#file storage

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I often say how complex technology has gotten, but I rarely dig into what that means in a practical sense. So instead of reporting on the usual daily array of vulnerabilities and flaws, I’m going to share a personal incident from yesterday.

I’m a gamer in my free time, with Steam as my preferred platform. I bought my current computer back in 2018. It was running Windows 10, and came equipped with the RAM necessary to run the games I wanted, with the OneDrive storage all Microsoft products have these days. I have since upgraded the OS to 11, installed an additional hard drive, and partitioned the original to make better use of the space.

Fast forward to a month ago, when my OneDrive was nearly full and I was getting repeated error messages concerning it. The only option I was given was to upgrade to a paid service to increase my storage. Which frankly, I didn’t want. Call me old school, but I want my files stored and accessible on the actual hard drive of my device, not in some nebulous space I can’t control. So I unlinked my account from the cloud. And voila! Things were running smoothly again with no error messages. Or so I thought.

Yesterday, one of my games underwent routine maintenance. Normal behavior. Then I got a popup from my antivirus software, claiming it found a threat. Okay, not a huge deal. That’s why I have it. Except it wasn’t actually a threat, it was a known bug that makes my antivirus think a crash reporter is malware. Not hard to fix.

Then I noticed the game update had failed. ‘Missing downloaded files’, it said. Again, not hard to troubleshoot. I followed the instructions of a tutorial, and hit update again. The issue recurred. I tried at least three more times to update the game, with no success. I’d reached the point where only uninstalling the Steam client and re-downloading it was going to fix things, because no, I was not going to turn off my firewall to ensure a download. That is an irresponsible option when you consider just how many phishing campaigns start exactly that way.

So, I went into Settings to find and uninstall. Steam wasn’t there.

After some confused noises and swearing, I decided to try and download the Steam client anyway, just to see if it would work. It did. I even saved it in the same location it should have been (the folder itself was still there). No conflict, no alert that I was overwriting anything. 2FA is enabled, so I had to go through that to log into my Steam account. I received an email regarding a login from a new device. Why was this activation treating itself as new when it was in the same location, at the same IP address?

To be clear, the platform had been functioning. I have a taskbar shortcut to the dashboard, and all my games were accounted for and playable. I had no idea anything was wrong until this routine maintenance update. In fact, the last one went off without a hitch, and that was only a month ago or so. I remembered the March Patch Tuesday issue, where some MS Teams and OneDrive logins were failing due to a glitch in the code that told people they weren’t connected to the internet. But that wasn’t the issue I was having. It made no sense.

With my brand new copy of the client downloaded, I moved on to checking my library. Lo and behold, nearly half of my games had updates queued. And the game in question that started this whole mess wasn’t even installed. This morning, with everything finally working properly, I got the missing piece of the puzzle.

Failure to sync with the cloud.

Evidently, when I unlinked OneDrive, a number of save files became inaccessible. They were still present, in the local files. But I had to manually go through each game that had a problem and change them from cloud to local storage. Which begs the question: why is cloud storage the default? And a follow up question: why were only some of them stored there? And most importantly: why did the Steam client not have a local file? The cloud is supposed to be a copy.

I’m the first to say that I work in cybersecurity, not IT. They are separate, albeit related, fields. Fixing this was a mix of online tutorials and a working knowledge from a lifetime of doing my own troubleshooting. But it sheds a bright spotlight on how layered and complex something that should be simple has become. I talk a lot about if/then in coding. Computers have built in redundancies for exactly this reason, but apparently no longer have the commands to automatically revert to local if the cloud isn’t connected. The average user would likely never figure this out without dealing with customer support, that itself might not know how to help.

I’m not sure there’s a moral to this story; it was just a frustrating example of how convoluted dealing with technology is. But maybe it will serve someone else experiencing a similar technical issue. And if that’s the case, then I consider the time well spent.

While I strongly recommend keeping local backups of your files on your computer, external hard drives, flash drives, CD/DVD-RWs, etc, it's also a good idea to back up your files online! Here's a list of file storing sites where you can back stuff up for free. Spreading your files across different storage sites may make things more complicated but can also keep from ever having to pay for expanded storage space on any of them. Also, storing your files online creates an easy to share them with friends or publicly on the internet!

