respond to cloud threats in real time
3. 70% cite misconfigured cloud services as a major cloud security risk.
4. 66% cite data exposure as a major cloud security risk.
5. 81% of organizations rely on two or more cloud providers for critical workloads.
6. More than 200 cyber incidents affected the UK's critical national infrastructure in the past year, and roughly 75% were linked to state actors.
7. Around 100 zettabytes of data are expected to be stored in the cloud by 2026.
8. Cloud storage accounts for 80% of all data storage worldwide.
9. Zero‑trust architectures (never trust, always verify) are being widely adopted to secure cloud workloads, replacing traditional perimeter‑based models.
10. Compromised identities account for over 70% of cloud breaches, and this trend will accelerate as attackers exploit AI to automate credential harvesting and privilege escalation attacks.

Importance of cloud security statistics

As data stored in the cloud continues to grow, enterprises and businesses face the challenge of how to store this data and the best way to protect it.

One of the most effective methods for cloud storage or hybrid cloud storage models is a zero-trust model.

This security model is based on a “never trust, always verify” philosophy. So unlike traditional security protocols that automatically trust users and devices, a zero-trust model will always require security verification, regardless of the device and previous access.

Data breach cloud security statistics

Data breaches are a major threat to all companies. If data is leaked, it costs companies millions in compliance fines and puts customer data at risk of phishing, spam, and personal information leaking online or via the dark web.

Below are cloud security statistics regarding data breaches and common threats to cloud data.

1. Ransomware attacks hit 78% of companies over the past year, with projected growth of 40% by the end of 2026 based on disclosed incidents. Attackers now target cloud backups directly,
2. The average cost of a data breach globally stands at $4.44 million, while US organizations face $10.22 million average costs driven by regulatory fines and detection expenses.
3. Breaches spanning multiple cloud environments take an average of 276 days to identify and contain, with healthcare incidents taking an average of 279 days.
4. Human error drives 88% of all data breaches, with phishing as the most prevalent cloud breach vector affecting 73% of organizations.
5. 45% of all data breaches now occur in cloud environments (public, private, or hybrid).
6. 39% of cloud incidents directly expose sensitive data such as PII, financial records, or intellectual property.
7. Over 70% of cloud breaches originate from compromised identities, establishing identity compromise as the dominant breach vector. Stolen credentials, session hijacking, and credential stuffing attacks
8. Insider threats represent the costliest breach category, averaging $4.92 million, while phishing-related breaches average $4.8 million. Both attack types exploit human vulnerabilities and continue to affect organizations regardless of technical investment.

Data breach protection methods

From the above statistics, we can see that ransomware combined with phishing often appears in cloud security statistics as the main threat to companies, employees, and personal data.

For protection against ransomware, one of the most effective ways is cloud storage backups, which allow you to restore backed-up versions of files, plus the following cloud security benefits:

• File versioning: You can roll back to earlier, uninfected file versions.
• Immutability/object lock: Backups are made read-only for a set period and can’t be modified, so ransomware can't delete or encrypt them.
• Isolation from endpoints: Cloud backups are separated from your local network, so malware on your devices can't directly reach them.
• Rapid recovery: Data can be restored quickly without having to pay cybercriminals the ransom, reducing downtime and saving the business money.

For phishing protection, businesses should carry out regular employee training on how to identify phishing attacks, as well as AI scams, which are becoming more common and more advanced.

For security tools, phishing can be prevented with

• Encrypted email with advanced spam and phishing filters
• Enforce MFA for additional account protection
• Identity and access controls to prevent unnecessary access to sensitive data

Cloud security challenges statistics

Cloud security has quickly become one of the most critical areas of modern cybersecurity as organizations continue shifting workloads, applications, and data into cloud environments.

While cloud storage is considered a secure and controlled alternative to on-premises infrastructure, it is now the primary target for attackers, with cloud-related breaches officially surpassing traditional data center incidents, as shown by the statistics below.

1. Cloud security breaches have officially surpassed on-premises data breaches.
2. Malicious actors tend to target user IDs, customer phone numbers, comments, and private information.
3. Cloud security statistics reveal that 25% of the world’s total cyber attacks are cloud security attacks.
4. Cloud infrastructure attacks are climbing 21% year-over-year. Identity breaches are at the top, and misconfigurations are found in nearly 38% of breaches. APIs are the backbone of cloud apps and link to 31% of cloud data breaches.
5. 63% of organizations report that storage and data-management costs force them to protect less data than they believe they should.
6. 77% identify identity and access management (IAM) complexity as the top cloud-native security challenge.

As we can see, Identity and access management (IAM) is critical because most cloud breaches start with compromised credentials or misused access. Strong IAM reduces this risk by ensuring only the right people and systems can access the right resources, limiting damage even if an account is compromised.

Data privacy statistics

Related to cloud security, data privacy statistics from 2026 highlight how the switch to online privacy is becoming more common and important for people’s online lives.

1. 85% of global consumers say they want more control over how their personal data is used.
2. 72% of people are more concerned about data privacy now than they were two years ago.
3. 63% of consumers have stopped using a service due to concerns about how their personal data is handled.
4. 73% of consumers are more likely to trust companies that clearly explain how their data is used.
5. 67% of users actively adjust privacy settings on platforms when given the option.
6. 89% of European consumers are concerned about online privacy.

If you’re looking to switch from Big Tech companies to private alternatives, Internxt offers everything you need to stay protected online.

Plans include secure cloud storage, protected with post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, backups, VPN, Antivirus, Meet, Mail, and more.

Unlike other companies, Internxt’s mission is built on privacy. Internxt can’t see files you store or share in the cloud, and never uses your data for profit.

Online privacy statistics

As more companies face threats to data, more people are becoming concerned about their online privacy and how to protect it, as demonstrated by these online privacy statistics.

1. 90% of consumers say protecting personal data is important, but only 55% feel confident doing it effectively.
2. 57% of users believe their personal data has already been compromised at least once.
3. 86% of consumers report increasing concern about how their data is being used online.
4. 63% of users feel their data is less secure than it was five years ago.
5. Only 37.6% of users actually read privacy policies before sharing personal data.
6. 39% of users actively check whether websites are secure before submitting data.

Internet privacy statistics

When browsing the internet, we may feel like we are browsing in privacy, but the following internet privacy statistics show otherwise.

1. Over 75% of tracking activity occurs before users even interact with cookie consent banners.
2. More than 55% of websites continue tracking users even after explicit opt-out requests.
3. 87% of large advertising platforms continue tracking users even when opt-out signals are enabled (in audit tests).
4. Browser fingerprinting can uniquely identify users with high accuracy even without cookies.
5. Modern tracking methods allow user re-identification across sites even in private/incognito mode.
6. 31% of global internet users use a VPN at least monthly.
7. Only 40% of users feel fully protected online, even when using privacy tools like VPNs.
8. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can still log browsing activity even when users are in incognito mode.
9. Websites often increase tracking activity after users reject cookies instead of reducing it.
10. Accepting cookie banners can increase the number of trackers on a page by up to 70 additional tracking scripts.
11. Only 29% of users correctly understand that VPNs do NOT provide full anonymity online.

As we can see, we may think our privacy is protected online, but there are still ways our browsers can track our data.

To prevent this, we recommend downloading a secure and private browser, combined with Internxt VPN, to hide your IP address and secure your internet connection.

How to ensure the best cloud security

Encryption

Data encryption is the best and only way to ensure data is protected online in the cloud or local storage.

With encryption, even if a hacker accesses a system, the only thing they will see is scrambled text, protecting personal and confidential information.

Encryption is the standard for all forms of communication online, from messaging, cloud storage, and email.

For the best and most secure encryption, choose companies like Internxt, which offers zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage. By choosing this method of encryption, everything is encrypted on your device, ensuring nobody, not even Internxt, can access your files.

Zero-trust approach

Zero trust can reduce the impact of stolen credentials, insider threats, and lateral attacks in a cloud environment by continuously verifying user identity before granting permission to data.

Employee training

According to cloud storage statistics, human error is a major cause of cloud security issues. By carrying out regular training sessions on how to identify phishing attacks and using a secure email, it will significantly lower the risk of security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.

Select the right cloud model

Depending on your cloud storage budget, security, and storage needs, you must take into account the following when choosing the right type of cloud storage:

Choose a public cloud for: scalability, low upfront cost, and managed infrastructure. It is ideal for personal use, startups, web applications, testing environments, and workloads that need to scale quickly without maintaining physical hardware.

Choose a private cloud for: maximum control, security, and compliance. It is typically used by organizations handling sensitive data, such as healthcare, finance, or government, where strict regulatory requirements or data sovereignty rules apply.

Choose a hybrid cloud for: a balance of private and public cloud. Keep sensitive workloads in a private environment while using the public cloud for less critical or highly scalable workloads.

Best cloud storage to protect your data

Internxt Drive

Internxt Drive is a zero-knowledge and post-quantum encrypted cloud storage for secure backups, storage, syncing, and sharing large files.

It is open source, audited, and GDPR compliant, ensuring the platform is able to be verified for its security, and data is handled with the best European privacy laws.

It offers up to 5TB of storage, with lifetime plans having the option to add more storage if your storage runs out.

It also offers advanced sharing controls with password-protected file sharing for large videos or business projects, as well as WebDAV and Rclone support. Ultimate plans also include NAS support for QNAP and Synology, allowing you to set up your local and cloud storage together for increased security and privacy.

Aside from cloud storage, Internxt offers a full privacy suite for online and device protection with VPN, Cleaner, and Antivirus, with Meet and Mail also available.

To get started with Internxt, visit our website, check out our best cloud storage prices below, and get 85% off all our annual and monthly plans to get started.

Internxt S3

For enterprise cloud storage, Internxt offers S3 cloud object storage to store petabytes of data, backup files, and access large amounts of data quickly.

Internxt S3 is a European-based object storage solution and alternative to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, offering a fixed storage plan of €7/TB/month, with no egress or ingress fees, offering an 80% cheaper alternative to these Big Tech companies.

All Internxt plans are GDPR, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and SOC 2 compliant, offering the best data protection and security for all types of data.

To get started with Internxt S3, you can visit our website to contact a member of our sales team to get the best cloud security, scalability, and affordable cloud storage for your business.

Related tools

Temp Mail – Free Disposable Temporary Email

Keep your email account free of unwanted mail with Internxt’s Free Disposable Temporary Email. Temp Mail provides a temporary, secure, anonymous, and free email address.

Internxt – Free Online File Virus Scanner

Free tool for scanning files for viruses and malware. Protect your personal documents, data, and hardware from online fraud with a quick and easy scan.

Internxt Metadata Remover – Clean Your File’s Metadata Online

Remove hidden data from your files in seconds. Internxt’s Metadata Remover cleans your documents for maximum privacy before sharing.

Internxt — Strong Password Generator

Free and secure password generator. An easy and effective tool to instantly create random and secure passwords to keep your accounts safe.

In 2026, the world is expected to generate roughly 450 to 500+ million terabytes of data per day due to continued rapid growth in:

• Video streaming and short-form content
• AI model training and inference data
• IoT devices and sensors
• Cloud services and enterprise data systems

All this data needs to be stored somewhere, but is cloud storage or local storage best to manage your data?

Throughout this article, we will cover

• Cloud vs local storage
• Cloud storage vs local storage security
• Cloud storage vs local storage: pros and cons
• Cloud vs local storage costs

This way, you will gain a deeper understanding of both storage models and determine which best suits your personal, business, or enterprise use case.

Table of contents

• What is cloud storage?
• What are the different types of cloud storage?
• Pros & cons of cloud storage
• What is local storage?
• Cloud storage vs local storage: pros and cons
• Pros & cons of local storage
• Cloud storage vs local storage: quick comparison
• Best cloud storage alternative to local storage
• Internxt Drive
• Internxt S3
• Internxt cloud storage vs local storage cost
• How to choose between cloud storage vs local storage
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

What is cloud storage?

Cloud storage is a way to store your files on remote servers rather than on your own device. These servers are owned and managed by a cloud provider and are accessed over the internet.

When you upload a file to the cloud, it is stored in a secure data center and can be accessed from any device, anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.

Below, we will cover the different types of cloud storage available, so when comparing cloud vs local storage, you have an in-depth idea of how both storage models work.

What are the different types of cloud storage?

When you’re choosing between cloud vs local storage, some of the most popular options for storing files in the cloud come from big tech companies (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc), but there are other options you can choose from, depending on your use case.

Public, hybrid, and private

Cloud storage stores data on remote servers that are accessed over the internet instead of relying only on local hard drives.

For the deployment model, data is stored in servers in data centers managed either by third-party providers or the organization.

The three main types of cloud storage are public, private, and hybrid cloud.

Public

In a public cloud model, such as Internxt Drive secure cloud storage, storage and computing resources are run in European data centers, encrypted on your device, and sent to its servers to ensure nobody can access your files.

Public cloud storage is commonly used for personal cloud storage backups, file syncing across devices, media storage, web applications, and large-scale data storage, where strict control over infrastructure is not required.  

Choose a public model for: low cost, simplicity, and scalability

Private

For private cloud storage, the infrastructure runs on dedicated servers used by a single organization. It can be hosted on-premises in a company’s own data center or by a provider in a dedicated environment.

Choose a private model for: maximum security, control, or compliance

Hybrid

A hybrid cloud storage model is a combination of private and public cloud environments that are connected together. You choose this model when you need to separate your data.

Sensitive or regulated data stays in the private cloud, while large-scale storage, backups, testing, or temporary workloads run in the public cloud.

It is commonly used by businesses that have mixed requirements, such as keeping customer or financial data secure while using public cloud resources for scaling, analytics, or cost efficiency.

Object, block & file storage

Cloud storage can also be classified by storage type, which describes how data is organized and stored.

The three main storage types are

1. Object storage
2. Block storage
3. File storage.

Object Storage

Cloud object storage, such as Internxt S3, stores data as individual objects containing the file, metadata, and a unique identifier to quickly retrieve data.

Objects are stored in a flat structure, so it has unlimited availability and is a cost-effective solution used by enterprises for backups, archives, photos, videos, media libraries, cloud storage services, and large datasets.

Choose object storage for: scalability and storing terabytes or petabytes of unstructured data.

Block Storage

Block storage stores data in fixed-size blocks, each of which has a unique address, allowing applications to access and modify data quickly, providing high performance and low latency.

This storage is commonly used for databases, virtual machines, and enterprise applications.

Choose block storage for: high performance and low latency

File Storage

File storage stores data in a hierarchical structure using files, folders, and directories. If you use Windows, macOS, or Linux file systems, it’s the same organizational model, making it familiar and easy to manage.

File storage is commonly used for shared drives, team collaboration, document management systems, network-attached storage (NAS), and applications that require traditional file paths.

Choose file storage for: shared access and file management

Pros & cons of cloud storage

When choosing between cloud vs local storage, it’s important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Accessibility: Access files from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy to work from any device or when working remotely.

Backups: Protect data from common threats to data, such as ransomware, hardware failures, theft, or accidental deletion.

Scalability: Cloud storage plans offer terabytes of storage. With Internxt Drive plans, you can get 5TB to up to 100TB of storage.

File sharing and collaboration: Share large files and folders quickly and securely via a secure link or email.

Redundancy: Cloud storage stores your data across multiple servers or locations to improve reliability and availability, and ensure you can always access your files

Synchronization: Keep files updated across computers, smartphones, and tablets automatically so you always have the most recent version of your files available.

Security: Encryption (end-to-end or zero-knowledge), access controls, and 2FA are all handled by the provider to ensure your files are kept secure.

Disadvantages

• Reliance on an internet connection: Accessing, uploading, and syncing files typically requires a stable internet connection, which may not be convenient or totally secure if using public wifi.
• Ongoing subscriptions: Monthly or annual fees can become more expensive than local storage over time, but you can avoid this with an Internxt lifetime plan.
• Privacy: Data is stored on third-party servers, requiring trust in the provider's security and privacy practices. Some companies hold the encryption keys to your data, meaning they could access your files without your knowledge.
• Vendor lock-In: Migrating data to the cloud can be time-consuming and costly.
• Storage limits: Plans often include storage caps, requiring upgrades as data requirements grow, although some services offer unlimited cloud storage
• Compliance: Certain industries may face legal or regulatory requirements that limit where and how data can be stored.

What is local storage?

Local storage stores data directly on physical hardware rather than on remote cloud servers, such as:

• Hard drives
• SSDs
• USB drives
• On-premises servers (data stored on an infrastructure or device owned by you or an organization)

Local storage can also include internal or external hard drives, file servers within a company, Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems such as QNAP or Synology devices.

The key difference between local storage vs cloud storage is that data remains physically close to the user or organization, giving full direct control over how it is stored, secured, and managed.

Unlike cloud storage, local storage requires the owner to handle all maintenance, upgrades, backups, and security. This includes managing hardware failures, software updates, and physical protection of the systems.

While it offers high control and potentially faster local access speeds, it also comes with higher responsibility and upfront hardware costs.

Cloud storage vs local storage: pros and cons

Pros & cons of local storage

Like cloud storage, local storage has its benefits and disadvantages, which you can consider when making your decision between local storage vs cloud storage.

Advantages

• No internet required: Files can be accessed anytime without needing an internet connection, offering more reliability and convenience in offline environments.
• Control over your data: Users or organizations have complete control over where data is stored, how it is managed, and who can access it.
• One-time Hardware Cost: Storage is typically a one-time investment in physical hardware, but costs may increase over time if more storage is required
• Faster access: Data can be accessed at high speed over local networks or directly from the device, reducing latency.
• More predictable and reliable performance: As local storage is not affected by internet speed or cloud infrastructures, it is often more reliable.
• Custom security: Security measures can be fully customized and managed internally based on specific needs or policies.
• No subscription costs: After the initial hardware investment, there are no monthly costs for the storage capacity.
• Better for compliance: Local storage offers complete control over your data, so for businesses with compliance needs and regulatory standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA, this can be a better option.

Disadvantages

• High initial investment: Requires significant initial investment in hardware such as servers, hard drives, and networking equipment.
• Limited Scalability: Expanding storage requires purchasing and installing additional physical hardware.
• Risk of damage or loss: Local storage is at high risk of hardware failure, theft, fire, or other physical damage, meaning properly backing up data is essential.
• Maintenance: All updates, repairs, and system management must be handled internally, which could compromise the system if improperly managed.
• IT management requirements: Local storage requires skilled personnel to manage infrastructure, security, and performance, all of which add to business costs.
• Slower Collaboration: Sharing and accessing files across different locations can be less efficient compared to cloud storage.

Cloud storage vs local storage: quick comparison

Now that we’ve covered cloud storage vs local storage in detail, you can check below for a quick overview of both storage models.

Best cloud storage alternative to local storage

Internxt Drive

Encryption

Internxt Drive is a secure cloud storage solution that protects your data with AES-256 zero-knowledge encryption, and it’s the first cloud storage to implement post-quantum encryption for all free and paid plans.

All files are encrypted on your device before they are sent to Internxt’s cloud data centers, and only you hold the keys, meaning Internxt nor anybody else can access your files.

This makes Internxt stand out from cloud providers such as Google Drive, which can access or hand over your files to law enforcement if required.

In contrast to local storage, Internxt handles all the security and encryption, meaning you never have to worry about your files being hacked.

Backups & redundancy

All paid Internxt plans offer encrypted backups that you can schedule to ensure your files are protected against ransomware or accidental data loss. From Internxt’s side, all your files are stored in multiple data centers to ensure a copy of your file always remains accessible.

File versioning

Premium and Ultimate plans also offer file versioning of up to 30 days, allowing you to store, track, and restore different versions of a document.

Secure sharing

Thanks to Internxt’s award-winning encryption, you can store your files privately and also share large files in total privacy with Internxt’s advanced sharing features.

You can protect files with a password, control access, restrict who sees your files, and share large files with an encrypted link. With zero-knowledge encryption, nobody but you and those you choose to share your files with can access them.

Full privacy suite

Aside from post-quantum encrypted cloud storage, Internxt also offers several features to protect your privacy online, and advanced cloud management features such as WebDAV and Rclone support.

For the full list of features of a paid Internxt plan, such as Internxt VPN, Meet, Mail, and more, visit our website to claim your 85% Internxt special offer on all annual and lifetime plans, and check the full list of features below.

Hybrid cloud support

If you own your own QNAP or Synology NAS device, you can connect your Internxt Drive to your NAS system, giving you a secure way to sync, back up, and access your cloud files directly from your local storage environment.

Compliance

Internxt is based in Valencia, Spain, and follows GDPR compliance, giving you total control over your personal data.

Internxt is also ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA compliant, meaning it offers total security for all types of business and enterprise data.

Open source and audited

To validate Internxt’s security, Drive has been audited twice by an independent security company, Securitum, verifying that the platform is secure against cyberattacks.

All Internxt’s products are open source, so anyone with the right knowledge can check and verify the security of Internxt’s privacy suite.

Internxt S3

Internxt S3 is a cloud object storage solution for enterprises that need to store, backup, and access petabytes of data.

Unlike AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure, Internxt S3 offers a fixed price of €7/TB/month, with no additional data transfer fees.

Choose Internxt Drive if you need zero-encrypted cloud storage, and Internxt S3 if your enterprise needs secure, scalable, and affordable object storage for large amounts of data.

Internxt cloud storage vs local storage cost

If you choose an Internxt 5TB lifetime plan, you only need to pay once to access your storage and features forever. After that, there are no recurring storage fees as Internxt handles infrastructure, updates, redundancy, and maintenance, so the cost stays fixed over time.

With local storage, say you choose a 5TB NAS system, the initial cost ranges from €500 to €760, not including ongoing electricity usage, and upgrading your hardware for more storage over time.

