With the ever-increasing choice of different providers and offerings, choosing a cloud service does not necessarily become easier. OneDrive, Dropbox or even the iCloud vie for customers!
What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is Microsoft’s online storage service. It was founded in 2007 under the name Windows Live Folders. Similar to Apple’s iCloud, Dropbox or GoogleDrive, you can store your data online in the cloud and access it from anywhere. But what is the difference between the providers? Especially the difference between OneDrive and TeamDrive?
OneDrive at first glance
Both providers, Microsoft OneDrive (Office 365) offer a secure synchronization of files in the cloud and various ways to collaborate with colleagues and even beyond corporate boundaries. Regardless of the type of use, the most important decidingfactor for most users is security. This is where Microsoft OneDrive and TeamDrive differ significantly!
Security against access by third parties -and the provider itself
The security of a file in the cloud is one of the crucial factors when choosing a cloud provider. However, users are not always automatically aware of how secure their own files really are. With Microsoft OneDrive, only the transmission of data is protected using Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption. Only TeamDrive offers full end-to-end encryption.
At the same time, encryption is only one aspect of the security of the uploaded file. Along with other international vendors, Microsoft has been repeatedly criticized by data protection organizations in recent years. Although the data in OneDrive’s cloud is protected in principle against access by third parties, it is not protected against access by Microsoft itself. In contrast, TeamDrive uses a combination of several encryption methods. They ensure that only authorized users can access the files in the cloud. TeamDrive itself does not have access to user data under any circumstances.
Server location: USA vs. Germany
The server location also plays a decisive role in this context: Microsoft for Business uses 365 servers around the world for OneDrive and the associated data in Office. In a global and networked world, this may seem logical, but it also poses a security risk that should not be underestimated. The server location determines which data protection guidelines apply to the stored data – at least in the European Union. The server location in the USA in particular must be viewed critically in the light of invasive jurisdiction in terms of national security.
The Cloud Act demands the release of data
Under the Trump government, this situation has worsened. The so-called CLOUD Act (“Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act”), which came into force in March 2018, forces American companies to provide data on request. It does not matter whether the servers are located inside or outside the USA. In this sense, private information in online storage is suddenly made available to the public again. But the OneDrive files shouldn’t be “public” at all!
In contrast to Microsoft, TeamDrive as a German company relies exclusively on the server location Germany – and thus on the strictest data protection regulations even within the European Union. TeamDrive is therefore not only GDPR-compliant, but also offers a so-called Zero Knowledge System, in which TeamDrive as a cloud provider cannot gain knowledge of stored content. The encrypted private files cannot be accessed by anyone without the owner’s authorisation.
