Most users are probably using one of the famous cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox to store their files & data and sync it between devices. But did you know that you could also encrypt your cloud stroage folders for more security?
Encrypting your files and folders is a good idea because:
- It would prevent the cloud storage company itself from accessing your files and hence you will no longer have to worry securing your files against that point.
- In case your PC was stolen, it would also prevent thieves from accessing your important files since they are encrypted and secured with a strong password.
Most – if not all – cloud storage providers do not come with built-in encryption support for the files, which means users will have to depend on 3rd-party software to do the task.
Luckily, there is a nice open source program called Cryptomator to encrypt cloud storage easily on most common providers. And today we’ll take you in a review inside it.
Table of Contents:
Cryptomator Features
- Free and open source, 100%.
- Support for Dropbox, OneDrive & Google Drive, beside local storage.
- Works on Windows, macOS and Linux for desktop PCs.
- Works on iOS & android for smartphones.
- Strong 256-bit AES encryption for all the files stored in it.
- Retrieved an independent security audit.
- Ability to lock/unlock secure vaults at anytime.
- Easy to use and beautiful user interface and workflow.
- Supports many languages and RTL interfaces.
The program is just damn good.
Installing Cryptomator
You can head to the downloads page of Cryptomator and download the installer that fits your current operating system. Ubuntu users can easily add the following PPA to install it:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sebastian-stenzel/cryptomator
sudo apt install cryptomator
You may alternatively download the program as a portable .AppImage
file that works on all Linux distributions.
You can also grab it for android and iOS.
Encrypt Cloud Storage With Cryptomator
The principle that Cryptomator uses to encrypt cloud storage is via creating what’s known as secure “vaults” inside it; Which is a secure encrypted directory that you can put all your important files inside in order to secure them.
This vault is protected by a password and hence only you can access it, just like any normal vault in real life.
You should set up your cloud storage provider on your OS before using Cryptomator, because at the end, Cryptomator does nothing more than creating a secure folder inside the path of your remote cloud storage. So for example if you were planning to use it with Dropbox, then you should install the Dropbox client before proceeding.
After installing Cryptomator you can launch it and click on “Add Vault” to start working:
Choose “Create a new vault”:
Enter the vault name:
Select the cloud storage service you are using on your OS, or alternatively, you may select the path of the synced storage file on your OS manually:
You now have to enter a new password to secure your vault; Make sure that it is strong, never-used before and non-repeatable so that no one can guess it. You may also choose to create a “backup key” so that you can restore the password if you forgot it. You can for example print this backup key and store the page in your home:
You’ll be able to copy your backup key in the next step:
And that’s it. Notice how Cryptomator created a secure vault for you inside your cloud storage:
If you want to access/put files inside the vault then you’ll always have to unlock it first using your password, but don’t forget to lock it back once you finish your work.
Conclusion
Cryptomator is one of the great open source programs that can drastically enhance the lives of people in no time. Users are easily able to secure their files ultimately thanks to the strong encryption features it offers them, and hence, no longer have to bother with privacy issues and concerns with the major cloud storage providers.
If you know any other similar software like Cryptomator or if you have comments about it, then we would love to discuss in the comments section below.
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