As local storage only includes cloud storage, with Internxt, you get more privacy online and more value for your money.

Internxt S3 cloud vs local storage cost

For object cloud storage vs local storage, we will consider Internxt S3 and local storage for the cost of 50 terabytes of storage.

Average initial local storage costs

• NAS/server: €1,000 – €5,000
• 10TB enterprise HDDs (6–10 drives): €1,500 – €4,000
• RAID redundancy overhead (lost capacity): +20–40% extra drives

Total upfront cost: €2,500 – €9,000

Ongoing costs (annual)

• Electricity: €100 – €400
• Cooling / infrastructure: €100 – €500
• IT maintenance/support: €500 – €3,000+
• Drive replacement (every 3–5 years): €1,500 – €4,000 (amortized yearly: ~€300 – €1,000)

Total yearly ongoing: ~€1,000 – €5,000+

Internxt S3 (50TB)

• €7 / TB / month × 50TB = €350/month
• €4,200/year

Includes storage, redundancy, infrastructure, maintenance, and scaling.

• Enterprise local storage: €2,500 – €9,000 upfront + €1,000 – €5,000+ yearly
• Internxt S3: €4,200/year, no hardware or maintenance costs

Savings over 5 years for 50TB:

• Low-end enterprise setup: Internxt S3 is ~44% more expensive
• Mid-range enterprise setup: Internxt S3 is ~0% to 30% cheaper
• High-end enterprise setup: Internxt S3 is ~38% to 70% cheaper

For more information about local storage vs cloud storage costs, visit our article below.

How to choose between cloud storage vs local storage

Choosing between cloud storage and local storage depends on how you need to access your data, how much control you want, and how much you are willing to manage.

Cloud storage is best when you need flexibility, remote access, and automatic backups.

Local storage is better when you want full control, faster local performance, and no reliance on the internet.

Another option for personal or business cloud storage is a hybrid approach, using cloud storage for flexibility and local storage for sensitive or high-performance workloads.

Related articles

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Frequently asked questions

Is cloud storage better than local storage?

Neither option is universally better. Cloud storage like Internxt Drive offers accessibility, scalability, and easy collaboration, and a full product suite included for extra online privacy.

Local storage provides greater control, faster access speeds, and independence from an internet connection.

What is the difference between cloud storage and local storage?

The main difference is where the data is stored. Cloud storage keeps files on remote servers accessed online, while local storage keeps files on physical devices such as hard drives, SSDs, or network storage systems.

Cloud storage vs local storage security: which is more secure?

Both can be secure when managed properly. Cloud storage providers invest heavily in security measures, while local storage gives users direct control over data protection. Security ultimately depends on how each solution is configured and maintained.

Is cloud storage cheaper than local storage?

Cloud storage typically has lower upfront costs but ongoing subscription fees, which you can avoid if you choose a cloud storage lifetime plan like those offered by Internxt Drive.

Local storage usually requires a larger initial investment but may cost less over the long term, depending on storage requirements.

What are the risks of local storage vs cloud storage?

Local storage can be vulnerable to hardware failures, theft, accidental damage, and data loss if backups are not maintained. Without redundancy, a single device failure can result in lost files.

Cloud storage risks include service outages, account compromises, vendor lock-in, and dependence on internet connectivity. These risks can often be reduced through proper security practices and backup strategies.

Data encryption is a complex, but crucial aspect to protect your data, either in the cloud, in your private cloud storage, or when you send messages, emails, or send or transfer any information via the internet.

To help simplify this topic, this article will cover:

• What is data encryption
• How encryption protects data
• Best way to protect and encrypt data

We will also cover the best encrypted cloud storage to protect your data in the cloud, and which encryption methods are best for your privacy.

Table of contents

• What is data encryption?
• Benefits of data encryption
• Different types of data encryption
• Data encryption algorithms
• Data encryption standards
• Can encrypted data be hacked?
• How Internxt Drive encrypts and protects your data
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

What is data encryption?

Data encryption is the process of converting readable information (plain text) into a coded form (ciphertext) so that only authorized people can access it. It protects data by making it unreadable to anyone who does not have the correct key to unlock it.

When data is encrypted, it looks like random characters instead of meaningful information, such as this example:

5b1d3f9a7c2e8d91a4f6b0c3e8d2f7a1

To turn it back into its original form, you need a decryption key.

Encryption is used everywhere in cloud storage, messaging apps, banking, and websites. It protects data when it is being sent over the internet and when it is stored on servers.

Benefits of data encryption

Prevents data breaches

As data encryption turns sensitive data into unreadable text, even if attackers gain access to a system, they cannot easily use the data, leak the data online, or use it in phishing or AI scams.

Supports compliance

By implementing encryption, businesses can meet and follow strict regulations to protect sensitive data.

To ensure maximum data security and protection, Internxt offers zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption to meet GDPR compliance, HIPAA for healthcare data, ISO 27001 certification for establishing and maintaining a structured information security management system, and SOC 2 compliance, which verifies that the company has strong controls in place to protect customer data, ensure availability, maintain confidentiality, and guarantee data integrity.

Secures data at rest and in transit

In transit encryption protects your data when it is transferred over the internet to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

At rest encryption protects data in servers or anywhere the data is stored, to ensure nobody can access the data even if the systems are compromised.

Cloud storage protection

One of the biggest challenges for individuals, businesses, or enterprises is protecting data with secure cloud storage and backups.

While all cloud providers offer encryption, not all provide zero-knowledge protection, so in some cases, like with Google Drive, employees or law enforcement can access the files you store in the cloud.

This is why Internxt Drive and Internxt S3 cloud object storage encrypt files directly on your device to ensure maximum data protection, and secure cloud backups to protect against ransomware.

Protects intellectual property

Encryption also offers business security by protecting intellectual property by encrypting sensitive business data such as designs, research, and trade secrets, preventing unauthorized copying or theft.

Different types of data encryption

Symmetric (private encryption)

Symmetric encryption protects data with one single secret key that is used to encrypt data (turn it into ciphertext) and unlock information (return it to its original form).

This makes it very fast and efficient, which is why it is widely used to protect large amounts of data, such as files in cloud storage, databases, and backups.

The most common example of symmetric encryption is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), especially AES-256, which is considered the standard for all data encryption methods.

Symmetric encryption is fast and strong for protecting data, but it depends heavily on keeping a single secret key safe.

To protect the secret key, cloud storage providers use separate data encryption keys that are protected by secure key management systems and hardware security modules, so the main keys are never directly exposed.

Asymmetric (public encryption)

Asymmetric encryption is a method of protecting data that uses two different but mathematically linked keys: a public key and a private key.

The public key can be shared openly with anyone with multiple people and via the internet because only the owner of the private key can decrypt the information.

The most commonly used types of asymmetric encryption are:

1. RSA = Rivest–Shamir–Adleman
2. DSA = Digital Signature Algorithm
3. ECC = Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Data encryption in transit

Data encryption in transit protects information while it is being sent between devices, servers, or online services.

It works by scrambling the data into a coded format that cannot be read by anyone who intercepts it during transmission. Only the intended recipient, who has the correct key to unlock the data, can read the original information.

For example, when you log into a website, send an email, or upload a file to the cloud, encryption in transit helps prevent hackers, internet providers, or other unauthorized parties from viewing or stealing your data as it travels across the internet.

This is commonly achieved using secure protocols such as HTTPS and TLS, which create a protected connection between you and the service you are using.

Data encryption at rest

Once your data reaches its destination, encryption at rest protects data when it is stored on a device, server, or cloud storage system. It converts information into an unreadable format, so if a server is compromised or a storage device is stolen, the encrypted data remains protected because it cannot be read without the key needed to unlock it.

Data encryption algorithms

Advanced Encryption Standard 256 (AES)

Advanced Encryption Standard 256, usually called AES-256, is a method used to protect data by turning it into unreadable code (ciphertext), so only someone with the correct key can unlock it.

It is a type of symmetric encryption, and is the current encryption standard used by all major cloud storage companies, from Google Drive to OneDrive.

The “256” refers to the size of the encryption key, which is 256 bits long. This makes it extremely difficult to guess or break using brute force methods, which is why it is considered very secure and is widely used by cloud providers and security systems around the world.

Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)

Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a method used to protect data and secure communication by using mathematical curves to create encryption keys, and is used by Proton Drive.

ECC is based on the difficulty of solving problems involving points on an elliptic curve. This makes it much more efficient while still being very secure.

In cloud systems, ECC is mainly used for key exchange and digital signatures, not for encrypting large files directly. It helps two systems securely agree on a shared secret key, which is then used with faster symmetric encryption like AES-256 to actually protect the data.

The main advantage of ECC is that it provides the same level of security as older systems like RSA, but with much smaller keys. This means faster performance, lower computing power, and less bandwidth usage, which is especially important in cloud storage, mobile devices, and large-scale systems.

Kyber 512 post-quantum encryption (PQE)

Kyber-512 is a post-quantum cryptographic algorithm designed to securely exchange encryption keys. The National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends that all companies switch to post-quantum encryption by 2035 to prevent the threats of quantum computers.

Today's data encryption systems, like ECC and RSA, are used to securely share encryption keys over the internet.

These rely on mathematical problems that are very hard for normal computers to break, but a sufficiently powerful quantum computer running algorithms like Shor’s algorithm could solve them much faster, effectively breaking the encryption that protects your data.

Kyber-512 avoids this risk by using a completely different kind of math called lattice-based cryptography.

Instead of relying on number factorization or elliptic curves, it is based on the difficulty of solving structured problems in high-dimensional grids of numbers. These problems are believed to remain hard even for quantum computers because there is no known efficient quantum algorithm that can solve them.

Due to the importance of future-proofing data from future cybersecurity threats, Internxt is the first encrypted cloud storage to protect your data with Kyber-512 and AES-256 encryption.

The major difference between Internxt Drive and other cloud companies is that Internxt combines PQE with zero-knowledge policies. This means all files are encrypted on your device, and only you hold the encryption keys, so nobody but you or those you share your files with can access them.

Even if law enforcement or government agencies requested access to your files, Internxt’s encryption makes this impossible, and all of Internxt’s security can be verified with its open source software.

Internxt’s data encryption and security have also passed an independent security audit by Securitum, a professional penetration testing company that also audits Proton, Bitwarden, NordVPN, and other privacy-focused services.

Choosing Internxt Drive gives you full privacy of your files, the most advanced encryption, and a future-proof way to store, backup, and share files in the cloud.

SHA-256 (hashing algorithms)

Hashing algorithms are different from data encryption, but still work to protect your data. While encryption hides your data, hashing algorithms verify that the data has not been altered.

In cloud storage, SHA-256 is used to check if data has been changed or corrupted. A file gets a hash when it is uploaded, and later the system checks it again. If the hashes match, the file is unchanged.

SHA-256 is also used in password security. For example, instead of storing actual passwords, systems store the hash of the password. When you log in, your entered password is hashed and compared to the stored hash. If they match, access is granted, but the system never needs to store or reveal the real password.

As Internxt uses zero-knowledge encryption, it cannot access your password, so for added account security, we recommend downloading a backup key to recover your account, which you can download when creating your Internxt account and following the steps below.

Download Internxt backup key

Data encryption standards

NIST

NIST data encryption standards are security guidelines created by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to define how data should be protected in government, industry, and cloud systems.

The most important current standard is AES, which NIST selected as the official standard for symmetric encryption. It is used to encrypt data at rest and in transit, with AES-128, AES-192, and AES-256 being the approved key sizes. AES-256 is the most commonly used for high-security systems.

Common Criteria (CC) for Information Technology Security Evaluation

Common Criteria does not create encryption rules, but it independently verifies how secure a product is and how well it uses encryption and other security mechanisms.

It is the international standard used to evaluate and certify the security of IT products, including encryption systems, software, and hardware.

Can encrypted data be hacked?

Data encryption can be hacked, and due to the sensitive nature of encrypted data, hackers try many ways to try and access data.

Common risks include:

• Accidental exposure: If the secret encryption key is accidentally exposed or fails to be protected,  attackers can gain access to protected data.
• Social engineering attacks: the most common way cybercriminals attempt to access encrypted data is via social engineering, such as phishing attacks or AI scams.
• Insider threats: A severe threat to encrypted data is the possibility that an employee with high access levels will access sensitive data, or that data can accidentally be leaked.
• Malware: Attackers can compromise devices using malware and use it to decrypt data on your device.

So, although encryption is a strong and effective security measure, it should still be treated as another layer of protection that you must add additional security methods to, such as strong passwords and secure file sharing.

How Internxt Drive encrypts and protects your data

Internxt is the only cloud storage with Kyber 512 and AES 256 encryption, combined with zero-knowledge policies. All data is encrypted on your device, and you hold the encryption keys, so nobody but you can access your data.

Internxt Drive features include:

• Encrypted backups
• File syncing
• 2FA
• Password-protected file sharing
• Rclone, WebDAV, and NAS support

All plans include the same advanced encryption, and with paid plans, you can build a privacy-focused plan alongside your cloud storage with annual and lifetime plans, which you can get for 85% off by following the link below.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is data encryption important?

Encryption protects sensitive information from unauthorized access, helping prevent data breaches, identity theft, and cyberattacks.

What is the difference between encryption at rest and encryption in transit?

Encryption at rest protects data stored on servers, devices, or cloud storage. Encryption in transit protects data while it is being transferred between systems or over the internet.

Can encrypted data be hacked?

Strong encryption is extremely difficult to break. However, weak passwords, stolen keys, or security vulnerabilities can still expose encrypted data.

What is a decryption key?

A decryption key is a secret piece of information used to convert encrypted data back into its original, readable form.

What is the difference between encryption and hashing?

Encryption can be reversed with the correct key to recover the original data. Hashing is a one-way process used to verify data integrity and cannot be reversed.

How does encryption protect cloud storage?

Encryption ensures that files stored in the cloud remain unreadable to unauthorized users, even if the storage system is compromised.

What is post-quantum encryption?

Post-quantum encryption uses cryptographic methods designed to remain secure against future quantum computers that could break some of today's encryption systems.

Does encryption affect performance?

Modern encryption has a minimal impact on performance. Most devices and cloud services are designed to encrypt data efficiently without noticeable slowdowns.

Is encrypted data completely secure?

Encryption greatly improves security, but it should be combined with strong passwords, access controls, and other security measures for maximum protection.

Which industries rely on data encryption?

Healthcare, finance, government, legal services, technology companies, and any organization that handles sensitive information rely on encryption to protect data and comply with regulations.

Is it even worth talking about Amazon Drive in 2026? Not really, on its own, because the service no longer exists. Yet thousands of people still type "Amazon Drive vs Dropbox" into Google every month, unsure where their files are supposed to live now.

Amazon Drive shut down for good on December 31, 2023, and Amazon moved everything to Amazon Photos, which only keeps images. So your files need a new home. If you want privacy, Internxt Drive encrypts everything so only you can read it. If you want easy syncing and sharing, Dropbox does that well. Google Drive and OneDrive work if you already live in those worlds, and there's a cheaper S3 option for developers further down.

If you came to pit Amazon Drive against Dropbox, we still do that below. But with Drive gone, the bigger question is which service to move to, and that's what most of this guide covers. Amazon has clearly moved on as well, giving Amazon Photos a major AI-powered redesign in May 2026 while leaving Drive behind.

Table of contents

• Is Amazon Drive still available?
• Why did Amazon discontinue Amazon Drive?
• What happened to my files when Amazon Drive shut down?
• Is Amazon Drive free for Prime members?
• Amazon Drive alternatives compared: which should you migrate to?
• Amazon Drive vs Dropbox: how did they compare?
• Why is Amazon S3 more expensive than Dropbox?
• Where Dropbox still falls short
• The private alternative: how Internxt compares
• Which should you choose now?
• FAQ

Is Amazon Drive still available?

No. Amazon Drive is gone, and it went in stages:

• October 31, 2022: the Amazon Drive app was pulled from the App Store and Google Play.
• January 31, 2023: Amazon stopped letting users upload new files.
• December 31, 2023: the service shut down for good. After that date you could no longer view or download files through Amazon Drive.

Photos and videos were moved over to Amazon Photos, which is still running. Everything else, meaning your documents, PDFs, zip files, and anything that wasn't an image or video, had to be downloaded by hand before the deadline or it was gone.

Why did Amazon discontinue Amazon Drive?

Amazon's official reason was focus. It would rather pour everything into Amazon Photos than keep two overlapping storage products limping along. And honestly, Drive was always the neglected sibling: confusingly branded (it spent years as "Amazon Cloud Drive"), thin on features, and buried so deep in Amazon's menus that most people never knew it was there.

It's a small thing, but it matters. Amazon Drive didn't fail, exactly. It just stopped earning its place inside a company with bigger bets elsewhere. When you hand your files to Big Tech, you're trusting that the product stays profitable enough to keep around, and that call gets made in a boardroom, not by you.

What happened to my files when Amazon Drive shut down?

If you stored photos or videos, they were moved to Amazon Photos automatically, and they're still there. The snag is that Amazon Photos only takes images and videos, not the documents and general files Drive used to hold. (If you'd rather not leave your photos with Amazon either, here's our take on the best Amazon Photos alternatives.)

Anything else, you had to download before December 31, 2023, because none of it was migrated. If you're only finding out about the shutdown now, whatever non-media files you kept on Amazon Drive are no longer recoverable from Amazon.

Either way, you'll need somewhere new to put your files.

Is Amazon Drive free for Prime members?

This one trips people up, so let's be precise. Amazon Photos, which is still running, gives Prime members unlimited photo storage and 5GB for videos as part of the membership. Amazon Drive, which is gone, used to have its own separate 5GB free tier with paid plans on top.

So if what you're really asking is "do I still get free Amazon storage with Prime?", the answer is yes, but only for photos and videos, through Amazon Photos. For documents and general files, Prime now gives you nothing.

Amazon Drive alternatives compared: which should you migrate to?

Here's how the main consumer options stack up. Amazon Drive is in the table only as a reference point, since you can't actually sign up for it anymore.

Internxt's annual plans are billed yearly, and the €1.99/mo (1TB) rate is a current promotional price (80% off the €9.99/mo standard rate). A one-time lifetime plan (€379.99 for 1TB) is also available. Google One 2TB and Microsoft 365 Personal (1TB) are the closest comparable paid tiers, and both also offer 100GB plans at $1.99/mo.

If you just want the easiest mainstream replacement with solid syncing and team features, Dropbox is the natural pick. If part of why you're leaving Amazon is that you'd rather not hand your files to another US data giant, Internxt is built around exactly that worry. For a wider look at the field, see our full guide to the best Dropbox alternatives, or the head-to-heads on Dropbox vs OneDrive and Box vs Dropbox.

Amazon Drive vs Dropbox: how did they compare?

If you specifically came for the head-to-head, here it is, with the obvious asterisk that one of the two is no longer breathing.

Amazon Drive was cheap and plugged into the Amazon ecosystem, and that was about the end of its charm. It was barebones: clumsy sharing, no real sync, and hardly any collaboration tools. Dropbox is the opposite. Sync and sharing are the whole point, it works smoothly across every device, and it has the shared folders, version history, and file requests Amazon Drive never bothered to build.

On price, Dropbox Plus runs $9.99 a month (billed yearly) for 2TB and a single user. That's more than Amazon Drive used to charge, but you're paying for something that's actively maintained and genuinely good at its job. (We break down all the tiers in our Dropbox pricing guide.)

Not everyone typing that comparison was looking for somewhere to keep holiday photos, though. A fair number of people mix up Amazon Drive with Amazon S3, Amazon's storage built for developers, and get stuck on a stranger question: why does 1TB on S3 cost about $276 a year when Dropbox sells 2TB for $120?

Why is Amazon S3 more expensive than Dropbox? (and the cheaper S3 alternative)

It looks backwards until you realise S3 and Dropbox aren't the same kind of product at all.

Amazon S3 is raw infrastructure. You pay per gigabyte stored, plus per API request, plus egress fees every time you pull data out. It's priced for developers building applications, where that granular billing makes sense. Dropbox is a finished consumer product with flat, bundled pricing, and it runs at enormous scale. In fact, Dropbox moved the bulk of its storage off Amazon S3 onto its own infrastructure, "Magic Pocket," back in 2015 and 2016, shifting more than 500 petabytes of user data and cutting operating costs by tens of millions a year. So Dropbox isn't reselling S3 at a markup. It's running its own, cheaper stack.

The real sting with S3 is those egress fees. Pulling data out can quietly dwarf your storage bill, something we get into in our breakdown of Amazon S3 storage costs. That's exactly where an S3-compatible alternative earns its keep:

Internxt's S3-compatible object storage is around 80% cheaper than AWS for storage and charges zero ingress or egress fees, while staying compatible with the S3 tooling you already use. For predictable bills on real workloads like media archives, backups, and data retention, that gap adds up fast.

Where Dropbox still falls short

Back on the consumer side, Dropbox is a polished product, and for collaboration it's hard to fault. But it has two real weaknesses worth being clear about.

The first is privacy. Dropbox encrypts your files with 256-bit AES and protects them in transit with SSL/TLS, but it isn't zero-knowledge. Dropbox holds the keys, which means Dropbox, and anyone who can legally compel Dropbox, can technically get at your files. End-to-end encryption only shows up on its top-tier Advanced business plan. For most people that means your files are private from other users, but not private from Dropbox itself.

The second is jurisdiction. Dropbox is a US company under US data law. If part of why you left Amazon was unease about how Big Tech handles data, moving to another big US provider doesn't really fix that.

None of this is a dealbreaker for everyone. If you just want files that sync and a team that can work together, Dropbox is great. But if privacy was ever the point, it's worth looking at something built for it.

