Proton’s encrypted cloud storage is going mobile
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Proton, the privacy-focused company behind a hit VPN service and a email provider, has been end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage to iOS and Android.
The Announcement (opens in new tab) of Proton Drive’s launch follows the service’s launch as a web application in September 2022, and sees Proton continue to build ecosystems similar to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365and Drop box. Still, Proton has a few unique benefits that business users may notice.
First, end-to-end encryption of both files and metadata means that even Proton doesn’t know what’s hosted on their service. For another, the data is stored in data centers in Switzerland and Germany, placing it among the strongest privacy laws in the world.
Cloud storage security
Proton claims the cross-platform availability of files hosted on it cloud backup service does not compromise encryption.
Offline access to files, a common feature for cloud storage services, is encrypted in such a way that they can only be accessed through the Proton Drive app. iOS users can set a PIN required to open the app, which then generates a key to encrypt all locally stored Proton Drive files.
Externally shared files also benefit from links that claim to deliver files in an “encrypted environment” while still being available to anyone without a Proton account. Links may also be password protected and have expiration dates set for them.
The company claims that Proton Drive moves data away from “the control of Big Tech” and “mass government surveillance,” which should appeal to any privacy-conscious business owner or IT executive, regardless of the size of their tinfoil hat.
It also announced that a Proton Drive Windows application will be available in beta “soon”, with a macOS app to follow. Both will be fully released in 2023.