Security

Security: Encryption and password options

IDrive is designed to provide cloud backup without compromising data security and privacy. Common questions about IDrive security are answered below:

How Private Key Encryption and Decryption work?

Encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that it cannot be accessed without the key used to encode it. IDrive encrypts the files included in your backup set before the data is sent to your destination and it stores the data in encrypted format on your servers. Data encryption, combined with a secure private encryption key, prevents unauthorized access to your information.

What type of encryption does IDrive use?

IDrive backups are encoded with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption algorithm. The Advanced Encryption Standard or AES is used by the U.S. government to protect classified information and is implemented in software and hardware throughout the world to encrypt sensitive data.

How can I access my encrypted files?

You can access your encrypted files by restoring them from the IDrive application. IDrive will decrypt your files using the encryption key.

Private Key Encryption options and storage

IDrive offers two options for securing your data backups:

Default Encryption: When you install the IDrive application and choose 'Default Encryption', an encryption key is securely generated for your account. This key will be automatically used to encrypt all your data on transmission and storage.

Private Key Encryption: When you install the IDrive application and choose 'Private Key Encryption', you need to provide an encryption key of your choice. This key will be used to encrypt all the data on transmission and storage. Without this key, users cannot recover the data. This means, if the user loses the Private Key Encryption, then the data cannot be restored and our Technical Support cannot assist with recovery. It is thus recommended that the user archives this key safely to backup and restore data.

Does my encryption key maintain its value even if I change my account password?

Yes, changing your account password has no effect on your encryption key.

Can I reset my encryption key settings?

Yes. On resetting your private encryption key, all the data from your account will be permanently deleted. So, reset the private key only in case you have forgotten the key or want to upgrade security for your account.

Do I need to enter my Private Encryption Key on all my computers?

Yes. Enabling the 'Private Key Encryption' option affects ALL of the computers on your account. Setting the Private Encryption Key on one computer sets the same Private Encryption Key for all your computers. You need to enter this Private Encryption Key on all the computers in your account.

What can I do if I forget my Private Encryption Key?

There is absolutely no way for IDrive to recover your Private Encryption Key. If you forget or lose your Private Encryption Key, either you have to create a new account or need to opt for resetting your Private Encryption Key. However, on resetting your Private Encryption Key, all the data from your account will be permanently deleted as it cannot be decoded.

Data centers, Network security, and Policies

Physical security: IDrive is hosted at our data centers in the United States. The world-class facilities are custom designed with raised floors, HVAC temperature control systems with separate cooling zones, and seismically braced racks. They offer the widest range of physical security features, including state-of-the-art smoke detection and fire suppression systems, motion sensors, 24/7 secure access, video camera surveillance and security breach alarms. IDrive continually strives to keep pace with evolving industry security standards.

Network security: We have periodic third party reviews of our network infrastructure to check for known application and service vulnerabilities.

Why do I need local backup?

Your data resides on RAID-protected storage devices. In addition, we recommend that you keep a local backup of your data, as online backup should be a complementary solution to local backup and not be the ONLY solution for disaster recovery. To secure your local backup, IDrive supports encrypted local backups with Private Key Encryption option.

What is your Privacy Policy?

The information we collect from you is only for the purpose of providing you a backup service and communicating with you about the backup services we provide. For more information, read our complete Privacy Policy.