The private alternative: how Internxt compares

Internxt is a privacy-first cloud storage company based in Valencia, Spain, and the whole product is built around one stubborn idea: your files should be readable by you and nobody else, us included.

Here's what that means in practice. Your files are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it, using zero-knowledge AES-256 encryption with post-quantum protection. Internxt also splits each file into encrypted shards, so no server ever holds a whole file. We don't store your password, and we genuinely can't read your data. The code is open source on GitHub, and the service has been independently audited by Securitum, one of Europe's leading penetration-testing firms.

On the practical side, there's a free plan with 1GB, and paid plans at 1TB, 3TB, and 5TB starting from €1.99 a month (billed annually, on a current promotion). Internxt also does something almost no mainstream rival offers: lifetime plans, where a single one-time payment (1TB for €379.99, up to 5TB) keeps your storage for good. Being EU-based, it's fully GDPR-compliant, with HIPAA, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 compliance on top.

FAQ

Why did Amazon discontinue Amazon Drive?

Amazon shut down Amazon Drive on December 31, 2023 to focus on Amazon Photos instead of maintaining two overlapping storage products. Photos and videos were migrated to Amazon Photos, while other file types had to be downloaded before the deadline or were lost.

Which is better, Amazon Drive or Dropbox?

Amazon Drive no longer exists, so Dropbox wins by default between the two. When both were running, Dropbox was far stronger for syncing, sharing, and collaboration, while Amazon Drive was cheaper but barebones. For privacy specifically, neither is zero-knowledge, so Internxt is the better pick.

Is Amazon Drive free for Prime members?

Not anymore. Amazon Photos still gives Prime members unlimited photo storage and 5GB for videos, but Amazon Drive, which had its own 5GB free tier for general files, was shut down at the end of 2023.

Where should I migrate from Amazon Drive?

For privacy, Internxt (zero-knowledge, EU-based, lifetime plans). For mainstream syncing and collaboration, Dropbox. For Google or Microsoft users, Google Drive or OneDrive. For developers needing object storage, Internxt's S3-compatible storage.

Why is Amazon S3 more expensive than Dropbox?

Amazon S3 is raw developer infrastructure billed per gigabyte plus request and egress fees, while Dropbox is a flat-rate consumer product running its own large-scale infrastructure. They serve different needs. For cheaper S3-compatible storage, Internxt Object Storage costs about 80% less than AWS with no egress fees.

Is Dropbox zero-knowledge?

No. Dropbox uses 256-bit AES encryption and SSL/TLS in transit, but it holds the encryption keys, so it is not zero-knowledge. End-to-end encryption is only available on its top-tier Advanced business plan. Internxt is zero-knowledge by default on every plan.

Which should you choose now?

So which one should you actually pick? It depends on what you care about most.

• If privacy matters most, go with Internxt: zero-knowledge encryption, EU jurisdiction, open source, and a lifetime option so you're never at the mercy of a subscription, or another shutdown.
• If you want the smoothest mainstream sync and collaboration, Dropbox is the safe, polished choice, as long as you're fine with US jurisdiction and non-zero-knowledge encryption.
• If you already live in Google or Microsoft's world, Google Drive or OneDrive will be the easiest move.
• If you're a developer who needs S3 storage, Internxt Object Storage gives you S3 compatibility with no egress fees and a much lower storage bill.

Whatever you land on, remember what Amazon Drive made obvious. A tech giant can switch off a service whenever it suits them, and your files go with it. You're better off with a company that's genuinely built around protecting your data and plans to stick around.

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If you edit video, the best cloud storage comes down to three things:

• can it handle huge files without crawling
• does it actually keep client footage private,
• and does the price scale with your terabytes instead of nickel-and-diming you per seat.

Editing is a different animal. One 4K project can run hundreds of gigabytes. Shoot 8K or RAW and it climbs fast, and a good chunk of that footage belongs to a client who would not be thrilled to see it leak before release. The usual services aren't built for that. They throttle your uploads, bill you per seat, and keep a copy of your encryption keys on their own servers, so "private" isn't all that private.

For editors who care about privacy, private cloud storage for video files from Internxt is the strongest pick. It's zero-knowledge with post-quantum encryption, so nobody but you can open your files. Need rock-bottom storage costs? Backblaze B2. Editing live with a team? LucidLink. It really depends on how you work.

The picks below are sorted by what each tool is actually best at, with the catch on each one spelled out, so you can skip ahead to whatever fits how you work. We'll also get into how much storage you really need and whether the cloud is any place for footage that hasn't shipped yet.

Table of contents

What do video editors actually need from cloud storage?

Short version: the stuff a normal cloud account was never built for. Big files, fast pipes, real privacy, and pricing that doesn't punish you for working in terabytes. Before you compare tools, it helps to know what you're actually shopping for.

Upload speed and bandwidth

This is the one that bites first. Hand a consumer cloud app a 200GB project and you'll be staring at a progress bar over lunch, and probably dinner too. A few things decide how much that hurts: whether the service throttles your uploads, whether it can run several files at once instead of one at a time, and whether it lets you keep editing while a sync chews through in the background. If you deliver on deadlines, slow uploads aren't an annoyance, they're a missed handoff.

Encryption and client NDAs

Here's where most services quietly let you down. Plenty of them encrypt your files but keep a copy of the keys on their own servers, which means they can technically open your footage. For client work under NDA, that's a dealbreaker. The thing you want is zero-knowledge encryption, where the keys never leave your device. It matters enough that we dig into it properly further down, in the section on keeping unreleased footage safe.

Pricing that scales with terabytes, not seats

Video eats storage, and the bill is where a lot of "cheap" services stop being cheap. Watch for two traps. First, per-seat pricing: tools built for teams often charge by the user, so a two-person edit suite pays for capacity it'll never touch. Second, hidden egress fees, where you're charged again every time you download your own footage back out. For editors, the honest math is cost per terabyte, plus whatever it costs to get your files in and out. A lifetime plan or a flat per-TB rate usually beats a glossy monthly subscription once your library grows.

What are the best cloud storage services for video editors?

Here's the quick comparison, then the detail on each. There's no single winner for everyone, so we've tagged each one with the job it's best at. Internxt takes the top spot for privacy and overall fit, but if your priority is raw cost or live collaboration, skip straight to those picks.

What do video editors actually need from cloud storage?

Short version: the stuff a normal cloud account was never built for. Big files, fast pipes, real privacy, and pricing that doesn't punish you for working in terabytes. Before you compare tools, it helps to know what you're actually shopping for.

Upload speed and bandwidth

This is the one that bites first. Hand a consumer cloud app a 200GB project and you'll be staring at a progress bar over lunch, and probably dinner too. A few things decide how much that hurts: whether the service throttles your uploads, whether it can run several files at once instead of one at a time, and whether it lets you keep editing while a sync chews through in the background. If you deliver on deadlines, slow uploads aren't an annoyance, they're a missed handoff.

Encryption and client NDAs

Here's where most services quietly let you down. Plenty of them encrypt your files but keep a copy of the keys on their own servers, which means they can technically open your footage. For client work under NDA, that's a dealbreaker. The thing you want is zero-knowledge encryption, where the keys never leave your device. It matters enough that we dig into it properly further down, in the section on keeping unreleased footage safe.

Pricing that scales with terabytes, not seats

Video eats storage, and the bill is where a lot of "cheap" services stop being cheap. Watch for two traps. First, per-seat pricing: tools built for teams often charge by the user, so a two-person edit suite pays for capacity it'll never touch. Second, hidden egress fees, where you're charged again every time you download your own footage back out.

For editors, the honest math is cost per terabyte, plus whatever it costs to get your files in and out. A lifetime plan or a flat per-TB rate usually beats a glossy monthly subscription once your library grows.

What are the best cloud storage services for video editors?

Here's the quick comparison, then the detail on each. There's no single winner for everyone, so we've tagged each one with the job it's best at. Internxt takes the top spot for privacy and overall fit, but if your priority is raw cost or live collaboration, skip straight to those picks.

1. Internxt: best for privacy-conscious editors

Encryption: zero-knowledge AES-256, post-quantum · Jurisdiction: Spain (EU, GDPR) · Recovery: file versioning · Free: 1 GB · From: lifetime 1 TB at €379.99

If your footage is under NDA, start here. Internxt encrypts everything on your device with AES-256, the cipher NIST standardized, before it uploads, and it never holds your keys, so there's no copy of your files anyone else can open. It's based in Spain under EU privacy law, the code is open-source and independently audited, and the lifetime plans mean you can buy a terabyte once and stop paying monthly forever. For editors sitting on client work they can't afford to leak, that combination is hard to beat.

The honest catch: Internxt is private, general-purpose storage, not a live editing filespace. You won't mount it as a virtual drive and scrub a timeline straight off the cloud the way LucidLink lets you. It's where your projects live safely, not where two editors cut the same sequence in real time.

2. Backblaze B2: best for large libraries on a budget

Encryption: server-side · Jurisdiction: United States · Free: 10 GB · From: $6 per TB per month

When you just need to park a lot of terabytes cheaply, B2 is the value king. It's S3-compatible object storage, so it plugs into backup tools and editor-friendly apps, and the per-TB price is a fraction of the big-name clouds. Great for a deep archive of finished projects.

The catch: it's not zero-knowledge, so it's not the place for footage that has to stay private. And it's object storage, which means a bit of technical setup rather than a tidy drag-and-drop app. There can also be download (egress) fees, so factor in the cost of pulling footage back out.

3. LucidLink: best for live collaborative editing

Encryption: zero-knowledge, customer-managed keys · Jurisdiction: United States · Free: trial · From: $7 per month (100 GB)

LucidLink does something genuinely clever: it mounts cloud storage as a virtual drive so editors can open and scrub media as if it were local, no full download first. For remote teams cutting the same project from different cities, it's a workflow unlock. It's also zero-knowledge, with the keys managed on your side, so it's a legitimately private option too.

The catch: it's built for streaming and collaboration, not as a cheap archive, and the cost climbs quickly as you add storage and seats. It's US-based and closed-source, so if your priority is the strictest privacy posture, Internxt's EU jurisdiction and independent audits still edge it out.

4. MASV: best for one-off large transfers

Encryption: server-side · Jurisdiction: Canada · Free: 15 GB per month · From: $0.25 per GB transferred

Strictly speaking, MASV isn't storage at all, it's delivery. When you need to send a 500GB drive's worth of footage to a colorist or client without compressing it to death, MASV moves huge files fast and reliably, and you pay only for what you send. (If big handoffs are a regular thing for you, here's how to share large video files privately.)

The catch: it's a transfer service, full stop. Don't think of it as your library. It's the FedEx of footage, not the warehouse.

5. Frame.io: best for review and approval

Encryption: server-side · Jurisdiction: United States · Free: 2 GB · From: $15 per user per month (2 TB)

Frame.io is where clients leave timecoded comments on a cut. It's part of Adobe now, so it slots neatly into Premiere and After Effects, and the review-and-approval flow is one of the strongest around.

The catch: it's a collaboration and feedback tool, not your primary storage, and it's priced per user. Use it for the review loop, keep your actual archive somewhere built for it.

6. Blackmagic Cloud: best for DaVinci Resolve users

Encryption: server-side · Jurisdiction: Australia · Free: project-library sync · From: free project sync; paid via Cloud Store/Pod hardware

If you live in DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Cloud lets multiple editors collaborate on the same project library, syncing the project file so a team can pass a cut around without exporting. Inside that ecosystem, it's seamless.

The catch: it's deeply tied to Blackmagic's world, and serious storage means buying their Cloud Store hardware, which is a real capital outlay. It's a studio play, not a freelancer's first cloud.

7. iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox: when NOT to use them

You already know these, which is exactly why they're tempting. For video work, though, they're the wrong shape. None of them are zero-knowledge, so the provider can technically access your footage. They're tuned for documents and phone photos, not multi-gigabyte RAW timelines, and the per-plan storage gets expensive fast once you're working in terabytes.

They're fine for sharing a finished export with your aunt. For client footage under embargo, or a workflow that lives in 4K and 8K, reach for one of the picks above instead.

How much cloud storage do video editors need?

More than you think, and then a bit more on top. The honest answer is that it depends on what you shoot and how much old work you hang onto, but you can get to a real number with a quick back-of-the-napkin estimate.

Start with your format. Compressed 4K (the kind of footage most run-and-gun shooters capture) is fairly manageable. ProRes, 8K, or RAW balloon fast, often many times larger for the same minute of footage. So the single biggest lever on your storage bill is the codec, not the cloud.

Then do the math in three buckets:

• Active projects. Whatever you're cutting right now, plus the raw footage behind it. This is the stuff that needs to be fast and close at hand.
• Versions and exports. Editors always underestimate this. Multiple cuts, client revisions, graded masters, and platform-specific exports stack up quickly, often doubling a project's footprint.
• The archive. Finished work you might need again. It can live somewhere cheaper and slower, but it never really stops growing.

A rough way to size it: estimate one project's raw footage, double it to cover versions and exports, then multiply by how many projects you keep live at once. Whatever you land on, round up. Running out of space mid-deadline is the worst time to go plan shopping.

As a loose guide: a hobbyist or part-time creator is often fine in the 1 to 2 TB range, a busy freelancer tends to want 2 to 5 TB, and a studio juggling multiple client jobs can blow past 10 TB without trying. This is exactly where pricing model matters. At those sizes, a one-time lifetime plan or a flat per-TB rate quietly beats a monthly subscription that creeps up every year.

Cloud storage vs external SSD for video editing: which is better?

Wrong question, honestly. It's not either-or. Ask around r/editors and you'll hear the same thing: the pros who never lose a project use both, because they solve different problems.

An external SSD is about speed. Plug it in and you can edit straight off it with almost no lag, which is exactly what you want for the project you're cutting today. The downside is that it's a single physical thing. It can be dropped, lost, stolen, or just quietly die one morning, taking your footage with it. SSDs also fill up, which brings us to the question every editor eventually types into Google.

Is 2TB SSD enough for video editing?

For one active project, usually yes. For your whole working life, not even close. A 2TB drive handles a current edit and its raw footage comfortably in most compressed 4K workflows, but it'll choke the moment you're juggling several jobs or shooting in RAW. Treat an SSD as your fast workspace for the job in front of you, not as the place everything lives.

The cloud covers what the SSD can't. It's your safety net if the drive fails, your overflow when local space runs out, and the only practical way to share big footage with a client or a remote collaborator. It also doesn't care if your laptop gets stolen at a coffee shop.

What is the 3-2-1 rule of video editing?

It's the backup rule every editor should tattoo somewhere: keep 3 copies of your footage, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy stored offsite. In plain terms, that might be your working SSD, a second local backup drive, and a copy in the cloud. If a drive dies or your studio floods, you've still got your work.

The cloud is what makes that offsite copy effortless, and if you choose a zero-knowledge provider, that offsite copy stays private too. So the real setup isn't SSD or cloud. It's a fast SSD for today's edit, plus encrypted cloud storage as the backup and the offsite leg of your 3-2-1.

Is cloud storage safe for unreleased client footage?

It can be, but only if you pick the right kind. The word "safe" hides a big gap between two very different setups, and for client work under embargo that gap is everything.

Most mainstream services use server-side encryption. Your footage is encrypted, yes, but the provider also keeps the keys. That's convenient (it's how they offer password resets and previews), but it means the company can technically open your files, and so can anyone who hacks them, subpoenas them, or pressures an employee. For an unreleased trailer or a campaign under NDA, "trust us not to look" isn't a security model.

Zero-knowledge encryption closes that gap. Your files are locked on your device before they upload, and the provider never receives the key. Even the company hosting your footage can't open it. If they got breached tomorrow, an attacker would walk away with scrambled data and nothing to read. That's the standard you want for anything you're contractually obligated to keep private.

A couple of other things worth checking for sensitive work. Jurisdiction matters: a provider under EU law (GDPR) operates under stricter privacy rules than one in some other regions. And an independent security audit plus open-source code means the "zero-knowledge" claim has been checked by someone other than the marketing team. If you want to weigh the field on encryption alone, we compare the best encrypted cloud storage in a separate guide.

This is the whole reason Internxt's zero-knowledge Drive tops this list for editors handling client footage. You don't have to take anyone's word that your files stay private, because the design means nobody else can read them in the first place. If leaking a project would cost you the client, that's the distinction worth paying for.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best cloud storage for video editing?

It depends on your priority. For privacy and client work under NDA, Internxt leads with zero-knowledge, post-quantum encryption. For the cheapest way to store a lot of terabytes, Backblaze B2 wins. For editing live with a remote team, LucidLink.

Which storage is best for video editing?

Most working editors use a combination: a fast external SSD for the project they're cutting right now, plus cloud storage as a backup, an offsite copy, and a way to share big files. The SSD gives you speed, and the cloud gives you safety and reach.

What is the 3-2-1 rule of video editing?

Keep 3 copies of your footage, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy stored offsite. For example: your working SSD, a second local backup drive, and an encrypted cloud copy. If one drive fails or your studio floods, your work survives.

Is 2TB SSD enough for video editing?

For a single active project, usually yes, especially in compressed 4K. For your whole library or RAW and 8K workflows, no. Use a 2TB SSD as the fast workspace for your current edit, and keep everything else in the cloud or on backup drives.

Can I edit video directly from cloud storage?

With some services, yes. Tools like LucidLink mount the cloud as a virtual drive so you can scrub footage as if it were local. Most standard cloud storage isn't built for that, so you download files first, then edit. If real-time cloud editing matters, pick a service designed for it.

Is cloud storage safe for unreleased client footage?

Only if it's zero-knowledge. With server-side encryption, the provider holds your keys and can technically open your files. Zero-knowledge providers like Internxt lock your footage on your device and never receive the key, so nobody but you can open it, even if the provider is breached.

The bottom line for editors

There's no trophy for "best cloud storage" that fits every editor, so stop looking for one. Pick the tool that matches how you actually work. Need to move a massive drive of footage to a colorist once? MASV. Cutting the same timeline with a team across three cities? LucidLink. Sitting on a growing archive of finished jobs? Backblaze B2 is among the cheapest cloud storage going.

But if your footage is the kind that can't leak, where a client's trust (and your next invoice) rides on it staying private, the encryption model is the part you can't compromise on. That's why Internxt earns the top spot: zero-knowledge by default, EU jurisdiction, open-source and independently audited, with lifetime plans so you're not renting your own storage forever. LucidLink is the other genuinely private option if you need live collaboration, but Internxt edges it on jurisdiction, openness, and price.

Want storage built for video that nobody but you can open? Store your video files privately with Internxt and keep your footage yours.

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Many people assume that cloud storage is automatically private, but in reality, security levels vary widely between providers.

Understanding the differences between cloud security, privacy, and what kind of cloud storage meets your needs is essential if you want to protect personal or business information from unauthorized access, data leaks, or misuse.

To make this topic easier, we will take an in-depth look at cloud security, how the cloud is secured by providers and users, and how to get the best privacy and security for all your cloud accounts.

Table of contents

• Cloud security definition
• What is cloud security?
• How does cloud security work?
• Why you should care about cloud security
• How to get the best cloud security with Internxt
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

Cloud security definition

Cloud security is a branch of cybersecurity focused on protecting data, applications, and infrastructure that operate in cloud computing environments.

It ensures that all information stored and processed online remains secure, private, and available while being accessed over the internet.

The responsibility of cloud security mainly lies with the cloud provider, as they provide the infrastructure and encrypt your data. Having said that, the customer and end user need to take measures to protect their cloud, such as creating strong passwords, 2FA, and backing up their files.

Cloud security can be broken down into the following categories:

• Data security: one of the most crucial aspects of cloud security, as it protects stored and transmitted information through encryption and security protocols.
• Identity and access management: controls who can access shared files, and what actions they can perform depending on their access.
• Governance and risk management: defines security policies, monitoring, and threat response strategies.
• Data retention and business continuity: which ensures data is properly stored, backed up, and recoverable after incidents.
• Compliance: ensures cloud systems meet legal, regulatory, and industry requirements.

Now let’s take a look at what cloud security is, and why it’s important.

What is cloud security?

Cloud security is the collection of technologies, protocols, and best practices used to protect cloud computing environments, including the cloud infrastructure, applications, and data that operate in the cloud.

It defines how cloud systems are secured and how different parts of the environment are protected depending on who manages them.

Cloud security covers multiple layers of a cloud environment, each of which needs protection depending on how responsibility is shared between providers and users:

Below are the technologies, protocols, and best practices used in cloud security:

• Physical hardware: the physical machines and infrastructure found in data centers, including servers, networking equipment, power systems, and cooling infrastructure
• Storage systems: the hardware and services used to store data, such as disk arrays and cloud storage services, where information is saved and retrieved
• Servers: computing systems that process data and run cloud services, including both physical and virtual servers
• Virtualization platforms: software layers that create and manage virtual machines, allowing multiple operating systems to run on shared physical hardware
• Operating systems: the core software that manages hardware resources and provides the foundation for running applications in the cloud
• Middleware: software that connects different applications and services, often handling communication, authentication, and API management
• Runtime environments: the execution layer where applications actually run and perform tasks within the cloud environment
• Applications: end-user software services hosted in the cloud, such as email platforms, business tools, and productivity applications
• Data: all information stored, processed, or transmitted in the cloud, including files, databases, and user content
• End-user devices: the hardware used to access cloud services, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices

What can make cloud security complex is that different parts of cloud security are managed by either the provider or by you.

To make it easier to understand, cloud security responsibilities are usually grouped into two main viewpoints: what the cloud provider secures and what the customer secures.

Cloud service types

Cloud service types describe the different ways cloud computing services are delivered and what level of control the user has over the system.