Site list is below!

https://app.mediafire.com/ File storage site I've been using since the 2000s! They give you up to 50 GB of free file storage space.

https://www.google.com/drive/ Google Drive allows you to use 15 GB of online storage for free. You can also save links to other people's google drive folders in your main directory, making them easier to find again later.

https://www.dropbox.com/home Drop box gives you 2 GB of free storage. Much smaller than some of the others, but every bit counts when you want to save money!

https://www.4s.io/ 4shared gives you 15 GB of free storage space!

https://mega.io/ MEGA will give you 20 GB of storage space free!

https://archive.org/ Internet Archive is a very good place for storing things such as writings, art, audio, software, videos., etc. All posts are public so this site is ideal for making backups of finished works that you want to show off/keep safe. They run off of donations so if you use their site for storage please consider throwing some cash their way!

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The Following Sites are places where you can archive your video game mods and maps!

https://www.moddb.com/ Mod.db is a nice community where you can archive and share your maps and mods, storage space is unlimited!

https://gamebanana.com/ Gamebanana is rather messy in my opinion, but is still another great place for archiving and sharing game mods/maps you have created!

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/ Steam Workshop mods can't just be freely downloaded from a web browser, so I consider it inferior to gamebanana and mod.db. Still, it can be another good place to archive mods and maps you made for games that have workshop support! It does tend to ease the installation process for mods, but people who got the game from another store may not be able to get your mods!

(for personal use but suggestions very welcome as I’m looking to expand the list, my only real requirements are that it’s 100% free (OR has a usable 100% free version that’s not just a free trial and doesn’t require credit card info or anything else that would force you to pay under certain circumstances) and that it’s trustworthy/not sketchy)

In today’s world, data breaches are becoming more common. Companies, governments, and individuals are all potential targets for cybercriminals looking to steal sensitive information. This has led to a growing reliance on encryption to protect data. Encrypted online file storage is one of the most popular methods to secure files in the cloud. But can encrypted online file storage actually prevent data breaches? While encryption is a powerful tool, the answer is more complicated than simply saying “yes” or “no.” In this blog post, we will explore how encrypted online file storage works, its benefits, limitations, and whether it can fully prevent data breaches. Along the way, we’ll look at eShare.ai, a platform that is enhancing the security of online file storage with its innovative features.

What is Encrypted Online File Storage?

Before diving into the question of data breaches, it’s important to understand what encrypted online file storage is. Encrypted online file storage is a cloud service that uses encryption to protect your files from unauthorized access. When you upload a file to an encrypted cloud storage service, the file is scrambled into unreadable data using an encryption algorithm. The data can only be decrypted (or unscrambled) with the proper decryption key. This ensures that even if someone gains access to your files, they won’t be able to read them without the key. eShare.ai, a leading platform in secure file-sharing, offers end-to-end encryption to ensure that your files are safe from unauthorized access. Whether you are sharing files with colleagues or storing them for long-term use, eShare.ai takes encryption seriously, offering secure cloud storage where your data remains protected at all times. The service provides users with control over their encryption keys, ensuring that only the rightful owner can decrypt the data.

Benefits of Encrypted Online File Storage

Now, let’s examine the main benefits of using encrypted online file storage and how it can help prevent data breaches. Data Security the primary advantage of encrypted storage is the security it provides. By converting your files into unreadable data, encryption helps to protect your information from being intercepted by hackers or cybercriminals. For organizations utilizing a secure cloud server, this layer of encryption adds another level of protection. If an attacker gains access to the storage system, they will find only encrypted files that are useless without the decryption key. This significantly reduces the risk of data breaches since unauthorized individuals cannot easily access or use your sensitive data services like eShare.ai ensure that all files uploaded to their platform are encrypted both during transmission and when stored in the cloud. This extra layer of security means that even if hackers breach the storage platform, your files will remain protected, as they cannot be accessed without the decryption key.

