What is End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Storage?
Cloud storage where files are encrypted on your device before upload and can only be decrypted by you, not the storage provider.
E2EE cloud storage means the provider stores your files but literally cannot read them.
How It Differs from Regular Cloud
- Regular cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox): Provider encrypts data at rest, but holds the keys. They CAN read your files.
- E2EE cloud (Tresorit, Proton Drive): You encrypt before upload. Provider never has the keys. They CANNOT read your files.
Providers
- Tresorit: Swiss, zero-knowledge. Business and personal plans.
- Proton Drive: Part of the Proton ecosystem. Swiss jurisdiction.
- Filen: Zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted. German company.
- Cryptomator: Not a provider — adds E2EE layer to any cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive).
- Internxt: Decentralized, E2EE storage.
Trade-offs
- Server-side search is impossible (provider can't read file contents)
- Sharing requires the recipient to have the decryption key
- If you lose your password and recovery key, your data is permanently lost
- Generally slower than non-encrypted alternatives
Recommendation
Use E2EE cloud storage for anything you wouldn't want on the front page of a newspaper. Use regular cloud for non-sensitive files where search and sharing convenience matter.
Related Terms
Encryption at Rest
Encryption applied to data stored on disks, databases, or other storage media. When data is 'at rest' (not actively being transmitted), encryption protects it from unauthorized access if storage devices are stolen or compromised.
End-to-End Encryption
A method of secure communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers – including telecom providers, Internet providers, and even the provider of the communication service – from being able to access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation.
Zero-Knowledge Proof
A cryptographic method by which one party can prove to another party that they know a value, without conveying any information apart from the fact that they know the value. This allows authentication and verification without exposing sensitive data.
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