The three main cloud service types are:

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): provides basic computing infrastructure such as virtual servers, storage, and networking. The user manages the operating system, applications, and data, while the provider manages the physical hardware and virtualization.

Example: hosting websites or running custom applications.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS): provides a managed environment for building, testing, and deploying applications. The provider manages the infrastructure, operating system, and runtime environment, while the user focuses only on the application and data.

Example: It is commonly used by developers to build software without managing servers.

3. Software as a Service (SaaS): delivers fully built applications over the internet that users access through a browser or app. The provider manages everything, including infrastructure, platform, and application, while the user simply uses the software.

Example: email services, office tools, and online storage platforms.

Cloud environments

Cloud environments describe the infrastructure and deployment models used to run cloud services, applications, and data. They define where cloud resources are hosted, who manages them, and who can access them.

The main cloud environments are:

1. Public: one of the most popular options for most users, the cloud resources are owned and operated by a third-party provider and shared among multiple customers over the internet.

Advantages: Public clouds offer scalability, flexibility, and lower upfront costs.

2. Private cloud: Often used by businesses and is a cloud infrastructure dedicated to a single organization. It can be hosted on-premises or by a third-party provider.

Advantages: offers greater control, customization, and security.

3.  Hybrid: combines public and private cloud environments, allowing data and applications to move between them as needed.

Advantages: flexibility, performance, and security requirements.

4. Multi-cloud: involves using services from two or more different cloud providers at the same time, using a blend of on-site private and public clouds.

Advantages: higher availability, greater resilience, improved flexibility, optimized costs, and stronger disaster recovery.

How does cloud security work?

Cloud security has the purpose of protecting your data in the following ways:

• Enable data recovery in case of data loss (backups)
• Protect storage and networks against malicious data theft (encryption and access controls)
• Prevent human error or negligence that causes data breaches (permissions management and security policies)
• Reduce the impact of any data or system compromise (threat detection and incident response)

Data security and encryption

Cloud security protects data by controlling who can access it and by encrypting it while it is stored in cloud data centers and transmitted from your device.

Encryption converts readable information into unreadable ciphertext that can only be accessed with the correct decryption key, helping prevent unauthorized access even if data is intercepted or exposed by hackers in a cyberattack.

With standard encryption like that used by Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, the cloud provider encrypts your data and manages the encryption keys on its servers.

This protects data from external threats, but the provider can technically access the data if required because it controls the keys.

With zero-knowledge encryption, like that used by Internxt Drive secure cloud storage, only the user holds the encryption keys. With Internxt, data is encrypted with AES-256 and Kyber 512 postquantum encryption on your device before it leaves the user's device.

The encryption keys are managed by you, so Internxt, nor anybody else, can access or view your files.

Identity and access management (IAM)

Identity and access management (IAM) in cloud security is the system of policies, tools, and controls used to verify user identities and manage their access to cloud resources to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

IAM enforces authentication for users, confirming who they are, their access level, and the permissions they have within the cloud environment.

It ensures that only authorized users can log in and that each user is limited to the specific data, applications, and actions they are allowed to use. This is important as it prevents employees from accessing confidential data or accidentally deleting backed-up files.

IAM protocols include password management, MFA, and other methods to prevent account misuse or data breaches.

Governance

Governance in cloud security is the set of policies, rules, and processes controlling how cloud resources are used and managed. It ensures that cloud environments operate securely, efficiently, and in line with an organization’s standards and legal requirements.

Governance also helps organizations monitor activity, enforce consistent security practices, and reduce misconfigurations that could lead to vulnerabilities or data exposure.

While it mostly applies to organizations, individual cloud storage users can still benefit from monitoring all of their online accounts in case of any security vulnerabilities by updating passwords and ensuring all their software is up to date.

Data retention and business continuity planning

Data retention (DR) and business continuity (BC)  planning in cloud security refer to how data is stored over time and how systems stay operational during disruptions.

Data retention defines how long data is kept, where it is stored, and how it is securely archived or deleted when requested by the user or when it’s no longer needed, ensuring compliance and efficient storage management.

Business continuity planning focuses on keeping services running during incidents such as cyberattacks, system failures, or disasters. It includes backups, redundancy, and recovery strategies to restore data and maintain access to critical systems with minimal downtime.

Compliance

Compliance laws are designed to protect user data by legislative bodies. For many businesses, the compliance laws they have to follow depend on their location (GDPR for Europe, CCPA for California).

Compliance also depends on the type of data stored, for example, HIPAA for healthcare data.

For cloud security with multiple compliance and maximum cloud security, Internxt complies with GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA, offering the best data protection regardless of industry or types of data stored.

Why you should care about cloud security

As more sensitive information is stored online, it becomes a bigger target for cybercriminals who constantly try to exploit weaknesses in cloud systems to access sensitive information, which can be sold on the dark web, used in phishing attacks, or other popular online scams.

Protecting all this data may seem unmanageable, but with the right security protocols, your data in the cloud can remain secure against hackers and private from big tech companies.

Knowing how cloud companies protect your data, it will help you take the best measures to secure your files.

For example, if you want cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption to keep videos, photos, or documents private, you can choose a company like Internxt, which encrypts files on your device to ensure they remain inaccessible.

On the user side, backing up files regularly, monitoring account activity, and securing your accounts are the best methods to combine with cloud security features to keep your data in the cloud secure.

How to get the best cloud security with Internxt

Internxt Drive

Internxt secure cloud storage offers the best cloud security for your files with a combination of post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption - the first cloud storage to protect against future cybersecurity threats of quantum computers.

The key cloud security features Internxt Drive offers are:

• Encrypted backups: Schedule and back up important files in the Internxt Drive app for Windows, Mac, or Linux to protect against data loss.
• Multiple compliance: GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA
• Advanced file sharing: Password protection and controlled file access
• Two-Factor Authentication: Increased security for your account
• Open source and audited: All code can be verified by cloud security experts, and Drive has been independently audited to confirm its data protection and security protocols

Alongside encrypted cloud storage, Internxt goes beyond cloud security by offering a full suite of privacy products included in its paid plans. Depending on the plan you choose, you can access:

• Antivirus: Scan your files and delete malware to protect your device from malware.
• VPN: Encrypt and secure your connection to avoid browsers collecting or spying on your activity.
• Cleaner: Remove junk files from your device to optimize your storage and improve performance.
• Meet: Encrypted and private video meetings for friends, family, or colleagues
• Mail: Encrypted email to send emails privately, protected with zero-knowledge encryption
• Photos: Automatically back up and sync your photos and albums in the cloud

There are free tools available, too, which are:

• Internxt AI: A private AI chatbot that keeps your chats private and doesn’t use your chats or data for machine learning
• Internxt Send: A free and secure file sharing service to send large files via a secure and private encrypted link, which you can send via message or email.

To get started with an annual or lifetime Internxt plan, visit our website or click the link below to get 85% off all plans.

Hybrid cloud security

Hybrid cloud storage combines the privacy of your own cloud device with a public cloud. It is used by smaller businesses, but it can be easily set up in a home setting with a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system.

With Internxt Ultimate plans, you can get NAS support for QNAP and Synology to set up a secure hybrid cloud storage solution with NAS and Internxt Drive.

You can store and back up your files directly to your NAS, combining the privacy of a NAS and cloud storage for maximum cloud security and privacy.

Enterprise cloud security solutions

Finally, Internxt S3 cloud object storage offers security for enterprises looking to store petabytes of data.

With object storage, you can store and back up your files and access large amounts of data quickly.

Unlike AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, Internxt S3 charges a flat fee of €7/TB/month with no additional data transfer fees, so you can scale your storage needs to meet your budget without worrying about additional costs.

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Frequently asked questions

What is cloud security?

Cloud security is the set of technologies, policies, and controls used to protect data, applications, and infrastructure in cloud computing environments from unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats.

Why is cloud security important?

Cloud security is important because more data and services are stored in the cloud, making them a target for cybercriminals. It helps protect sensitive information, ensure service availability, and reduce the risk of data loss or theft.

How does cloud security work?

Cloud security works by combining encryption, identity and access management, monitoring, and compliance controls to protect data and systems. Security responsibilities are shared between cloud providers and customers.

What are the main types of cloud security?

The main types include data security, identity and access management, network security, application security, and compliance management.

What are the biggest risks in cloud security?

The biggest risks include data breaches, misconfigured cloud settings, weak passwords, unauthorized access, insider threats, and insecure APIs.

How can cloud security be improved?

Cloud security can be improved by using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, encrypting data, regularly updating systems, and monitoring access logs.

What is cloud data encryption?

Cloud data encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable format so only authorized users with the correct key can access it.

What is the difference between public and private cloud security?

Public cloud security is managed partly by a third-party provider and shared with multiple users, while private cloud security is dedicated to a single organization with greater control and customization.

What is zero trust in cloud security?

Zero trust is a security approach that assumes no user or system is trusted by default, requiring continuous verification for every access request.

What are examples of cloud security tools?

Examples include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, identity and access management platforms, encryption tools, and security monitoring services.

Is cloud storage secure?

Cloud storage can be secure if proper security measures like encryption, access control, and monitoring are in place, but risks still exist if it is misconfigured or poorly managed.

When you share a video online, sometimes you only want a few people to view it.

Whether it's for a client, work, or personal reasons, to share private videos, you need to be aware of privacy settings, encryption, access controls, and what are the best ways to share a large video file securely and privately.

Throughout this article, we will offer you tips and step-by-step guidelines on how to share private videos online.

Table of contents

• What is a private video?
• Why you need to share a video privately
• How to share a private video (step-by-step methods)
• Best platforms for sharing large private videos
• Tips to share a video privately
• Frequently asked questions

What is a private video?

A private video is a video you share online, but only so it can be viewed by the people you choose.

1. Public:  A public video can be seen by anyone and may appear in search results, recommendations, and on your channel page.

Example: Tutorials/reviews or any other public video posted on YouTube for everyone to find and watch.

1. Unlisted: An unlisted video is a semi-private method to share a private video; it does not appear in search results or on your profile, but anyone with the link can watch it.

Example: A wedding video you share with friends and family using a direct link.

2. Private: A private video can only be viewed by specific people you invite using their accounts. No one else can access it.

Example: A password-protected link shared only with certain people.

When you publish or share a video online, whether it be via YouTube, cloud storage for videos, or file-sharing services, you can always configure the privacy settings to protect it with a password and create private links.

The main goal when you share private videos, therefore, is to secure your content and ensure it remains private and accessible only to those you choose.

Why you need to share a video privately

People share videos privately to keep content hidden from a broad or public audience.

Even when nothing is especially sensitive, people still often prefer a smaller, controlled audience simply because they don’t want just anybody viewing their content.

There’s also an additional security feature to keep in mind, which is the type of encryption used when uploading or sharing large video files.

When you upload a video to a cloud service such as Dropbox or Google Drive, your data is encrypted while stored, but the provider still holds the encryption keys. That means the provider can technically access or decrypt your files if needed, for example, for moderation, legal requests, or internal policies.

With zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage, like Internxt Drive cloud storage for videos, your device encrypts the video before it is uploaded with post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, and only you hold the key.

Internxt stores the encrypted data but cannot read or access the contents because it doesn’t have the decryption key, allowing you to share large files securely and in total privacy.

When you should share private videos

You should share a video privately whenever you want to control and restrict access to who views your video, and for the following purposes:

• Encryption: You don’t want the cloud provider or file-sharing service to view the contents of your files.
• Privacy: The video may contain personal moments, family members, children, private conversations, or sensitive information you don’t want publicly visible.
• Limited audience: When you want only specific people, such as friends, relatives, coworkers, or clients, to see it.
• Security: Private sharing reduces the risk of unauthorized copying, misuse, or unwanted attention.
• Feedback: When you want opinions or corrections before publishing a video publicly.
• Professional or legal reasons: The video may contain confidential business information, proprietary content, or material subject to privacy agreements.
• Temporary sharing: The video may only be relevant to a small group for a short period of time.

How to share a private video (step-by-step methods)

Internxt Drive

Internxt Drive secure cloud storage offers zero-knowledge and post-quantum encrypted link sharing to share large videos privately. It also offers password protection and controlled sharing so you can restrict access to files whenever necessary.

To share private videos with Internxt Drive, follow these steps:

1. Log in or create an Internxt account: You can sign up for a 1GB free cloud storage account, or upgrade to an annual or lifetime plan.
2. Upload your video: Drag and drop your file or click the “Upload files” button to upload your video
3. Choose your privacy settings: For private video sharing, choose “Restricted” to control who can view your video.
4. Set a password: For further security, choose “Protect with password” to ensure only those you give the password to can access the video.
5. Share file: Click “Copy link” to share the secure link, or “Invite” to share the video via email.

Internxt Send

Internxt Send is a free and secure file-sharing service for you to send large files securely via an encrypted link or email, and all files are protected with the same zero-knowledge encryption as Internxt Drive.

Here’s how to share a large video file with Internxt Send:

1. Go to send.internxt.com
2. Select “Upload Files” or “Select a folder”
3. Once uploaded, click “Send link” or “Send email”

For security reasons, your link will automatically expire after 15 days.

YouTube/Vimeo

YouTube offers private or unlisted videos, so your video won’t appear in search results, or you can share a video privately with the link once you upload the file.

To share a large video file with YouTube, follow these steps:

• Log in or set up a YouTube account
• Upload your video: Select “Upload Video” in the top-right corner of the screen, and select the file you want to upload.
• Choose privacy settings: Once completed, you can pick your settings, so pick “Private.”
• Select the recipients: Click on the blue “Share Privately” link, and enter the email addresses for up to 50 people you want to see this YouTube video content.

YouTube doesn’t offer the same privacy controls as Internxt, but an alternative to YouTube you can try out is Vimeo. Vimeo offers password protection, private review links, restricted embedding, and domain-level access.

Here is how to share private videos with Vimeo:

• Sign in or register an account with Vimeo
• Upload your video
• Choose privacy settings: Choose between “Only people with the private link” or “Only people with the password”.
• Set up password protection: Select “Only people with a password” to control who can view your file.
• Restrict viewing access: Choose specific pre-approved email addresses.
• Save the video: Select “Save” or “Publish” to apply your chosen privacy settings.
• Share the video: share videos with the “Share” button, or copy the video’s URL.

Telegram

Telegram is an end-to-end secure messaging app to message, share private videos, and store chats in the cloud.

Video and file sharing limits

• Standard users can send files, including videos, up to 2 GB per file.
• Telegram Premium users can send files up to 4 GB per file.

How to share a video on Telegram step by step

1. Open Telegram and go to the chat where you want to send the video
2. Tap the attachment icon (paperclip or plus symbol)
3. Choose Gallery or Files depending on where the video is stored
4. Select the video you want to send
5. Tap send

Best platforms for sharing large private videos

While there are many ways to share private videos online, if your needs are for privacy and military-grade encryption, these are your best options.

Internxt Drive

Internxt Drive is the best platform to share private videos, as it offers the best encryption for your files. As you hold the keys, nobody but you or those you share your files with can access your private videos.

It also offers password protection and restricted access for files for maximum control and privacy.

Aside from offering a private way to share large videos, Internxt plans include a full product suite to protect your privacy online, starting with Antivirus, VPN, Meet, Mail, and NAS and rclone support.

All Internxt products are open source, and its cloud data centers are based in Europe, meeting GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA compliance standards, and Internxt Drive has been fully audited by an independent security firm.

To start sharing videos privately online with Internxt, join for free, or upgrade to a paid account for 85% off using the special offer link below.

Internxt Send

For a free, secure method to share large videos via an encrypted link or email, Internxt Send is the best free file sharing service to share private videos securely with total control over who can view your private videos.

Other ways to share private videos

Aside from cloud storage and direct file-sharing services, other ways to share a large videos online include:

1. Video platforms (YouTube unlisted or private upload)
   Best for: sharing with select people without downloading
   Use case: tutorials, presentations, personal videos you want viewed but not publicly searchable
2. Streaming links (self-hosted or video hosting platforms like Vimeo, private links)
   Best for: high-quality viewing without sending the file
3. File compression and splitting
   Best for: reducing size when sharing files via email
4. Telegram
   Best for: quick sharing with some quality control

Tips to share a video privately

To help you share a large video efficiently, here are some extra tips to help you out:

1. Use a file compressor: For sending videos via email, the file sizes are much more restricted, but if you want to reduce the size of the file and keep the quality, use Internxt’s file compressor for free.
2. Choose an MP4 file: Formats like MP4 videos are widely supported and use efficient compression compared to less optimized formats like MOV or AVI.
3. Reduce the resolution or bitrate: Lowering resolution with free tools reduces file size because there is less visual data.
4. Split large files: If a single file exceeds upload limits, online tools can split a large video into smaller parts, which are sent separately and reassembled by the receiver with the same tool.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send a video that is too large?

You can send a large video by uploading it to Internxt Drive or Send and sharing the link via email or message. This avoids email attachment limits and makes it easy for recipients to access the file.

How can I share a video privately with someone?

Using Internxt Drive lets you control who can view or download the video by providing an encrypted link, requiring password protection, and the option to restrict access to specific people.

What is the safest way to send large video files?

The safest option is to use Internxt Drive for zero-knowledge encryption and access controls. This helps protect your video during transfer and prevents unauthorized access.

Can I send large videos without losing quality?

Yes. Upload the original video file to a file-sharing or cloud storage service instead of sending it through apps that compress videos. This preserves the video's original quality and resolution.

Finding the right solution and researching how to send large files securely online offers many options, but the best file sharing services will protect your privacy with zero-knowledge encryption, multiple compliance, and access permissions.

With these, you will have everything you need to share large files securely over the internet, so this article will explain which services are best to help you transfer videos, photography projects, and confidential documents in total privacy with encrypted cloud storage and file transfer services.

Table of contents

• Why secure large file transfer matters
• What counts as “large files”?
• Risks of sending large files over the internet
• How to securely send large files
• How to send large files online securely with Internxt
• How to send large files securely: comparison of services
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

Why secure large file transfer matters

Protect sensitive documents

For businesses, or even personal use, sensitive documents often contain personal, financial, legal, or business information that can be exposed if files are shared through insecure channels such as public wifi.

Security

Data breaches cost businesses millions, so with secure file sharing, you can protect confidential business or personal information by encrypting files during upload, storage, and download.

Features such as password protection, access controls, expiration dates, and zero-knowledge encryption reduce the risk of files being intercepted, leaked, or accessed by hackers or phishing attacks.

Compliance

For businesses to comply with regulations, secure file sharing helps to meet data protection standards required to meet the standards of GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC 2.

If your business or employees are looking into how to securely send large files, then Internxt is the best choice to meet these compliance standards as it is GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 compliant.

Ease of use

Alongside security, reliable large file transfer services improve productivity by enabling teams to share large videos, design files, cloud storage backups, and other large assets without compromising privacy or performance.

The right solution, such as Internxt Drive or Send, balances speed, ease of use, and strong security to ensure files reach the intended recipient while maintaining security and privacy.

What counts as “large files”?

As a general guideline, files can be categorized as follows:

1. Small files are typically < 25 MB
2. Medium files range from 25 MB to 100 MB
3. Large files range from 100 MB to 2 GB
4. Very large files exceed 2 GB

The challenge with large files (2 GB or more) is not only their size but also the time and bandwidth required to upload, download, and share them securely. As file sizes increase, transfer reliability, storage limits, and security protections become more important.

With this in mind, any files larger than 100 MB often require dedicated file-sharing or cloud storage services, which we will cover in this article, while files measured in gigabytes typically need specialized large file transfer platforms.

Risks of sending large files over the internet

Unencrypted transfers

Encryption is vital when sending files over the internet, as it turns readable data into unreadable code that can only be accessed by someone with the correct key. Without this encryption, files sent over the internet can be intercepted and your information compromised.

This is a particular problem when sending large files over public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks, where hackers can capture data in transit more easily than if you were using encrypted file sharing or a secure and encrypted VPN.

When sending large files over the internet with services that use encryption, there are some important distinctions to be aware of:

• Encrypted in transit: protects against interception during upload/download
• Example: WeTransfer
• Encrypted at rest (non–zero knowledge): protects against outside attackers but still allows provider access
• Example: Google Drive
• Zero-knowledge encryption: ensures only you control the keys, so even the provider cannot read your files
• Example: Internxt Drive, Internxt Send

Therefore, if you’re wondering how to send large files in total privacy, with the best encryption, you can sign up for a free Internxt Drive account, or use our zero-knowledge file sharing service, Internxt Send to share private videos, protected with the most secure and private encryption.

Public Wi-Fi interception

If you work remotely or need to share files in public spaces, this can be risky as public Wi-Fi networks are poorly secured and aren’t properly encrypted, making it easier for attackers to see what files you are sending, where they are being sent, or even capture the files themselves.

As large file transfers take longer to upload or download, it increases the time for hackers to intercept the files and access your data.

If you have to send large files online using public Wi-Fi, encrypt your connection using a secure VPN.

Weak sharing permissions

When you share a link to a file using cloud storage, you are given two options: anyone with the link can view, or restrict access.

If you share a file without restricting permission, the link is available for anyone to access, share publicly, and leak or use any important information in phishing attacks or other online scams.

This becomes especially risky with large files because they are often shared in professional contexts like media projects, backups, or business documents. A single leaked link can expose a large amount of sensitive data at once.

In some cases, weak permissions may also allow editing or uploading changes if write access is enabled. This can lead not only to data exposure but also to tampering or corruption of the original file.

If a file-sharing service doesn’t offer automatic or manual link expiration dates, then the file can remain at risk indefinitely, leaving it open to cyberattacks or data breaches.

How to securely send large files

Encrypted cloud storage

Cloud storage allows you to store, backup, and sync your files, as well as providing features to send large files via link or email, allowing you to send large videos and more, which isn’t possible with email.