Protecting Data in transit encrypted file storage services often protect data both in transit and at rest. This means that your files are not only encrypted when stored in the cloud but also encrypted when they are transferred from your device to the cloud. This ensures that even if someone intercepts the data while it is in transit (for example, while it’s being uploaded to or downloaded from the cloud), they will not be able to read it. eShare.ai goes the extra mile by providing secure cloud services with file-sharing features that ensure your data is safe as it moves from one device to another. Whether you’re sending sensitive documents or storing them in the cloud, eShare.ai guarantees your data stays encrypted and safe throughout the process. Insider Threat Protection Encryption also adds a layer of protection against insider threats. Employees, contractors, or administrators who have access to the storage system might be able to view files, but without the decryption key, they won’t be able to read the data. This is especially important for businesses storing sensitive information, as it minimizes the risk that an employee or other insider could misuse their access. By using a platform like eShare.ai, businesses can ensure that only authorized individuals have the decryption keys needed to access sensitive information. This reduces the risk posed by insider threats, which are often a major concern for businesses that rely on cloud storage. Data Integrity: Another important benefit of encrypted data storage is that it often includes integrity checks. These checks ensure that the data has not been altered or tampered with. For example, if a hacker manages to gain access to the system, they may try to modify the files. Encryption can help detect this and prevent unauthorized changes from being made to your files. eShare.ai includes various tools that help maintain data integrity, ensuring that your files remain as you uploaded them. With built-in checks and monitoring, any tampering attempts can be flagged, giving you peace of mind that your files are safe from alteration.

Limitations of Encrypted Online File Storage

While encrypted online file storage offers significant protection, it is not foolproof. Here are some important limitations to keep in mind: Human Error One of the biggest vulnerabilities in any security system is human error. Even if files are encrypted, users can still make mistakes that compromise security. For example, users may choose weak passwords for their encryption keys or fail to enable multi-factor authentication. Additionally, users might accidentally share their decryption keys with unauthorized individuals, which could give hackers access to the encrypted files. eShare.ai addresses this risk by offering strong authentication methods, including multi-factor authentication and password management features that help protect users from the dangers of human error. End-to-end Encryption doesn’t mean perfect security, many people assume that end-to-end encryption guarantees perfect security. While it makes it much harder for hackers to access your data, it doesn’t eliminate all risks. For instance, if your device is compromised—whether through malware, phishing, or physical theft—an attacker could access your decryption key and gain access to your encrypted files. Encryption protects data from being accessed in transit or at rest but cannot protect you from attacks targeting your devices or credentials. eShare.ai emphasizes the importance of securing devices. By implementing strong security practices across all devices and regularly updating software, users can prevent attackers from gaining access to their encryption keys. The cloud service provider’s security even with end-to-end encryption, the cloud service provider’s security still plays a role in protecting your files. If the provider’s servers are compromised or they have security flaws in their infrastructure, your data could be at risk. While encryption can protect your data from unauthorized access by the provider itself, vulnerabilities in the provider’s systems might still expose your files to potential breaches. This is why it’s essential to choose a reputable and secure cloud storage provider that follows best practices in cybersecurity. eShare.ai takes this concern seriously by ensuring its infrastructure meets industry-leading standards for cybersecurity. Their platform is designed to safeguard data against both external and internal threats, using cutting-edge security measures to always protect files. Key management Proper key management is crucial for the security of encrypted files. If you lose the decryption key, you may permanently lose access to your files. Conversely, if someone gains access to your decryption key, they could decrypt your files. Managing and storing keys securely is an ongoing challenge for many users. If the key is stored improperly, it can undermine the entire encryption process. Some services offer key management solutions, but users still need to be diligent about how they handle their encryption keys. eShare.ai makes key management easier by giving users control over their encryption keys. The platform’s user-friendly interface allows for secure key management, ensuring that users can easily manage access while keeping their files safe. Data Breaches are complex even though encrypted storage reduces the risk of breaches, it doesn’t make you completely immune. Data breaches can occur for a variety of reasons: vulnerabilities in software, flawed authentication protocols, or even social engineering attacks targeting employees. Encryption might protect the data itself, but if attackers gain access through other means (like exploiting weak user credentials), a breach could still occur. eShare.ai incorporates advanced security protocols and monitoring to minimize the risk of data breaches. However, they also emphasize the need for users to adopt a comprehensive security strategy, including strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and regular security checks.

Conclusion