Share what you know with millions of people
Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content
0
Does the cloud support encrypted file formats for storage?
"Does the cloud support encrypted file formats for storage? With "cloud" a file should be a file no matter what format it is in, but I do not want to assume. If it does support encryted files what program would you recommend?"
This question was asked during the Focus Webcast "Stepping Up to an ERP Solution"
Events
- Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
- Lead Nurturing 202: The Next Generation May 31 @ 11 am PT
- The Tricks to Paid Media June 6 @ 11 am PT
- Display Advertising for Brand Awareness June 20 @ 11 am PT
Related Activity
2 Answers
There are no "encrypted file formats" either in or out of the cloud.
Some cloud storage vendors support transparent encryption and decryption of files at rest, but most do not offer this with their basic/free products, if they offer it at all.
Customers can encrypt their own files before placing them in the cloud, although this can have a negative impact on how easily they can be used from cloud storage -- but it does provide the greatest protection.
PGP/GPG encryption is one mechanism, but there are other encryption options depending on what form the data is in.
If we're talking SaaS applications, then it is incumbent on the cloud vendor to support encryption, because it is not easy for the customer to implement it around the application.
-ASB: http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker
Agree with Andrew. There are no file formats, encryption is independent of the format.
AES is the more popular encryption algorithm used today.
When thinking about encrypting your company or personal, sensitive data, you want to make sure to understand where they encryption key is being stored. Whoever has the key, has access to the data. So if you are backing up your files to the cloud, and your backup provider is encrypting the data on the server, that also means they have the key with them on the server. If that server gets compromised, someone has access to your data.
The better approach is the encryption key is on your PC. The data gets encrypted on your PC, sent to the cloud, and then is already stored encrypted. The encryption key stays with you. If that server gets compromised, they are not able to read your data.
Answer This Question