With encrypted cloud storage, you can set permissions, restrict access, and password-protect files to ensure your files are secure from unauthorized access.

Mainstream cloud services, such as Dropbox or OneDrive, have generous file-sharing limits of over 100GB, but the files are encrypted on their services.

So while your files are protected from external attacks but are still accessible to the provider since they manage the encryption keys.

To avoid this, and send files securely and with total privacy thanks to zero-knowledge encryption, choose Internxt.

Internxt provides secure cloud storage and file sharing, with all files protected with post-quantum encryption, and added features such as password-protection and secure collaboration available with free plans.

Secure transfer services

If you’re wondering how to securely send large files without using cloud storage, then secure transfer services are another option.

For this, Internxt Send offers zero-knowledge encrypted file sharing for large files of up to 5GB. It is totally free to use as many times as you like, and you don’t need to sign up for the service.

While other secure transfer services are available, such as WeTransfer, they do not provide zero-knowledge encryption, have a free limit of 2GB, and collect your personal data according to their privacy policy, such as your:

“device model, OS, IP address, system language, device ID" and uses this to determine "your approximate (geo)location, such as the city or country you reside in.”

For the most secure and private method to send large videos or other files online that protects your data, try Internxt Send for free.

Secure FTP / SFTP for businesses

For businesses looking for options on how to send large files with encryption, one option is SFTP, or Secure File Transfer Protocol.

Security is one of the main benefits of this method, as all data, including file contents, login credentials, and transfer commands, is encrypted during transmission, helping protect sensitive information from interception.

SFTP does not typically impose strict file size limits, making it well-suited for professional and enterprise environments.

How to send large files online securely with Internxt

Internxt offers zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption for file sharing and cloud storage. Below, you can see how to send large files with Internxt Drive and Internxt Send.

Internxt Drive

With Internxt Drive, you can easily send large videos directly from your Internxt account, and enjoy zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage for annual (paid monthly) and one-time payment lifetime plans, which are stackable for up to 100TB.

With Drive, you can send large files of up to 10GB, enough for the following use cases, depending on quality, format, and compression.

You can also send files publicly, restrict access, and give editor or viewer permissions for maximum security and enhanced collaboration.

You can eliminate access to files at any time and view the status of shared files via the “Shared” tab from your Internxt account, ensuring you have total control over the files you send.

You can also add extra security to your files with the password-protection feature, which, when combined with Internxt Password Generator, ensures nobody but you and those with the password can access your files.

With a paid Internxt account, encrypted and open source cloud storage, plus access to advanced file-sharing features to send all the large files you need with post-quantum and zero-knowledge encrypted links or email.

All paid Internxt accounts also get access to encrypted backups, Antivirus, and VPN. Internxt also offers a full privacy suite, including Meet, Mail, and Cleaner, plus advanced cloud management features such as WebDAV and Rclone support, and NAS support for QNAP and Synology.

To access these features, claim your 85% discount on all plans by following this Internxt special offer link.

Internxt Send

If you want to know how to securely send large files with zero-knowledge encryption, then with Internxt Send, you get a free file sharing service with zero-knowledge encrypted links, or the option to send large files via email, which the recipients can later download.

Send has a 5GB transfer limit,  enough to send around 10 to 20 minutes of 4K video, over an hour of HD footage, hundreds of RAW photos, dozens of Photoshop projects, hundreds of CAD drawings, or several large 3D rendering projects in a single transfer.

How to send large files securely: comparison of services

If you need to know how to securely send large files, then these are the best options available:

Internxt Drive and Send are the only services that offer zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption. You can try both for free, and upgrade your Internxt account for 85% off to access all our features.

Related articles

How to share MP4 files

How to share large videos for free

How to send large video files in privacy

Frequently asked questions

How to send large files like videos and images?

Internxt Drive and Send allows you to easily share large files, including images and videos, with anyone, even if they don’t have an Internxt account, to access the file.  

Whether you need to send long videos or other large files for personal or business use, simply create a shared link from your Internxt account or from the Send website and share it via chat, text, or email.

How to send large files for free?

A free Internxt account gives you 1GB of free cloud storage, and you can share links directly from your Internxt account.

For up to 5TB of storage and more advanced file sharing features, you can upgrade to an Essential, Premium, or Ultimate plan.

If you need to send files for free without creating an account, Internxt Send is a fully encrypted file-sharing service for files up to 5GB.

How to send large files from my iPhone or Android device?

You can send large videos or any other files of up to 5GB with Internxt Send via the web browsers on your mobile, or files of up to 10GB with the Internxt iOS or Android app.

How to send large files via email?

You can send large files via email by creating a shareable link to a file or folder stored in Internxt Drive, or choosing the “Invite” option before sharing the file.

With Internxt Send, you can click the “Send email” option once your file has been uploaded to send large files via email.

If you need tips, services, and more information on how to securely send files online, these tips and file-sharing services will help you get the best security and privacy to share personal or confidential documents online.

We will cover the following topics throughout this article:

• What is secure file sharing?
• Why its important
• How to send files securely online
• Tips for secure file sharing
• How to send files securely for free

If you need a quick, secure, and private way to share files, Internxt Drive and Send offer end-to-end encrypted file sharing with features such as password protection, allowing you to share any file securely and privately.

Table of contents

• What is secure file sharing?
• Why secure file sharing is important
• How to send files securely online
• Tips on how to send files securely online
• How to send files securely with Internxt
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

What is secure file sharing?

File sharing makes digital files available to other people so they can view, download, edit, or collaborate on them securely and privately.

It allows you to share personal documents containing sensitive information, such as medical documents, contracts, or banking details, privately, as the best file sharing services will encrypt your files to secure them against data leaks or hackers.

Why secure file sharing is important

Whenever you need to share a file online and to protect these files, a secure file-sharing solution is crucial.

So whether you’re sharing files for work or personal use, here’s why it’s important, and how it benefits you.

Keeps your data secure

File sharing helps prevent data breaches by using end-to-end encryption, so only you and the people you share your files with can access them.

Transfer large files

While sending files via email is common, they often have limits on the size of files you can send (around 25MB), and depending on the provider, your files may be accessible to the provider.

With cloud-based file sharing solutions like Internxt Drive or Send, you can send large files like videos that are protected with zero-knowledge encryption.

Manage permissions

When you share files, you can set permissions or password-protect the files to determine who can view, edit, download, or share files, reducing the risk of accidental exposure.

Business compliance

Many businesses have to meet compliance laws depending on the industry. Using a cloud sharing solution like Internxt offers GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 compliance, ensuring you get the best data protection and security for all industries.

Secure collaboration

Teams, clients, and partners can work together on shared files without compromising security, with password-protection and secure links even when working remotely or across different locations.

How to send files securely online

If you’re wondering how to securely send files online, there are many options available depending on your needs for security, file size, and the types of files you want to share.

Each of the following options offers different tips for file-sharing services to meet your needs.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing

P2P file sharing uses a network where connected devices share files directly with each other instead of relying on a central server, as is the case with cloud storage or other file sharing services.

This method is commonly used for transferring large videos such as movies, software packages, game updates, and open-source projects. Since files are shared between many participants at the same time, download speeds can improve when more users are connected to the same file.

However, P2P networks can expose a user’s IP address to other participants in the network, so using an encrypted VPN is crucial to reduce this risk.

Downloading files from untrusted sources may also increase the risk of malware, corrupted files, or unauthorized content being shared.

Example: BitTorrent

Benefits: Allows faster distribution of large files by sharing download traffic between multiple users instead of one server.

Risks: Can expose IP addresses and may lead to downloading unsafe or malicious files from unknown sources.

Best for: Sharing large public files, open-source software, and distributed downloads where speed and scalability are important.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard method used to transfer files between a computer and a remote server over a network. It operates on a client-server model, in which a user connects to a server using FTP software to upload, download, rename, or manage files.

FTP is commonly used for website management, transferring business files, and moving large amounts of data between systems.

However, standard FTP does not encrypt data in transit, so usernames, passwords, and files can be intercepted over unsecured networks.

Example: FileZilla Server

Benefits: Provides a reliable and widely supported way to transfer and manage files between computers and servers.

Risks: Standard FTP transfers data without encryption, which can expose sensitive information on insecure networks.

Best for: Managing website files, transferring large datasets, and handling routine file transfers within controlled or trusted environments.

HTTP/HTTPS file downloads

HTTP/HTTPS file downloads use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (and its secure version HTTPS) to transfer files from a web server to a user’s device through a browser or download client.

Unlike peer-to-peer systems, HTTP/HTTPS downloads rely on a single server to deliver files to each user, which can limit speed during high traffic periods.

Example: Internxt Drive and Send

Benefits: Simple and widely supported method for downloading files directly from websites, with HTTPS providing secure and encrypted transfers.

Risks: Downloads can be slow if the server is overloaded, and files from untrusted websites may contain malware if not properly verified.

Best for: Downloading files from official websites, accessing software updates, and retrieving documents or media from trusted online sources.

Email-based file sharing

With email-based file sharing, the sender attaches a file to an email message, and the recipient downloads it through their email client or webmail service.

Unlike HTTP/HTTPS or cloud-based downloads, email attachments are limited by file size restrictions and are not ideal for large transfers. Large files often require a file compressor or external file-sharing links instead.

However, if you need to know how to send files securely over email, then you can attach the file to the email and encrypt it using tools available online for extra privacy.

Example: Gmail and Outlook

Benefits: Simple and widely available method for sending files directly to specific recipients, with built-in security checks and easy integration into everyday communication.

Risks: Limited file size for attachments, potential blocking of large files, and possible security risks if malicious attachments are opened.

Best for: Sharing small documents, images, and files between individuals or within an office or remote work setting.

LAN (Local Area Network) file sharing

LAN (Local Area Network) file sharing allows devices connected to the same local network to transfer files directly between each other without needing an internet connection.

Unlike internet-based file sharing methods, LAN sharing is limited to devices within the same physical or private network and cannot be used remotely unless configured with additional access tools.

Example: Windows File Sharing (SMB), Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Benefits: Very fast transfer speeds within the same network and easy access to shared files between connected devices.

Risks: Limited to local network access and can pose security risks if the network is not properly secured or configured.

Best for: Sharing files in offices, schools, and homes where multiple devices need fast local access to shared resources.

Cloud-based file sharing

Cloud-based file sharing uses internet-based storage services where files are uploaded to remote servers and accessed through apps or web browsers.

One thing to keep in mind for private and secure file sharing to keep your shared files 100% confidential is choosing a file sharing service or cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption.

ZKE means that only you and those you share the files with can access them; not even the cloud provider or any external parties can view them.

Providers without zero-knowledge encryption, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and others, may technically be able to access file contents, and in some cases, data could be exposed through breaches, misuse of access permissions, or legal requests.

Example: Internxt Drive, Google Drive

Benefits: Easy access from anywhere, automatic backup and syncing, and simple file sharing with permission controls.

Risks: Requires internet access, potential privacy concerns with third-party storage, and possible data loss if accounts are compromised.

Best for: Remote work, collaboration, file backup, and accessing files across multiple devices.

Tips on how to send files securely online

Use end-to-end encryption

Some major cloud providers, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, aren’t end-to-end encrypted as they hold the encryption keys. As a result, these providers can decrypt and access your files, so you can’t be sure who might access them.

For maximum protection, use zero-knowledge encryption, which gives you control over your encryption keys, so only you and those you choose to share your files with can access them.

Use strong passwords

For your accounts and shared files, use a strong password generator or passphrases to protect your files from unauthorized access.

Use a VPN on public wifi

Public wifi in cafes, airports, or other public places often doesn’t have the security required to protect your connection, so your shared files could be at risk. Use a trusted and encrypted VPN to ensure your information stays secure on these networks.

Review sharing settings

Revoke access and monitor who accesses your files to ensure only those with permission can access files.

Choose a privacy-focused provider

Choose an open-source, zero-knowledge encrypted provider to ensure nobody can access your files. A company with strong privacy laws, such as a GDPR cloud storage company, will also have laws to protect your data.

Set expiration dates

You can set an expiration date for shared files to minimize the risk of files being accessed and ensure they are unavailable outside a certain time period.

Scan files for malware

Whenever you receive a shared file, make sure that it is free from malware by using a trustworthy antivirus or free virus scanner to protect your device.

Use two-factor authentication (2FA)

Combined with a strong password or passphrase, 2FA will add more protection to your account in case your password becomes compromised. 2FA will require a code sent to your phone via an authenticator app for increased account security.

How to send files securely with Internxt

Internxt Drive

Internxt offers an encrypted, secure cloud storage alternative to big tech companies.

Unlike other companies, Internxt offers post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption for free and paid plans, meaning nobody but you can access your files.

With a free Internxt plan, you can share files via an encrypted link to others, and with Internxt paid plans, you can invite, share, and collaborate with others on files, and password-protect your files.

If you have a free Internxt plan, you can upgrade your plan for 85% off all annual (billed monthly) or lifetime plans using the special offer link below.

To share your files with Internxt via a secure link, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Internxt account https://drive.internxt.com/login
2. Right-click on the file you want to share, and click “Share”
3. Choose access “General” or “Restricted”
4. To password-protect the file, choose “Protect with password”
5. Click “Copy link” and send it to your chosen recipients

To share files securely via email with Internxt Drive, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the file and click “Share”
2. Click “Invite” in the top right corner
3. Enter the email(s) of those you wish to share the file with and press enter
4. Select “Notify users” to add a message
5. Click “Invite” to share your link

Sharing files securely with Internxt is easy, but it uses the most advanced cryptography techniques to encrypt your files and ensure no unauthorized access to your files.

Additional secure file sharing features are available with a Premium and Ultimate Internxt plan, which offer a huge range of services for maximum privacy online, including Meet, VPN, Antivirus, and NAS support.

All the details of the features of Internxt can be found on our website, or you can view the summary below.  

If you want the same security and privacy when sharing files, videos, photos, or other sensitive documents online without creating an account, Internxt has something to meet those needs, too.

How to securely send files for free with Internxt Send

Internxt also offers Internxt Send, a secure, encrypted, and free file-sharing service, offering an alternative to WeTransfer and other services.

With it, you can create a secure and encrypted link for any file type of up to 5GB. There are no limits to how many times you use the service, and there are no login or credit card details necessary, so you can share files with others in total privacy and security.

For secure file sharing with Internxt Send, follow these steps:

1. Go to https://send.internxt.com/
2. Select “Upload Files” or “Select a folder”
3. You can also drag on drop files into the webpage to upload files
4. Once uploaded, click “Create link” or “Send email”
5. To send the link via email, add the required details and click “Send files”

Once sent, your secure link will be sent to the recipient. You can use Internxt Send without limits for the best free file sharing service.

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Frequently asked questions

What is secure file sharing?

Secure file sharing is the process of sending or storing files in a way that prevents unauthorized access using tools like encryption, authentication, and access controls.

How to securely send files online?

Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, encrypt files before sharing, share only with trusted people, set strict permissions, and avoid unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi.

How does encryption improve file-sharing security?

Encryption turns files into unreadable data during transfer or storage, so only someone with the correct key can open them.

What are the common risks of insecure file sharing?

Risks include data breaches, identity theft, malware infections, and unintended exposure of private information.

How to send files securely for free?

Common options include Internnxt Drive and Send, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Proton when used with proper security settings.

How can I control who accesses my shared files?

You can set permissions such as view-only or edit access, use password-protected links, and limit sharing to specific users.

How to send files securely over email?

Email is not fully secure by default. It is safer when combined with encryption or when using secure file-sharing services instead of attachments.

What should I avoid when sharing files?

Avoid weak passwords, public or open links, unencrypted files, and unknown or untrusted platforms.

How can businesses improve secure file sharing?

Businesses should enforce encryption, manage user permissions, monitor file activity, and train employees on safe sharing practices

Cloud storage has become a convenient way to back up videos in the cloud, keeping them safe from data loss or corruption, and ensuring you can access your videos from anywhere.

Sharing large videos can become problematic with some services, especially with the limits for email attachments.

If you’re wondering how to share large video files online without losing quality or hitting file size limits, this article covers the best cloud storage and file sharing services to send large videos without compromising the security and privacy of your files.

Table of contents

• Why are large video files hard to share?
• How to share large video files from a desktop
• How to share large video files from an iPhone
• How to share large video files from an Android device
• What is the best way to send large video files?
• Related articles
• Frequently asked questions

Why are large video files hard to share?

Large video files are hard to share because they take up a lot of storage space and require fast, stable internet connections to upload and download.

For example, a 2 GB video file, such as a short 4K recording or a high-quality edited clip, would already require 2 GB of storage space and can take around 15 to 20 minutes to upload on a 20 Mbps connection, and over an hour on a 5 Mbps connection.

Many services like email providers have strict file size limits (around 20 MB to 25 MB per attachment (for example Gmail is 25 MB), so they cannot handle videos beyond a certain point.

In addition, large files can be difficult to store and manage, and sharing private videos through unsafe methods can increase the risk of corruption, failed transfers, or security issues.

Despite this, we will cover how to share large video files with cloud storage and other methods so you can send your videos securely, privately, and without losing quality.

How to share large video files from a desktop

Internxt Drive

Internxt Drive offers private cloud storage for video files with zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption to share large video files in total privacy.

Nobody, not even Internxt, can view the videos you share, as you hold the encryption. Only you and those you choose to share files with can access these videos.

Internxt Drive sharing features allow you to

• Password-protect files (Premium and Ultimate)
• Revoke access
• Collaborate with others
• Send files via a secure link or email

With Internxt Drive, you can securely send files of up to 10GB, which, in the context of sharing video files, allows for up to:

• 2 to 5 hours of HD (1080p) video, depending on compression and bitrate
• 30 to 90 minutes of 4K video, depending on quality settings

To share video files with Internxt Drive, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Internxt account https://drive.internxt.com/login
2. Right-click on the video and click “Share”
3. Choose between “Public” or “Restricted” access
4. Click “Copy link”

1. To password-protect the file, click “Protect with password”
2. For maximum protection, we recommend protecting the file with a strong password using a strong password generator.

To share a large video file via email:

1. Right-click on the file and click “Share”
2. In the pop-up tab, click “Invite”

1. Enter the email(s) of those you want to share the files with
2. Choose  to give “Viewer” or “Editor” access
3. Click “Notify users” to add a message
4. Click “Invite”
   

Internxt offers free plans, or you can unlock more features and share private videos with a paid annual or lifetime cloud storage plan for 85% off, following this Internxt special offer link, and unlock the following features.

Internxt Send

Internxt Send is an encrypted file-sharing service with zero-knowledge encryption. You can use it as many times as you wish, with no login or other personal details required.

Send allows you to send large files via link or email for files of up to 5GB, enough for:

• 1 to 2.5 hours of HD (1080p) video, depending on compression and bitrate
• 15 to 45 minutes of 4K video, depending on quality settings

To send files via Internxt Send with a secure link, follow these steps:

1. Go to send.internxt.com
2. Upload or drag and drop your file onto the page
3. Click “Create link”
   

1. Once uploaded, you can copy the link and send it to your chosen recipient before the expiration date

To send a large video file via email with Send, follow these steps:

1. Upload or drag and drop the file to send.internxt.com
2. Enter the email of the recipient(s)
3. Enter your email
4. Add a message (optional)
5. Click “Send files”

WeTransfer

WeTransfer is a free and paid file-sharing service to send up to 2GB of files, with the option to unlock bigger file-sharing limits and other features.

To send large files with WeTransfer:

1. Go to https://wetransfer.com/
2. Upload your files/folders (up to 2GB for free accounts)
3. Enter the details, sharing, view options, and expiration data (max 7 days on a free plan)
4. Click “Transfer”

To unlock larger transfers, longer expiration dates, or other features, you will have to sign up for a paid account.

Like Google Drive, WeTransfer does not use end-to-end encryption to protect your files, and, according to its privacy policy, it collects your browser, device, and location data and shares that with its business partners.

WeTransfer’s security has also faced backlash in the past for adding AI scanning of user files in its terms and conditions.

Google Drive

Google Drive offers 15GB of free cloud storage across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos, but does not include zero-knowledge encryption.

To share a file with Google Drive:

1. Go to Google Drive and sign in to your Google account.
2. Click the “+ New” button and select “File upload” or “Folder upload”.
3. Select the large file you want to share and wait for it to finish uploading.
4. Once uploaded, right-click the file and select “Share”.

1. Choose one of the following sharing options:

• Enter specific email addresses and click “Send”.
• Click “Copy link” to generate a shareable link.

Under “General access”, choose:

• Restricted (only selected people can access)
• Anyone with the link (anyone with the link can access)

With Internxt file compressor

For files close to the attachment limit, you can use Internxt’s free file compressor to reduce the file sizes for videos, PDFs, or photos without reducing the quality.

Internxt’s file compressor does not collect any data from the files you upload, and everything is deleted from our servers once the file compression is complete.

How to share large video files from an iPhone

If you’re an Apple user looking to find out how to share large video files from your iPhone or iCloud account, follow these steps.

Airdrop

Apple AirDrop allows you to wirelessly send large videos to others with Apple devices, such as iPads or iPhones.

It’s one of the best methods for sending large videos online, as there are no size limits, but you need to be within Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range to send files.

Before you send files with AirDrop, check:

• You and the recipient have AirDrop  and Bluetooth turned on
• Your personal hotspots are turned off
• Your recipient has set their AirDrop receiving settings to Contacts Only. If you’re not in your recipient’s contacts, have them set their receiving settings to Everyone.

To send a file using AirDrop:

1. Tap the file you want to send and select the Share icon at the bottom left (rectangle with an up arrow).
2. Tap the AirDrop icon.

1. Tap the AirDrop user you’d like to share the file with. Alternatively, you can send the file to other Apple devices you own.
2. Ask your recipient to accept the share request to receive your file.

If you’re sending files with AirDrop, be aware that people within range of your Bluetooth can learn your email address and phone number, so keep it turned off when you’re not using it.

Internxt iOS app

To share large videos via the Internxt Drive iOS app, you can upload your files via the web or desktop apps, which will sync the video file to your mobile.

Otherwise, you can upload your video directly from the app by logging in to your Internxt account and pressing the + symbol from the bottom toolbar and following these steps:

1. Log in to your Internxt account
2. Navigate to “Drive” from the bottom toolbar
3. Choose the file you want to share and click the ⋯ icon
4. Click “Get link”

1. This will generate your link
2. Once generated, click “Copy link”

iCloud

iCloud is Apple’s offering in the cloud storage market to store, sync, and back up your files to the cloud.

To share files with iCloud:

1. Sign in to your iCloud account.
2. Drag and drop the file you’d like to share to the Drive section.
   

1. Select the file and click the “Share” button at the top right.

1. Enter the email address or phone number of your recipient(s) and click “Share”.
   

1. You can also share the file by selecting “Anyone with the link”, which will open a new window with a link to your file. Copy the link and send it.

How to share large video files from an Android device

Google Photos

Google Photos is a cloud-based service that lets you back up, organize, and automatically store and back up videos in the cloud.

While it has additional features such as advanced AI search, tools to edit, create albums, and free up storage, it does not include advanced privacy features such as E2E encryption or password protection.

Any videos you upload to Google Photos (or Drive) can be accessed by Google as it holds your private encryption key, so for full privacy for your videos, consider installing the Internxt Android app.

To send large videos via the Google Photos app:

1. Open your phone’s photos app and find the video you want to share.
2. Tap and hold the video until a toolbar menu appears. Tap on the Share icon.
3. In the pop-up window, tap Create link. Copy and paste the link to share it with your recipient.
4. Alternatively, you can also choose to share the link directly to an app (for example, WhatsApp).

Internxt Android app

To share large videos via the Internxt Drive app, you can upload your files via the web or desktop apps, which will sync the video file to your mobile.

Otherwise, you can upload your video directly from the app by logging in to your Internxt account and pressing the + symbol from the bottom toolbar and following these steps:

1. Log in to your Internxt account
2. Navigate to “Drive” from the bottom toolbar
3. Choose the file you want to share and click the ⋯ icon
4. Click “Get link”

1. This will generate your link
2. Once generated, click “Copy link”

What is the best way to send large video files?

The best way to send large video files is with cloud storage or file transfer services. As not all of these services use ZKE to ensure your privacy, the best service you can use is Internxt Drive or Send.

Internxt is the first cloud storage with post-quantum encryption, available on free and paid plans. All videos and files you share with Internxt include this protection with AES 256 and Kyber 512 encryption, ensuring only you and the people you share files with can access them.

You can join Internxt for free, or get started from €1.99 a month with this 85% discount.

Not only that, Internxt Drive includes a full privacy suite of NAS support for QNAP and Synology, Rclone, VPN, Meet, Mail, and more.

Related articles

How to share MP4 files

Is WhatsApp safe for sending private photos

Best free file-sharing services

Frequently asked questions

How can I send large video files for free?

Internxt Send is a free service to send large video files for free with zero-knowledge encryption, and no log in or credit card details are required.

With a free Internxt account, you can also share files, or consider upgrading to access extra products such as VPN, Antivirus, Meet, and more.

How can I send a 10 GB video online?

You can use Internxt Send to transfer files of up to 5GB, or sign up for an Internxt Drive account, where you can send videos of up to 10GB, and get extra features such as password-protected file sharing.

How can I email a video that exceeds the 25 MB attachment limit?

If a video is slightly over the 25MB limit of most email attachments, you can use Internxt’s file compressor for free to reduce the file size and send a video via an email attachment.

How can I send very large video files without losing quality?

Use cloud storage like Internxt Drive, which sends files with a privately encrypted link that doesn’t compress your files to keep the quality of the original video.

If you’re a Google user, you may have seen or heard about Google One without knowing what it actually is. In the past, if you wanted more storage for your Google Drive account, you would just pay extra.

Now, Google One offers a method to access additional cloud storage, with the potential for extra features to be added to your Google account.

To make the topic of Google One vs Google Drive clearer, this article will cover:

• Is Google One the same as Google Drive?
• Differences between Google One and Drive
• Features & benefits
• Pros and cons of Google One and Drive
• Alternatives to Google Drive

By the end of this article, you will know whether Google One’s services are right for you, or whether there are other options to better fit your needs.

Table of contents

• Is Google One the same as Google Drive?
• Difference between Google One and Google Drive
• Google One vs Google Drive features
• Google One pricing
• Google One and Google Drive alternative
• Internxt vs Google One vs Google Drive
• Internxt vs Google One vs Google Drive
• Google One vs Google Drive conclusion

Is Google One the same as Google Drive?

No, although they’re related, Google One is not the same as Google Drive.

Google Drive is where you store and manage your files in the cloud and access other Google services, including Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Google Drive is where you store and manage your files in the cloud and access other Google services, including Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Google One is the plan that increases your storage space and adds perks like family sharing, Google support, and additional features. Google One is essentially an upgrade to your Google account that works with Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Difference between Google One and Google Drive

Now that we know the main distinction of the two services, we can focus on the main differences. If you have a Google Drive account, then you get 15GB of free cloud storage and these features:

• Cloud storage service to upload, store, organize, and share files like documents, photos, videos, and spreadsheets.
• Cloud storage that is shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.
• Web, desktop app, and mobile apps
• Manage and collaborate on files with others.
• File sharing, versioning, and offline access to files.
• Gemini AI integration with a 2TB Google AI Pro plan

Google One includes:

• Monthly and annual subscription plans from Google to increase your storage across Drive, Gmail, and Photos.
• Offers various storage tiers, from 100 GB to 30 terabytes for the Google AI ultra plan.
• Includes additional benefits such as family sharing (up to 5 members), access to Google support, a 14% discount on YouTube Premium, and 10% back from the Google Store.

The main difference between Google One and Google Drive can be summarized below:f

• Purpose: Drive is for storing and managing files, while One is for expanding storage and adding more features.
• Free vs Paid: Drive provides free storage by default; One is a paid upgrade for more storage and benefits.
• Functionality: Drive lets you interact with files directly. One only affects your storage limits and adds extras; it does not replace Drive.
• Scope: Drive is limited to cloud storage. One affects all Google services that use storage.

Google One vs Google Drive features

Google Drive gives you access to its cloud storage, office suite, Gmail and Google Meet. With Google One, you get the opportunity to add much more.

When you upgrade, the features you get depend on the pricing tier you choose. For example, the 100GB plan you get:

• Family sharing for up to 5 people
• Limited access to Gemini AI features
• Video generation with Veo3 AI
• Limited access to Google search with Gemini

Google’s highest plans, AI Pro and AI Ultra, offer more storage, higher file uploads, and access to the latest and most advanced Gemini AI models with higher quotas and quality for AI-generated images or videos. Google One pricing

Google One pricing

Google One prices are broken down into the following tiers

• Free 15GB
• Basic 100GB €1.99/mo
• Standard 200GB €1.99/mo
• Premium 2TB €1.99/mo
• Google AI Pro 2TB €1.99/mo
• Google AI Ultra 30TB €1.99/mo

AI features are broken down into limited, expanded, and highest, as shown below.

The full features and limitations of a Google One account and additional benefits and discounts, can be viewed on Google’s website.

Is Google One right for you?

Google One is a suitable option if you have full cloud storage and need more. It is also useful if you’re a videographer, graphic designer, or work in any other industry that integrates AI into its workflow.

It’s also a useful option if you have family members to share photos, documents, or videos with, as its sharing options allow you to add up to 5 members to your account.

Below you can find the pros and cons of Google Drive, which you may wish to consider before subscribing or upgrading your storage with Google One.

Pros of Google Drive

• Compatible with various devices
• Instant access to edit files
• Quick file search
• Expansive AI suite
• Ability to view, download, and upload different file types
• Easy sharing
• Generous free storage space of 15 GB
• Option to restrict file access
• Access to Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Photos, etc

Cons

• Security Risks
• Requires Internet connection
• Daily file upload size limit
• Google can browse content saved in Google Drive
• Privacy concerns regarding user data

Google One and Google Drive alternative

Considering its status as one of the most recognized cloud storage providers, you may wonder why people consider alternatives to Google Drive.

The main issue is privacy. Google has a past of GDPR violations, costing it millions for breaching user privacy, with fines related to:

• Lack of transparency in how user data was collected and processed.
• Insufficient consent for personalized ads and tracking.
• Tracking users without proper consent across services and platforms.
• Failure to comply with GDPR requests for data access and deletion.

For this reason, people are choosing cloud providers with an emphasis on protecting user data. This is why Internxt is becoming a popular cloud alternative to Google, OneDrive, iCloud, and more

Find out why below to see how Internxt could be the cloud solution you are looking for if you want to upgrade your storage, or get more features to protect your devices and online privacy.

Internxt vs Google One vs Google Drive

Like Google, Internxt is based on providing cloud storage, but with one key difference.

Privacy.

Internxt uses zero-knowledge encryption, so your files are encrypted on your device. With this kind of encryption, you manage the keys directly on your device, so nobody except you can access or view your files.

Cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption is the most secure and private method to store your files, as not even the cloud provider can view your files.

With Google, OneDrive Dropbox, etc, encryption keys are managed on their servers. As they have access to these keys, their employees can view your files or give law enforcement access to your accounts. They can even delete your files if they suspect you are violating their terms and conditions.

With Internxt, therefore, zero-knowledge encryption keeps your files protected and gives you total control over who can access your files. No spying, and no breaches of your privacy.

Like Google, Internxt also offers more products and features in its cloud storage plans, but prices are broken down into annual or lifetime plans if you want to forget the subscription model and pay once to access Internxt forever.

Prices start from just €1.99/month. The features of Internxt plans can be found on our website or with the table below.

Internxt vs Google One vs Google Drive

Internxt offers the following features for its Essential, Premium, and Ultimate plans, plus more, which you can view from the Internxt website or from the table below.

Internxt pricing

Below are Internxt’s pricing, with lifetime plans offering an affordable solution to access a lifetime of cloud storage with a one-time payment.

S3 object storage plans are also available with Internxt at an affordable and scalable cost of €7/TB/month

You can stack your lifetime plans if you run out of storage, and you can also pay for a lifetime plan with cryptocurrency or split the cost into monthly, interest-free payments.

If you have a Google account and want to migrate your data to Internxt Drive, you can follow the article from our help center below to help you get started with Internxt.

Google One vs Google Drive conclusion

If you already have a free Google account and want more storage, then Google One is for you if you want to stay with Google and get more storage.

If you are looking for a zero-knowledge and private alternative to Google, then consider Internxt, with zero-knowledge encryption and an extensive product suite. Internxt helps you take control of your data and store your files in total privacy.

Also of interest to you...

• OneDrive vs Google Drive
• icloud vs Google Drive
• Google Photos vs Google Drive
• Sharepoint vs Google Drive
• Box vs Google Drive
• Is Google Drive safe?

We rarely find ourselves without access to the Internet, thanks to the increased number of public Wi-Fi networks or hotspots wherever we go. From our local coffee shops, libraries, or shopping centers, connecting to the web is easier than ever. But is it more secure?

Since 2019, the rise of remote workers and digital nomads means we are more reliant on public Wi-Fi to get our jobs done and to carry out our daily tasks, from online shopping, to emails and video conferences.

Currently, 47% of people in the US say they use public Wi-Fi frequently. Interestingly, the US is top of the list for the country with the highest number of data breaches, which may or may not be a factor in the number of people not using their Wi-Fi securely.

In any case, while connecting to Wi-Fi on the go is no doubt convenient, it should not compromise your security or privacy. So, this article will answer whether public Wi-Fi is safe and, if not, how to implement the correct measures to keep your online privacy safe on public networks or areas with wireless access points (WAPs).

Is Public Wi-Fi safe to use?

Public Wi-Fi network security has improved over the years because public networks increasingly use encryption to protect the data sent over the internet. However, the risks of public Wi-Fi are certainly higher than home networks.

For this reason, public Wi-Fi is a popular target for cybercriminals, as we can see from the data below.

When connecting to public Wi-Fi, the main feature to look out for is what kind you are connecting to, as this is an excellent indicator of the security of the network. There are two types of Wi-Fi that you can connect to, either an open or secured network.

What are open and secured public Wi-Fi connections?

When you are out in public and need to connect, you will see a list of Wi-Fi names or hotspots you can join. Secured Wi-Fi is indicated with a lock icon, this may be a home or business connection that you will need the login credentials to enter.

Additionally, secured networks encrypt data, making it much more difficult for malicious threat actors to intercept it.

Conversely, open Wi-Fi has very few or no security features, so anyone within the range of the connection can access data the connection is sending because open networks don’t encrypt it. The limited safety features of public Wi-Fi open up more opportunities for internet leaks or theft from these unsecured connections.

Another potential problem with public Wi-Fi safety is rogue hotspots, where threat actors will set up open Wi-Fi names similar to secure networks to trick people into connecting to them. If someone connects, they can launch numerous attacks on your device and steal or leak your information.

Therefore, if you are accessing Wi-Fi in public, such as hotels, airports, cafes, or, in some cases, Airbnb, you must connect securely. We can see from the statistics below that these are where people feel that Wi-Fi is less secure and more vulnerable to attacks.

To increase your security in these areas, only connect to secure Wi-Fi providers from trusted sources. Also, avoid open networks requiring you to enter your email or phone number, as this increases the risk of data breaches.

Risks of public wifi

Public Wi-Fi is at an increased risk of cyberattacks because of the number of people who use unsecured networks and how easy these networks can be to access with the right skills. These are the common risks associated with open wireless networks in public spaces.

1. Eavesdropping

When you connect to public Wi-Fi, any emails, messages, or other sensitive data, like bank numbers or login credentials, are sent through a network tunnel to their destination. As the data on an open connection is not secured by encryption, the data can be intercepted, viewed, and stolen.

2. Malware distribution

Malware attacks can occur on public Wi-Fi networks and infect a device with viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, or ransomware - the most common cyberattack, which locks people out of their devices unless they pay a ransom to the cybercriminals.

3. Escalating software vulnerabilities

Any device connected to an unencrypted Wi-Fi connection exposes the device to further attacks from the initial hack. For example, if you log in to your email account on an unencrypted connection, the hacker now has access to your email address and the contact details of your email inbox.

From here, hackers will target the password associated with your account or the accounts from your inbox to access further sensitive information, such as corporate records, or bank details, and any other information they can use for identity theft.

An added risk of public Wi-Fi connections is exposing the security features of your device. On a public network, hackers can view the devices using the Wi-Fi on an unsecured connection and the operating system they use.

If the operating system is outdated, hackers can expose security vulnerabilities to install malware and ransomware or perform social engineering scams to steal other people’s data.

So, while connecting to a secure Wi-Fi network may be safer than in the past, there are still vulnerabilities and dangers that you should be aware of to know if public Wi-Fi is safe.

How to Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

When connecting to the internet outside the office or home, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to establish if the public Wi-Fi is safe to use. If the initial signs look good, you can use these next steps to strengthen the security of your connection even further.

It is important to note that while these are guidelines for protecting your connection from a Wi-Fi hacker, you can integrate these security measures into other areas of your digital life.

The following guidelines will also help protect your home network and your family, and you can also propose new cybersecurity measures for your business to protect the company and keep employee data safe.

1. Confirm the network you’re connecting to is legitimate

Before connecting to any network, be 100% sure that the network you want to connect to is the secure, connected version. As previously mentioned, hackers often create a close copy of the original network name to trick people into connecting to an unencrypted connection and steal your passwords.

To mitigate the risks, check that:

• The network name is accurate, you can confirm this with an employee
• You need a password to login
• The page is secured with a https:// connection

Known public Wi-Fi networks should follow this criterion; if they don’t, avoid connecting to it and find another secure space to connect if possible.

2. Check your connectivity settings

Your laptops, tablets, phones, or any other gadgets connected to the internet will sometimes automatically connect to Wi-Fi connections without you knowing. This is useful for home or the workspace but can be dangerous when public Wi-Fi connections are involved.

For this reason, always turn off auto-connect for networks you don’t know, especially if traveling to an unknown place.

Other connectivity settings to look out for are your Bluetooth settings. Bluetooth connects us to our smart watches, headphones, and more. Bluetooth is a possible window into a further network attack on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, so keep this turned off in public settings, too.

Finally, turn off the file-sharing option in public spaces to avoid exposing your photos, files, or other documents on your device, and to reduce the chances of malware or being exposed to harmful images or other content.

Windows will turn off file sharing if you select the public Wi-Fi option, but here are the steps to turn off all sharing settings

On a PC:

1. Go to the Network and Sharing Center.
2. Then, Change advanced sharing settings.
3. Turn off file and printer sharing.

For Macs:

1. Go to System Preferences.
2. Choose Sharing.
3. Unselect everything.
4. Next, in Finder, click on AirDrop, and select “Allow me to be discovered” and choose: No One.

For iOS, access AirDrop from the Control Center and turn it off.

3. Use a trusted, secure, private browser

Opting for a secure, private browser is an essential internet tip for everyone, regardless of where they are browsing the net, but it is especially crucial in a public Wi-Fi setting. Private browsers often include built-in features that protect your data, such as ad and tracker blockers.

From a security standpoint, private browsers are better equipped to protect you on a public Wi-Fi connection thanks to our good old friend, data encryption, which protects your data in transit and secures it against Man in the Middle attacks.

Another privacy-centric option is to use a proxy browser. Proxy browsers work slightly differently by routing your traffic through a proxy server that conceals your IP address, which can be handy to protect your location.

Some, but not all, proxy browsers will include a VPN or other add-ons to secure your data, so it is important to choose the right browser with the right features for you when using public Wi-Fi.

By avoiding data sharing and hiding and encrypting your data, the right browser is a handy tool to protect you against data breaches, much like our next addition.

4. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Alongside your preferred browser, using the right VPN is another essential tool to protect you from cyberattacks. A VPN can benefit remote workers, digital nomads, or anyone using a public network because it encrypts your information via a secure tunnel, so anyone trying to access it will be unsuccessful.

The main benefits of a VPN are that they encrypt your internet connection and hides your location and IP address, making it a popular and accessible tool for everyone, regardless of their cybersecurity knowledge.

Internxt VPN is a secure and encrypted VPN to help keep you safe on public wifi connections by encrypting your data and hiding your location.

It is available as a free Chrome extension, with paid versions also available with more locations and unlimited speeds with an Internxt cloud storage plan.

In just a few short and simple steps, Internxt secures your personal information quickly and effectively.

5. Keep your Firewall settings enabled

A firewall is a protective shield for your device and must be active when connected to public Wi-Fi because, without it, your device is vulnerable to spam, malware, or other software, such as keyloggers, that can give hackers access to your accounts.

Sometimes, legitimate reasons exist to turn off the firewall settings, such as installing new software or updates or solving network problems. The problem with turning off our firewalls is that we often forget to turn them back on again, which is when it can be dangerous to use public Wi-Fi without firewall protection.

Before you connect to an external network, you must check that your firewall is enabled to reduce the threats to your device and data.

To check the firewall on your PC:

• Go to Control Panel
• System and Security
• Select Windows Firewall and make sure it’s set to “on”

For Mac users

• Go to System Preferences
• Select Security & Privacy
• Go to Firewall and click the “Turn on Firewall” button

6. Use an antivirus

Installing trusted anti-virus software on your computer will protect you on a public Wi-Fi network to block attempts of malware, phishing, and other threats. Antivirus software may also include additional protection for your email accounts, blocking harmful emails and reducing the risks of social engineering attacks.

Antivirus software is always working in the background to check files for viruses and protect you in public spaces and at home, work, or anywhere else you are connected. Antivirus often has additional security features, including password managers, VPN, or cloud backup.

All Internxt paid plans also include Internxt Antivirus built into the Windows, Mac, or Linux applications, allowing you to scan for malware and eliminate threats from your device.

As with any software, it is crucial to conduct regular audits of your software to ensure they are using up-to-date software for the best security possible.

7. Log out and forget the network

One of the last steps you should do when using or learning a public Wi-Fi connection is to log out and forget the network you previously connected to. In point number 2, we learned that sometimes our devices will automatically connect to a Wi-Fi connection without us knowing, leaving our account details open to attack if accessed by hackers.

Logging out of all Wi-Fi networks that are not private will prevent you from unknowingly connecting to an unsecured network and will prevent your accounts from being hijacked.

Other valuable guidelines to Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

The fun doesn't stop there! These extra tips will help you stay safe while using public Wi-Fi and for your mobile apps, emails, password security, and file storage. So here they are:

• Consider using mobile hotspots: If you are unsure of the Wi-Fi’s security, use your mobile data to connect to the internet and protect your mobile hotspot with a unique, strong WIFI password
• Don’t install any extra software or extensions on a public network
• Don’t share any data, personal information, or files on a public Wi-Fi, wait until you return to your personal, secure network

With these cybersecurity basics, you can browse securely and easily, and if you are suspicious of any activity when you connect to public Wi-Fi, log out and forget the network immediately.

Protecting Your Wi-Fi Connection Wherever You Go

Despite the extra security measures for public Wi-Fi in airports, libraries, cafes, schools, or anywhere else offering us the internet, we shouldn’t replace convenience with security.

So, before we explore the world for travel, work, or leisure, secure your devices with these tips, look out for unprotected networks before connecting, and keep your data and information safe from the public eye.

Frequently asked questions

Is public Wi-Fi safe to use?

Public Wi-Fi is convenient but not fully safe. It often lacks strong encryption, making it easier for attackers to intercept data, especially in high-risk areas such as airports or cafes.

What are the main risks of public Wi-Fi?

The main risks include data interception, malware infections, fake hotspots, unauthorized access to personal accounts, and hackers monitoring your activity.

How do I know if a public Wi-Fi network is safe?

Check if it requires a password, confirm the network name with staff, and ensure websites use HTTPS. Even then, caution is still necessary.

Should I use a VPN on public Wi-Fi?

Yes. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, and it is therefore highly recommended to use a secure VPN like Internxt VPN to ensure your data remains secure.

Is it safe to do online banking on public Wi-Fi?

It is not recommended to enter your bank accounts on public wifi if your connection isn't protected. If you need to do so, use a trusted VPN, mobile data, or connect to a private network.

What should I avoid doing on public Wi-Fi?

Avoid logging into sensitive accounts such as bank accounts, email, or work-related accounts. Also, avoid entering payment details, downloading unknown files, or sharing personal information.

What’s the safest alternative to public Wi-Fi?

Using mobile data or a personal hotspot is generally safer because it is encrypted and controlled by you.

Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a dedicated storage device connected to a network that allows multiple users and devices to store and access data from a central location.

It is a popular method for extra data privacy, as everything is stored on the device you own and can’t be accessed by anyone, making it a popular alternative to Google Drive, OneDrive, and other big tech companies.

In this article, we will cover:

• What is NAS (Network Attached Storage)
• NAS storage components
• Types of NAS storage
• Best NAS devices
• Best cloud storage for NAS support

If you’re looking for a hybrid cloud solution with NAS and cloud storage, we will also cover how to connect your NAS device to Internxt Drive.

What is NAS (Network Attached Storage)

Network Attached Storage, commonly referred to as NAS, is a physical device for storing and managing data that connects your cloud to your home or office network.

Unlike a regular external hard drive, which connects to one computer at a time, a NAS allows multiple devices, such as computers, smartphones, or tablets, to access the same files over the network.

NAS storage runs its own operating system that handles file management, security, and network access. With it, you can use it to save documents, photos, videos, or cloud backups, and organize them in folders just like on a regular computer.

Other network attached storage components

When you buy a NAS, you are typically buying the enclosure only, and you need to purchase and install the hard drives or SSDs separately, so you will have to factor this into your budget when investing in a NAS system, unless the product is sold as a pre-populated bundle.

Hard disks or hard disk drives (HDDs)

Hard disk drives (HDDs) provide storage capacity for a NAS unit and an easy way to scale and add storage based on your demands.

HDD prices depend on capacity and type. Smaller drives like 1TB to 4TB are cheaper but cost more per terabyte.

Mid-range drives like 6TB to 12TB are commonly used in home NAS systems because they balance price and storage.

Large drives from 14TB to 24TB or more cost more upfront but give the lowest cost per terabyte.

Solid-state drives (SSDs)

Solid state drives (SSDs) are a type of storage used in NAS systems that store data on flash memory instead of spinning disks. This makes them much faster, quieter, and more durable than hard disk drives.

However, they are more expensive per terabyte compared to HDDs, so they are usually used in combination with HDDs rather than replacing them completely in large storage systems.

Types of NAS storage

NAS storage can be classified in a few clear ways based on how it is built, how it connects, and its use cases.

Standalone NAS (home/small office NAS)

Standalone network attached storage is the NAS system you have in your home or office and is typically a single physical device with multiple drive bays that connects to a local network with simple setup and maintenance.

A standalone NAS is useful for:

• File storage
• Backups
• Media streaming

Standalone is managed through a web interface and usually supports RAID for basic data protection and performance.

Enterprise NAS

Enterprise storage can use NAS is a large-scale storage system used by businesses and data centers.

It is built for high performance, high availability, and massive storage capacity. It often includes redundant controllers, advanced networking, and features like clustering, failover, and tiered storage. It is designed to handle heavy workloads, many users, and mission-critical data where downtime is not acceptable.

Cloud NAS (hybrid NAS)

Cloud NAS storage, also called a hybrid NAS setup, combines local storage with cloud-based storage services.

It uses a physical NAS device on-site while also syncing or backing up data to the cloud. This allows users to access files remotely, protect data off-site, and help migrate data to the cloud without relying only on local hardware.

What are the best NAS storage brands?

QNAP and Synology are generally considered to be the best NAS devices, but there are others to consider, too.

Synology

Synology focuses on simple, reliable NAS systems with the DSM operating system, and is widely considered the most user-friendly NAS system, making it the best NAS device for beginnings.Synology prioritizes software quality and security over raw hardware performance.

Best for: beginners, home users, and small businesses that want an easy, stable, and low-maintenance NAS

QNAP

QNAP focuses on high performance and advanced features. Its hardware is often more powerful than competitors at the same price, with better CPU options, more RAM, and more connectivity features like 2.5GbE, 10GbE, and HDMI outputs.

QNAP is generally used by users with more advanced tech knowledge as the set up is more customizable, but it does offer a help center with tutorials on how to set up your QNAP device.

The QTS operating system is feature-rich but more complex, giving users deep control over virtualization, media servers, and networking.

Best for: power users, media streaming (Plex), virtualization, and advanced technical setups

Both QNAP and Synology are compatible with Internxt Drive Ultimate lifetime or annual plans, which you can get for 85% off below to get started with your NAS and cloud storage setup.

Asustor

Asustor sits between Synology and QNAP, offering strong hardware at competitive prices. Its ADM operating system is fairly easy to use, but more flexible than Synology.

It often includes modern hardware features like 2.5GbE or 10GbE at a lower cost, making it a good balance between performance and usability, although its app ecosystem is smaller.

Best for: users who want good performance and value without paying Synology prices

TerraMaster

TerraMaster focuses on affordability and value. It provides solid hardware for the price, but with a less polished operating system (TOS) and smaller software ecosystem compared to Synology and QNAP.

It is improving over time, but still feels more basic. It is popular for budget builds or users who are comfortable doing more manual configuration.

Best for: budget users and DIY-style NAS setups where cost matters more than software polish

Network attached storage brands comparison

NAS vs cloud storage vs external hard drives

NAS vs cloud storage share the same basic concept of storing files in the cloud, with some key differences.

If you use traditional cloud storage, this model allows you to store your files directly on the provider’s servers over the internet.

This is more user-friendly for general cloud storage use, as it lets you upload, sync and back up your files, and the cloud provider manages the storage, security, and maintenance of your data.

Advantages of traditional cloud models include:

• Easy to use, no complex setup required
• Accessible from anywhere with an internet connection
• Fully managed by the provider, including updates and backups
• No hardware costs or maintenance

However, cloud storage may have some limitations depending on your needs, which may include:

• Limited integration with local network storage devices
• Dependent entirely on the internet speed for access
• Less control over how data is stored and managed
• Security relies fully on the provider

Cloud storage with NAS support, on the other hand, allows you to back up or sync the data stored on your NAS devices, like QNAP or Synology, directly to the cloud.

This creates a bridge between your local storage and the cloud, letting you combine the speed and control of local NAS access with the security, redundancy, and remote access benefits of cloud storage.

Many people choose NAS devices because they provide centralized storage, easy file sharing across multiple devices, added security, and cloud backup solutions.

It offers other advantages such as:

• Provides additional backup and redundancy for NAS data
• Gives more control over data management and permissions
• Protects data from hardware failure or accidental deletion
• Allows remote access to files

However, despite the benefits, NAS may be intimidating to first-time users due to the initial investment costs and setup.

Key NAS features to understand

Drive bays

A “bay” in a NAS refers to a slot where you install your hard drive or SSD.

• 2-bay NAS = two drive slots, enough for basic home use.
• 4-bay NAS = four hard drive slots, more flexibility, better performance, and stronger redundancy.
• 8-bay NAS = eight hard drive slots, typically for business / advanced users who need a lot of storage, maximum performance, and the best data protection.

Obviously, the more drive bays you have, the more storage you can accumulate, and get better redundancy using RAID if one or more drives fail. When you buy a NAS, the hard drives or SSDs are usually sold separately, so take this into account when considering which NAS system to buy.

RAID types

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a method to combine multiple hard drives in your NAS to improve performance, increase storage efficiency, or protect data in case a drive fails, as it offers increased redundancy.

There are multiple RAID options available, which are explained below:

• RAID 0 splits data across multiple drives to improve speed and storage capacity, but it offers no protection, so if one drive fails, all data is lost.
• RAID 1 mirrors data from one drive to another, so everything is duplicated. This provides strong protection because if one drive fails, the data is still available on the other, but you lose half of your usable storage.
• RAID 5 uses three or more drives and combines speed, storage efficiency, and protection by spreading parity data across all drives. It can survive one drive failure.
• RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 but can survive two drive failures, making it more secure but slightly slower and less storage efficient.
• RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, requiring at least four drives. It offers high performance and strong protection, but uses a lot of storage for redundancy.

When choosing a NAS for RAID, you should think in terms of how many drives you have, how much data protection you need, and how much usable storage you are willing to sacrifice. The key decision is matching RAID level to your bay count and risk level.

Every RAID type is a trade-off between speed, storage efficiency, and data safety.

For example, if you only have 2 drive bays, you should look for RAID 1 support, because it mirrors your data and protects you from a single drive failure, which is the main goal in small home setups.

CPU and RAM

The CPU is the central processor that runs the NAS operating system and handles all computation tasks.

In a NAS, the CPU is responsible for:

• processing file requests coming from computers over the network
• managing file system operations like reading and writing data
• handling user authentication and permission checks
• running applications installed on the NAS such as backups, cloud sync, or media servers
• optionally performing media transcoding for video streaming
• handling system services that keep the NAS running

A stronger CPU allows more users, more applications, and heavier workloads to run at the same time without slowing down.

RAM is the short-term working memory used while the NAS is running and is responsible for:

• temporarily storing active data while it is being processed
• caching frequently accessed files to improve speed
• supporting multiple simultaneous users and file operations
• allowing applications and services to run smoothly
• helping the operating system manage active tasks efficiently

Key difference between CPU and RAM in a NAS can be viewed below:

Network speed (1GbE, 2.5GbE, 10GbE)

Network speed determines how fast data moves between a NAS and connected devices. It directly limits transfer speed regardless of how fast the storage or hardware inside the NAS is.

A higher network speed allows the NAS to deliver data faster to devices, but only if the storage system inside can keep up.

1GbE (1 Gigabit Ethernet)

• Maximum speed is about 125 MB/s
• Standard in most basic NAS systems and home networks
• Suitable for file storage, backups, and light streaming
• Becomes a bottleneck with high-performance drives or multiple users

2.5GbE (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet)

• Maximum speed is about 312 MB/s
• Common upgrade in modern NAS devices and PCs
• Improves transfer speeds significantly without high cost
• Suitable for heavier file transfers and multi-user environments

10GbE (10 Gigabit Ethernet)

• Maximum speed is about 1250 MB/s
• Used in high-performance NAS systems and professional environments
• Required to take full advantage of fast SSD arrays and RAID setups
• Supports heavy workloads like video editing, virtualization, and large backups

Apps and operating systems (Synology DSM, QNAP QTS)

A NAS is not just storage hardware. It is a small server, and it needs an operating system to manage everything. That operating system is what turns raw disks into a usable system with files, users, apps, and services. Both Synology and QNAP offer different operating systems.

Synology DSM is the operating system used on Synology NAS devices.

In a NAS context, DSM is responsible for:

• managing storage volumes and RAID arrays
• handling file sharing protocols like SMB, NFS, and FTP
• controlling user accounts, permissions, and access rules
• providing a web-based interface to manage the NAS
• running applications through a built-in package system
• enabling backup tools, cloud sync, and media servers

DSM is designed to be simple and user-friendly, so it is the best NAS for home and small business setups.

QNAP QTS is the operating system used on QNAP NAS devices and is responsible for:

• managing disks, RAID configurations, and storage pools
• providing file sharing and network access services
• offering a web-based control panel for system management
• supporting a wide range of applications through an app center
• enabling advanced features like virtualization and container systems
• handling multimedia, surveillance, and backup services

QTS is generally considered more flexible and feature-rich, often targeting users who want more advanced control and customization.

Backup and snapshot features

Backup and snapshot features are tools that protect your files from data loss such as accidental deletion, file corruption, ransomware, or hardware failure.

Backups are used to:

• Copy data from the NAS to another NAS, external drive, or cloud storage
• Protect against total data loss if the NAS fails
• Create scheduled copies of important folders or systems
• Restore files or entire systems after a major failure

A snapshot on the other hand is a point-in-time version of data stored on the same system used to:

• record the state of files at a specific moment
• quickly restore previous versions of files or folders
• protect against accidental changes or deletion
• recover from ransomware by rolling back to an earlier state

Snapshots are usually fast to create because they do not copy all data, the differences between backups and snapshots can be found below.

Best Network Attached Storage to connect to the cloud

Internxt offers an alternative to less privacy-focused cloud storage providers such as Google Drive and OneDrive to give encrypted cloud storage focused on protecting your privacy.

With NAS support, you now get additional control of your files, combined with our post-quantum encrypted cloud storage for the best cloud storage protection for your files.

Internxt secure cloud storage support for NAS with all Ultimate lifetime or annual plans, which include post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, and additional features such as VPN, Antivirus, Mail, and Meet.

Internxt offers the best cloud storage pricing and features for your privacy, which can be viewed on our website or in the table below.

Secure backups

Get increased redundancy for your files from your NAS device. With Internxt, you can back up your NAS to the cloud protected with zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption. Get peace of mind that your photos, videos, and documents are all secured and protected against data loss.

Own your data

Manage your local and cloud storage on your own terms and get full flexibility and ownership over your data with the convenience and privacy of Internxt Drive.

Full privacy

Combine the privacy of zero-knowledge encryption with Internxt, as all your files are encrypted directly on your device, accessible only to you. When combined with your NAS, you get additional insurance that your files are protected from unauthorized access and never exposed to third parties during transfer or backup.

How to set up NAS with Internxt

To connect your Internxt account to your NAS device, you must first download the Docker app for Mac or Windows from here: https://www.docker.com/

Once completed, follow these steps.

Synology

1. Open the Docker app.
2. Go to Registry, search for internxt-webdav, and download the latest image.
3. Go to Image, select internxt-webdav, and click Launch.
4. Configure environment variables (INXT_USER, INXT_PASSWORD, etc.) and port mappings (e.g., 3005:3005).
5. Start the container.

QNAP

1. Open Container Station.
2. Click Create Container and search for internxt-webdav.
3. Select the latest image and click Next.
4. Set environment variables (INXT_USER, INXT_PASSWORD, etc.) and port mappings.
5. Apply settings and start the container.

Once completed, you can back up your files to your NAS system and enjoy all the benefits of your Internxt account combined with Network Attached Storage.

For more information, visit our GitHub page for additional instructions, visit our help centre, or contact us at hello@internxt.com

You may also be interested

QNAP NAS cloud backups

Synology NAS cloud backups

Frequently asked questions

How is NAS different from an external hard drive?

An external drive connects directly to one device, while a NAS connects to a network and can be accessed by multiple devices at the same time.

Do I need technical skills to set up a NAS?

Basic setups are usually simple with modern systems from brands like Synology or QNAP, which provide step by step software interfaces. Advanced features may require more technical knowledge.

What can I use a NAS for at home?

Common uses include file storage, media streaming, photo backups, personal cloud services, and automatic backups for computers and phones.

Is NAS good for backing up data?

Yes, NAS is widely used for backups because it can store multiple versions of files and support automated backup schedules.

Can I access my NAS remotely?

Yes, most NAS systems allow secure remote access through apps or web portals so you can reach your files outside your home network.

Is NAS secure?

NAS can be secure if properly configured with strong passwords, encryption, updates, and firewall settings. Security depends on user setup.

How much storage do I need for a NAS?

It depends on use. For basic home use, 4 to 12 terabytes is common. For video editing or business use, much larger capacities are typical.

Do NAS devices use a lot of electricity?

Most home NAS devices are energy efficient and consume roughly similar power to a small router or mini PC, depending on how many drives are installed.

Encrypted cloud storage falls into two categories. Most services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box, encrypt your files on their servers and hold the decryption keys, so the company can technically access what you store.

A smaller group, including Internxt, Tresorit, and Sync.com, encrypts files on your device before upload, using keys only you control. The provider receives data it cannot read, and cannot hand anything over, even under a legal order.

Internxt is the strongest pick in the second category: your files are encrypted before they leave your device, and an independent security firm confirmed this in 2026; it meets healthcare data protection requirements (HIPAA), and it holds international security certification (ISO 27001:2022).

This guide covers Internxt alongside 11 other services across both categories to meet your cloud storage requirements for encryption, pricing, compliance, and practical use cases.

Quick comparison: encrypted cloud storage in 2026

The most important column below is whether the company can read your files, the real difference between "encrypted" and "actually private."

What is encrypted cloud storage?

When you upload a file to the cloud, it gets scrambled into unreadable data before sitting on a server. Without the right key to unscramble it, the file is useless to anyone who intercepts it. The part most people miss is who holds that key.

Encrypted cloud storage stores your data on remote servers and protects it from unauthorized access by transforming the plain text (your file) into cipher text. This encrypted format makes it unreadable to hackers.

Standard encryption vs. zero-knowledge encryption

Most cloud services encrypt your files but keep a copy of the key themselves. Google, Dropbox, and Microsoft can technically unscramble your files if required to. Their security keeps outside attackers away, but the ability to access your data exists.

Zero-knowledge encryption works differently: your files are encrypted on your own device before they ever leave it. The company receives already-scrambled data and never holds your decryption key. Even under a legal order, they have nothing readable to hand over.

Standard encryption works for most people. If your concern is a server breach, standard encryption stops that. Zero-knowledge goes further and protects your files from the company itself. This matters for medical records, legal documents, and anything you would not want a third party to ever access.

Encryption standards explained

AES-256 is the current industry standard, used by governments, banks, and every service on this list except MEGA, which uses AES-128. The 256-bit key length makes brute-force attacks computationally infeasible with current hardware.

TLS protects files in transit from your device to the server. Internxt uses TLS 1.3, the most recent version. Post-quantum encryption is designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers. Internxt is the only service on this list with it deployed as a default across all plans.

The 11 best encrypted cloud storage services in 2026

1. Internxt

Internxt is a privacy-focused cloud storage service built in Valencia, Spain, with data centers in Europe.

It is the first cloud storage with post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, and encrypts your files directly on your device before uploading. You manage the keys, so nobody except you can view your files, Internxt, nor anybody else has the technical ability to access your files.  

It is the only company on this list offering this type of encrypted cloud storage for all plans, including free accounts.

You manage the keys, so nobody except you can view your files, Internxt, nor anybody else has the technical ability to access your files.

Internxt has successfully passed two independent security audits by Securitum, the same company that audits Proton Drive, and others. To verify its security, all of Internxt's code is open-source and available to the public to view on the Internxt GitHub page.

You can also share encrypted cloud storage with friends with the Internxt referral scheme. With it, your friends will get an 85% discount on any plan, and you can earn up to €100.

Security: AES-256 and Kyber 512 client-side encryption before upload, transferred over TLS 1.3. ISO 27001-certified, HIPAA-compliant, SOC 2-compliant, and GDPR-aligned through European data centers.

Features: Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Supports WebDAV, Rclone, and NAS for home server and multi-platform integrations. Encrypted file sharing with password protection.

Automatic backups, Antivirus, PC cleaner, VPN, Mail, and Meet for paid plans.

Internxt also offers an enterprise cloud storage solution with its S3 object storage plans, at a flat cost of €7/TB/month, with no additional data transfer fees, meaning you can scale your storage to meet your needs at up to 80% cheaper than AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Pricing:

Pick this if you want verified post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, multiple compliance, and a full privacy suite to protect you online.

2. Google Drive

Google Drive is the default cloud storage for billions of people and the easiest option if you live inside the Google ecosystem. Its real-time collaboration supports up to 100 simultaneous editors, the strongest of any service on this list.

Security: AES-256 at rest, TLS in transit. Google holds the encryption keys and can technically read your files if required by law or their terms of service. This is disclosed openly in Google's privacy policy. No zero-knowledge option available on any plan. HIPAA compliance requires a Google Workspace subscription and a signed BAA.

Features: Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet built in. 15 GB free across Gmail and Photos. Gemini AI integration on higher plans. Offline access across every platform and browser.

Pricing:

• Free: 15 GB
• 100 GB for $1.99/month
• 2 TB for $9.99/month
• Google AI Pro (2 TB + Gemini): $19.99/month

Pick this if collaboration and Google ecosystem integration matter more than privacy. For sensitive documents you would not want Google to ever be able to access, a zero-knowledge service is the correct choice.

3. Tresorit

Tresorit offers encrypted cloud storage and other features to prioritize security, privacy, and compliance in document management and email communication.

Tresorit is a Swiss-founded encrypted cloud storage service with a strong record in enterprise security. Founded in 2011, it serves law firms, healthcare organizations, and financial teams that cannot afford data exposure. Beyond file storage, it covers encrypted data rooms, e-signature workflows, and encrypted email attachments via Microsoft Outlook.

Security: Zero-knowledge encryption on all paid plans. ISO 27001 certified, HIPAA compliant, with BAA available. EU data centers. Closed source, so the implementation cannot be independently audited the way Internxt or Filen can.

Features: Encrypted sharing links with expiry and access controls, version history, and remote device wipe. Microsoft Outlook integration for encrypted email attachments. eIDAS-compliant electronic signatures for EU legal workflows.

Pricing:

• Free: 3 GB
• Personal Lite from $4.75/month
• Business plans from $19/user/month (billed annually)
• 14-day free trial

Pick this if you run a business that handles sensitive client documents and needs a legally compliant e-signature workflow, or works in a regulated industry. The compliance features justify the higher cost for professional use.

4. pCLoud

pCloud is a cloud storage solution offering robust file access and backup capabilities across devices and secure file-sharing services. Additionally, it provides the option to enhance security with pCloud Pass, a paid add-on for password management.

Furthermore, pCloud is not open source, meaning its source code is not publicly accessible for independent review or modification, leaving many wondering is pCloud safe for private files.

Security: Standard server-side encryption by default, meaning pCloud holds the keys and can technically access your files. Zero-knowledge encryption requires the pCloud Crypto add-on, a separate add-on: $3.99/month billed annually (~$48/year) or $150 as a lifetime purchase. Not open source. Despite marketing that references Swiss privacy standards, it operates under Bulgarian jurisdiction.

Features: Apps for all major platforms including a desktop virtual drive. Built-in media player for music and video. pCloud Transfer for large file sends. Lifetime plans for 500 GB and 2 TB.

Pricing:

• Free: 10 GB
• Premium 500 GB from $4.17/month (billed annually)
• Premium Plus 2 TB from $8.33/month (billed annually)
• Lifetime plans from $199 one-time (500 GB)
• Crypto add-on: ~$49.99 one-time

Pick this if you want lifetime pricing and a polished media experience and are fine adding the Crypto add-on separately. Not the right choice if you want zero-knowledge privacy included without an extra step.

5. Icedrive

Icedrive is an encrypted cloud storage provider distinguished by its use of Twofish encryption, offering strong security measures for storing and accessing files.

Icedrive is a Welsh cloud storage service built around a clean interface and a drive-mounting feature that makes your cloud storage appear as a local drive on your computer.

Security: Uses Twofish encryption rather than AES-256. Twofish is secure but slower and less widely tested in practice.

Zero-knowledge encryption applies only to a single designated folder on paid plans. Zero-knowledge encryption is not available with free plans.

There are no independent security audits published regarding Icedrive security.

Icedrive is based in Wales, so GDPR applies, though it has no other compliance.

Features: Desktop drive mounting is the headline feature. Media streaming for photos and videos. Apps for Windows, macOS, and mobile. No Linux desktop app. No real-time collaboration.

Pricing:

• Free: 10 GB (no zero-knowledge)
• Lite: 100 GB for $2.99/month
• Pro I: 1 TB for $4.92/month (billed annually)
• Pro III: 3 TB for $9.92/month (billed annually)
• Lifetime plans available

Pick this if you want affordable storage with a polished interface and drive-mounting. The encryption limitations make it unsuitable if full account-wide zero-knowledge protection is a requirement.

6. Nextcloud

Unlike mainstream providers, Nextcloud allows users to host their cloud storage, privately giving them complete control over their data.

Nextcloud is different from everything else on this list. There is no company holding your files. You download the software and run it on your own server. You own the hardware, the data, and the configuration entirely.

Security: Supports AES-256 server-side encryption and client-side encryption via a separate app. Encryption is not enabled by default. You configure it yourself. Security depends on how well you maintain your server. Two-factor authentication, audit logging, and brute-force protection are available. Fully open source.

Features: Nextcloud Files for storage and sync, Talk for encrypted video and messaging, Groupware for calendar and contacts, and Office for collaborative document editing. Runs on Linux servers. Extensive app ecosystem.

Pricing:

• Community edition: Free (you cover server costs)
• Enterprise support from €36/user/year

Pick this if you are technically confident enough to run your own server and want total data sovereignty. Not practical for most individuals.

7. Box

Box is an enterprise content management platform built for team collaboration, workflow automation, and compliance in large organizations, not personal use.

Security: AES-256 at rest, TLS in transit. HIPAA compliant with BAA available. ISO 27001 certified. Box does not offer zero-knowledge encryption by default. Box KeySafe, an enterprise add-on, allows customer-managed keys (closer to zero-knowledge) but requires contacting sales for pricing.

Security features include multifactor authentication, file access controls, and trusted device verification. Box Keysafe offers end-to-end encryption with user-controlled encryption keys for those requiring heightened security, although specific pricing details require contacting Box sales.

Box.com is well-suited for businesses needing centralized content management and secure collaboration tools. However, individual users or those seeking simpler storage solutions may find other alternatives more suitable.

Box pricing

• Individual: Free (single user)
• Personal Pro: 100GB, €12 per month (single user)
• Business Starter: 100GB, €6 per user/month (min 3 users)

8. Sync

Sync is an encrypted cloud storage and collaboration platform prioritizing privacy and security. Since 2011, Sync offers a zero-knowledge encrypted service, ensuring that only the user has access to their data.

Security features include AES-256 encryption for data at rest and in transit, along with additional safeguards like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and local drive encryption, which are valuable features to secure your files.

Sync cloud storage also provides backup capabilities with up to 365-day file history retention, protecting against data loss from accidental deletion or cyberattacks.

Sync supports file syncing and sharing across Windows, Mac, and mobile platforms, but it lacks Linux support. Collaboration features allow users to manage permissions, share files securely with external parties, and utilize an admin console for team management.

However, Sync's apps are not open-source, which limits transparency compared to fully open-source alternatives. Despite this, Sync adheres to global privacy laws and does not collect or sell user data, maintaining a strong commitment to user privacy.

Sync is ideal for individuals and businesses seeking robust security measures and privacy assurances in their cloud storage and collaboration tools. Exploring alternatives may be advisable for those prioritizing open-source solutions for maximum transparency.

Sync pricing

• Free: 5GB storage
• PRO, Solo Basic: 2TB storage, $96 billed annually / $8 per month
• PRO, Solo professional: 6TB storage, $240 billed annually / $24 per month

9. MEGA

MEGA, launched in 2013, emerged as a significant player in cloud storage, succeeding Megaupload with a robust zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted service. It offers a range of features including free and paid plans, synchronization, and compatibility across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms.

In addition to its core storage capabilities, MEGA also incorporates advanced features like encrypted chat and video call functionalities, enhancing its utility as a collaborative platform. Moreover, MEGA supports object storage, allowing users to manage and store unstructured data efficiently within its ecosystem.

Despite its popularity, MEGA has faced criticism, notably from its founder Kim Dotcom, who expressed distrust after leaving the company. Security concerns heightened with revelations of fundamental encryption flaws in June 2022.

Researchers identified vulnerabilities such as RSA key recovery, plaintext recovery, framing attacks, integrity attacks, and GaP-Bleichenbacher attacks, undermining its security claims and leaving many users wondering is MEGA safe for their files.

In response to these vulnerabilities, users concerned about the security of what they are storing in the cloud may wish to seek more secure and private alternatives.

For users prioritizing security and seeking dependable cloud storage alternatives to MEGA, Internxt provides a compelling solution and MEGA alternative alternative with comprehensive privacy and robust encryption measures.

MEGA pricing

• 2TB: €9.99
• 8TB: €19.99
• 16TB: 29.99

10. Filen

Filen, founded in 2020 in Recklinghausen, Germany, is a cloud storage service committed to offering users complete privacy through zero-knowledge and end-to-end encryption technologies.

Filen implements client-side encryption, ensuring that data is encrypted on the user's device before transmission, thereby preventing Filen from accessing unencrypted data.

Filen supports file syncing and backup across Windows, MacOS, Linux, and mobile platforms. Users can share files securely via encrypted links, with options to set passwords, expiration dates, and download permissions.

Five sync modes provide flexibility depending on user needs, from two-way syncing to cloud or local backups.

In conclusion, Filen presents a robust option for users prioritizing data security and privacy, particularly within the EU regulatory framework.

However, potential users should consider an alternative to Filen if they want more advanced encryption, and a more complete product suite to protect their privacy online.

Filen pricing

• Pro I, 200 GB, $1.99, monthly
• Pro II, 500 GB, $3.99, monthly
• Pro III, 2TB, 8.99, monthly

11. Koofr

Koofr, a cloud storage service from Slovenia, allows users to store files, videos, and photos across various web platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. However, Koofr lacks robust privacy measures such as zero-knowledge encryption on free accounts, potentially compromising user data security.

The platform supports document collaboration and integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive for seamless file migration. Koofr's upload and download speeds have been noted to be slightly slower than those of other providers.

Additionally, free accounts receive autogenerated weak passwords for file sharing, raising security concerns when sharing files securely online.

Pricing includes a free tier with limited storage and paid plans starting from €1.67 per month for 25 GB up to €8.33 per month for 250 GB.

While Koofr offers accessibility and basic functionalities, users prioritizing privacy and stronger security measures may prefer alternatives with more comprehensive encryption and password protection features at no additional cost.

For an alternative to Koofr with an exclusive discount, visit our website below.

Finding the right encrypted cloud storage for your privacy

As we have found out, choosing the proper encrypted cloud storage requires the following features:

• Open source
• Security audited
• Zero-knowledge encryption (included for free)
• End-to-end encryption

In this case, Internxt is the encrypted cloud storage that ticks all the boxes if you value your privacy. With affordable subscriptions, lifetime plans, and the best security, Internxt is the only cloud storage solution to keep your files in complete privacy. Try Internxt for free today

Frequently asked questions

What is encrypted cloud storage?

Encrypted cloud storage is a type of online storage where your files are converted into unreadable data before or during upload, so only someone with the correct key can access them.

What is the difference between standard encryption and zero-knowledge encryption?

Standard encryption means the provider stores your encryption keys and can technically access your data if required.

Zero-knowledge encryption means only you hold the keys, and even the provider cannot read your files.

Can cloud storage providers see my files?

With standard encryption, they may be able to if requested by the government, law agencies, or if employees suspect your account violates its terms.

With zero-knowledge encryption, they cannot because they do not have access to your keys.

What is end-to-end encrypted cloud storage?

End-to-end encryption means files are encrypted on your device and only decrypted on your device, so no one in between, including the provider, can read them.

What is client-side encryption?

Client-side encryption means your files are encrypted before they leave your device and are already encrypted when uploaded to the cloud.

What is AES 256 encryption?

AES 256 is a widely used encryption standard considered very secure and used by banks, governments, and most major cloud storage providers. Internxt is the first cloud storage to use zero-knowledge combined with Kyber 512 post-quantum encryption.

Can encrypted cloud storage be hacked?

The encryption itself is extremely difficult to break, but accounts can still be compromised through weak passwords, phishing, or malware on your device.

What happens if I lose my encryption key?

In most zero-knowledge systems, your data will be lost because the provider cannot recover it for you, as you hold the encryption keys and the provider does not have access to them.

Do I need encrypted cloud storage for personal use?

It depends on your needs, but it is recommended if you store sensitive documents, personal data, or anything you would not want exposed.

What are examples of encrypted cloud storage providers?

Examples include Internxt, Tresorit, Sync.com, Filen, MEGA, pCloud with encryption add-on, and Nextcloud if self-hosted.

Can law enforcement access zero-knowledge cloud storage?

They can request data from the provider, but if it is truly zero knowledge, the provider does not have readable data to give.

What is the main risk of encrypted cloud storage?

The main risks are losing access to your own data due to lost keys or passwords and poor security practices on your device.

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• Alternative to Proton Drive
• Secure cloud storage services
• Best cloud storage
• Is Degoo safe?

QNAP and Synology NAS devices are considered the best NAS devices for private or hybrid cloud storage use, but which one is best for you?

Within this article, we cover the best network attached storage devices of 2026 for home, business, enterprise, and the best NAS on a budget. To help you make the decision, we will cover

• What is the best NAS device
• How to choose and use your NAS
• NAS for hybrid cloud storage
• Best NAS devices for your use case

Table of contents

• What is a NAS?
• How to use a NAS
• How to choose the best NAS storage
• The 4 best NAS devices in 2026
• Best NAS on a budget
• Best NAS for home users
• Best NAS for advanced users
• Best NAS for enterprises
• Which NAS should I buy?
• Frequently asked questions

What is a NAS?

Network Attached Storage, or NAS, is a dedicated storage device that connects to your home or office network and allows you to store, access, and manage files from multiple devices in one central location.

The device is a centralized storage system, and therefore reduces the need for relying on cloud services and gives home or office users greater control over the privacy of their files, as they control everything.

NAS can also be used in a hybrid cloud environment, meaning you can connect your NAS to your preferred cloud provider that supports NAS devices, such as Internxt Drive.

On top of the NAS device, you will typically have to buy compatible hard drives on top of the cost of the NAS system, ranging from 8TB to 16TB, or more. Aside from cloud storage, the best NAS devices also offer additional services like media streaming, photo management, automated backups, and more.

How to use a NAS

A NAS (Network Attached Storage) device is a dedicated storage device connected to the local network that allows you to store, access, and manage files from multiple devices. It can work as a private cloud, a backup system, or a hybrid storage solution combined with public cloud services.

Set up your NAS device

Once you have chosen the best network attached storage to fit your needs, you first install compatible hard drives and connect the device to your router or network switch.

Once it's powered on, you can access the NAS through a web interface or a dedicated app to complete setup, create user accounts, and configure storage volumes.

Use your NAS as a standalone cloud storage

A NAS can function as a personal cloud for extra privacy without relying on third-party services such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox.

Once configured, you can upload files, access them remotely over the internet, and sync data across devices like laptops, phones, and tablets as you would with cloud storage for:

• File access and sharing
• Backup and data protection
• Remote access and syncing
• Media streaming
• Video surveillance
• And more

Hybrid cloud storage setup

QNAP and Synology are generally considered to be the best NAS storage for all use cases, whether it's home, business, or enterprise use, so they will be the focus when covering the best NAS devices in this article.

With Internxt Drive’s Ultimate lifetime plans, you can avoid subscription costs and connect your NAS device with your Internxt account to set up a private hybrid cloud environment.

With Internxt, your files are protected with post-quantum and zero-knowledge encryption, and you can store, sync, and back up your files directly to your NAS system.

With an Ultimate plan, you also get more than cloud storage; you can connect to rclone, WebDAV, and get extra features to protect you online, such as VPN, Antivirus, Mail, and Meet.

If you have a QNAP or Synology device, you can get started with Internxt by getting 85% off our website via the link below.

If you’re wondering what the best NAS device for you is, then keep reading!

How to choose the best NAS storage

Choosing the best NAS storage depends on your needs, how familiar with tech devices, and how you plan to use the system during the next few years. The key is to match hardware, software, and capacity to your actual use case rather than focusing only on brand or price.

Drive bays and storage capacity

As NAS is a physical device, you will need to consider the number of drive bays you need, which is where you will store your hard drives, and get the storage capacity you need.

A 2-bay NAS is suitable for basic home use such as file backups, photo storage, and light media streaming. A 2-bay NAS will use RAID 1 to improve data safety by mirroring one drive to the second, so if one drive fails, your data is still available on the other.

As you can imagine, more drive bays mean more storage space, better redundancy options, and greater long-term scalability, but also higher cost and a more complex setup.

Performance requirements

If you’re getting started with NAS and only need it for simple file storage or backups, then entry-level processors and limited RAM will generally be enough to meet your requirements.

If you plan to use more demanding applications, such as media apps like Plex, virtual machines, or Docker containers, you will need a more powerful CPU and more memory if you want to handle multiple tasks smoothly.

Speed

Networking speed will affect how quickly you can copy files, stream media, or access data from different devices.

Standard NAS devices will have a 1GbE (1 Gigabit Ethernet) connection, which is enough to transfer about 100 to 110 megabytes of data every second and is enough for basic uses for one device at a time.

Other devices can include 2.5GbE for better performance and more complex setups with speeds up to 10GbE, high-end and professional use, not typical home setups, as it requires compatible switches, cables, and network hardware, which makes it significantly more expensive and complex to set up.

Software and ease of use

If you’re confident in your tech knowledge or have experience with NAS devices, then QNAP offers deeper configuration options for more complex settings that meet your needs.

If not, no need to worry, Synology NAS devices are perfect for beginners as they walk you through each step of the setup process and recommend default settings to make getting started with your NAS as easy as possible

Data protection and long-term value

Data protection on NAS devices usually includes the following backup features to protect you from data loss

RAID protects against hardware failure by duplicating data across multiple drives inside your NAS.

Snapshots create restore points, allowing you to roll back files or folders to an earlier version if something is deleted, corrupted, or affected by ransomware.

Backup tools go one step further by copying your data to another location, such as an external drive or cloud storage, so you have an additional layer of protection.

The 4 best NAS devices in 2026

Best NAS on a budget

Synology DS223j

The Synology DS223j is one of the best budget NAS devices because it combines low cost with Synology’s easy-to-use DSM operating system. It is perfect for simple file storage, backups, photo storage, and remote access.

It includes:

• 2 drive bays
• Synology DSM operating system
• RAID support for drive protection
• Automatic backups and file syncing
• Mobile apps for remote access and photo backup
• 1GbE networking
• Low power consumption
• €200 to €250 without drives included
• €400 to €550 with 2 x 4TB drives.

Storage capacity depends on the drives installed, but it supports up to around 36TB of raw storage with two large-capacity drives.

For a faster processor and stronger multimedia features, such as Plex media streaming, the QNAP TS-233 is one of the best budget NAS devices with better hardware performance compared to Synology.

Best NAS for home users

Synology DS224+

For the best NAS for home, the two best options are usually Synology for simplicity and QNAP for performance.

The right choice depends on whether you want an easy-to-manage system or more advanced features and hardware power.

The Synology DS224+ is widely considered one of the best home NAS devices because it focuses on simplicity, reliability, and long-term usability. It uses Synology DSM, an operating system designed for beginners with guided setup, automatic backups, and easy file management.

It includes:

• 2 drive bays
• Support for HDDs and SSDs
• RAID 1 for drive failure protection
• Automatic backups and snapshots
• Plex media server support
• Mobile apps for photos, files, and remote access
• 1GbE networking

Storage capacity depends on the drives installed, but it supports up to around 36TB of raw storage with two drives.

The NAS itself usually costs around €400 to €450 without drives, €600 to €750 with 2 x 4TB and around €800 to €1,000 for 2 x 8TB drives.

Best NAS for advanced users

QNAP TVS-h674

The QNAP TVS-h674 is widely considered one of the best NAS devices for advanced users because it focuses on hardware performance, expandability, and professional-level features. It is designed for demanding workloads such as Plex media streaming, Docker containers, virtual machines, large file transfers, and multi-user environments.

It includes:

• 6 drive bays
• Intel Core processor options
• Up to 64GB RAM support
• 2.5GbE networking
• Optional 10GbE upgrades
• PCIe expansion support
• M.2 NVMe SSD support
• Docker and virtualization support
• HDMI output for direct media playback
• ZFS support with QuTS hero

Storage capacity depends on the drives installed, but with six bays, it can support well over 100TB of raw storage using high-capacity drives.

The NAS itself usually costs around €1,400 to €3,000, depending on the processor and RAM configuration, without drives included.

Best NAS for enterprises

Synology DS1823xs+

The Synology DS1823xs+ is one of the best enterprise NAS systems for backups for businesses that prioritize stability, centralized backups, and simpler management.

Compared to QNAP, Synology focuses more on software integration and ease of administration, making it popular for offices that want enterprise features without complex setup.

It includes:

• 8 drive bays allowing for up to 100 TB storage
• AMD Ryzen processor
• ECC memory support
• Integrated 10GbE networking
• Advanced backup and snapshot tools
• Virtual machine and Docker support
• Synology DSM operating system
• Enterprise-grade data protection features
• Expansion support for additional storage units
• Between €1,700 to €2,800 without drives, around €3,000 to €5,500 with 6 to 8 NAS-grade hard drives, and between €4,500 to €8,000 with 12 or 20 TB drives.

Which NAS should I buy?

If you’re buying your first NAS device, then Synology is the best NAS for home use and a great entry point for everyone.

It has all the features you need for cloud storage at an affordable price, and, more importantly, it is user-friendly, making it easy to get started without too much tech knowledge.

For the best NAS performance, media streaming, and more advanced settings, a QNAP is the best network attached storage for advanced users or small businesses.

For the best cloud combined with the best NAS device for your needs, Internxt Drive offers NAS support for QNAP and Synology with its Ultimate monthly and monthly plans.

It also includes post-quantum encryption, rclone support, Mail, Meet, and more.

You can also stack your lifetime storage plans, giving you all the storage you will ever need without recurring subscriptions.

Get your 85% discount from our website to get started with NAS and secure, encrypted cloud storage.

You may also be interested

QNAP NAS cloud backups

Synology NAS cloud backups

Frequently asked questions

Can a NAS replace cloud storage?

Yes, a NAS can act as a private cloud, allowing you to store and access files remotely without relying on third-party services, although many users still combine it with cloud storage for extra backup.

Do I need the internet for a NAS to work?

No, a NAS works on your local network without internet, but internet is required if you want remote access or cloud syncing features.

What are NAS drives?

NAS drives are hard drives designed specifically for continuous operation in NAS systems, offering better reliability and performance than standard desktop drives.

Is a NAS secure?

NAS devices include security features like encryption, user permissions, firewalls, and backup options, but proper configuration is important to keep data safe.

What is RAID in NAS?

RAID is a storage setup that combines multiple drives to improve performance, increase storage efficiency, or provide data protection in case one drive fails.

Which brands make the best NAS devices?

Popular NAS brands include Synology and QNAP, known for their reliability, software features, and strong performance across different use cases.

What is the difference between a 2-bay and a 4-bay NAS?

A 2-bay NAS supports two drives and is better for basic home use, while a 4-bay NAS supports more drives, offering higher capacity, better performance, and more RAID options.