Cloud-storage - safe & secure? Consider Wuala (it's encrypted as well).

[IainB]

Yes, Wuala gave us remarkably short notice too. There certainly seems to be a lesson for the wise in this Wuala case - and in the case of Tresorit, viz: AVOID "Safe & Secure Cloud Storage™" services, or at least, treat them with circumspection. I was utterly disgusted with Tresorit's arrogant and cavalier stance, though I would presume Tresorit was deliberately so for business reasons, but it did rather convey the impression of "F*** you" with prejudice, and with a middle digit raised at the same time for good measure, perhaps in case you didn't get the message.

From experience "Safe & Secure Cloud Storage™" services would seem to be neither safe nor secure, and certainly not reliable, by definition. Mind you, I don't know about SecureSafe, which, along with Tresorit, is a possible alternative suggested by Wuala.
You could sling Mega into the mix as well, I suppose.

This was the Wuala notice that I received in my inbox today:

From: Wuala Sales Team <[email protected]>
Date: 18 August 2015 at 03:43
Subject: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WUALA ACCOUNT

WUALA SHUTDOWN NOTICE

THIS NOTICE CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WUALA ACCOUNT AND THE DATA STORED IN YOUR ACCOUNT.  PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.

Today we are announcing plans to discontinue Wuala secure cloud storage service.  Please note the following important dates:
 
17 August 2015    No further renewals or purchase of storage
30 September 2015    Wuala service will transition to read-only
15 November 2015    Wuala service terminates and all data stored in the Wuala cloud will be deleted

Effective as of today, you will no longer be able to purchase storage or renew existing accounts.  Full account service will continue through 30 September 2015, at which point all active accounts will shift to read-only mode.  Effective Sunday, 15 November 2015, the Wuala cloud service will terminate.

Please download the content in your Wuala account and safely backup it to your PC, Mac, external hard drive or another cloud storage provider.  After 15 November 2015, you will no longer have access to your content, which will be deleted.   Please use this time to download and backup the content stored in your Wuala account.

Customers who have an active prepaid annual subscription will be eligible to receive a refund for any unused subscription fees.  Your refund will be calculated based on a termination date effective from today’s date, even though the full service will remain active until 30 September 2015 and your data will be available until 15 November 2015.  Refunds will be automatically processed and issued to eligible customers in coming weeks.  Some exceptions apply.  Please visit www.wuala.com for more information.

Although Wuala will no longer be offering storage service, alternative options are available for your encrypted cloud storage needs.  In order to ease the impact of the Wuala service termination, we have partnered with Tresorit—a provider of end-to-end encrypted cloud storage for businesses and individuals—and created a secure, easy option to transition your data to Tresorit.  To learn more about Tresorit, transferring your data, and Tresorit’s offer to Wuala customers, please visit: tresorit.com/business/wuala-alternative

As a Wuala customer you may receive an exclusive pricing offer from Tresorit by using this offer code: WUALA15 at tresorit.com/pricing/wuala
More information about Tresorit and alternatives can be found in the FAQ below.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this email, you can find additional information here:  www.wuala.com.  Or please contact Wuala at [email protected]
We thank you for the support you’ve shown Wuala.

Sincerely,
The Wuala Team
 

Please note: If you choose to move your data to Tresorit, you will need to set up a new account with Tresorit.  Service through Tresorit is subject to Tresorit’s standard terms and conditions.  Tresorit is not affiliated with Wuala or its affiliate entities.


FAQ
Question #1:  How do I download and backup the data stored in my Wuala account?
Answer:  Please export your content from Wuala using the Export Tool and safely backup it to your PC, Mac, external hard drive or another cloud storage provider.  If using local storage, please ensure that enough local storage is available before exporting.  Changes and edits to exported data will not be synced to your Wuala account.

Question #2:  Will I be able to use the Wuala service after 30 September 2015?
Answer:  Full account service will continue until 30 September 2015.  After 30 September 2015, accounts will be active in read-only mode only.  In read-only mode, you will be able to access all existing files and data, but will be restricted from making changes to existing documents and uploading new content.  Data contained in Wuala accounts will be deleted starting 15 November 2015.  PLEASE BACKUP ALL DATA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  WUALA WILL NOT TRANSFER YOUR DATA TO ANOTHER PROVIDER AND WILL NOT MAINTAIN BACKUP OF YOUR DATA.  All customer data will be deleted after 15 November 2015.

Question #3:  Will I be able to retrieve my data after 15 November 2015?
Answer:  No.  After 15 November 2015, all data contained in Wuala accounts will be deleted.  PLEASE BACKUP ALL DATA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  WUALA WILL NOT TRANSFER YOUR DATA TO ANOTHER PROVIDER AND WILL NOT MAINTAIN BACKUP OF YOUR DATA.  

Question #4:  Will the Export Tool delete/wipe my data in Wuala as well?
Answer:  No, the Export Tool will not delete the data in your Wuala account.  However, changes and edits to exported data will not be synced to your Wuala account, and could be lost.  If you choose to, you can delete the data in your account after exporting and backing up your content.  After 15 November 2015, all data contained in Wuala accounts will be deleted.

Question #5:  Do you know of other cloud storage providers?
Answer:  While Wuala will no longer be offering storage service, alternative options are available for your encrypted cloud storage needs.  Some existing options include:

    Tresorit: In order to ease the impact of the Wuala service termination, the Wuala team has partnered with this leading provider of end-to-end encrypted cloud storage for businesses and individuals to create Migration Wizard offering a secure, easy way to transition the data in your Wuala account to Tresorit, plus full joint customer support
    Tresorit offers a similar level of security you are used to with Wuala.  In addition, Tresorit gives you more control over your data—you can decide if files are to be copied, edited, printed or emailed.  You can also set policies to limit coworkers' access to sensitive data. Learn why Tresorit is the perfect choice to replace your Wuala account at tresorit.com/business/wuala-alternative.
    As an incentive for helping you switch, Tresorit is offering its services at a fraction of its original prices, available only for existing Wuala customers.  Use the promo code WUALA15 at tresorit.com/pricing/wuala.  If you choose to move your data to Tresorit, you will need to set up a new Tresorit account.  Service through Tresorit is subject to Tresorit’s standard terms and conditions.
    SecureSafe: Secure online data storage and password safe made in Switzerland –please visit www.securesafe.com for further information

Other cloud storage provides may be available in your area as well.

Question #6:  How do I sign up for Tresorit?
Answer:  You can sign up via tresorit.com/pricing/wuala with the promo code WUALA15. You can either start by purchasing your selected plan or you can start with a 30-day free trial, test the service and decide later.  You can transfer your Wuala data while in a free trial.

Question #7:  Do I need to pay for the service to transfer the data from Wuala to Tresorit?
Answer:  There is no additional cost associated with data transfer process.
To transfer your data, you'll need to sign up for a free 30-day trial plan or purchase Tresorit Premium or Tresorit Business.  You can transfer your Wuala data while in a free trial.
If you decide to continue using Tresorit after your free trial ends, a monthly or yearly subscription fee applies.  Wuala customers benefit from 25%- 75% discount: prices are displayed at tresorit.com/pricing/wuala

Question #8:  How do I get my refund from Wuala?
Answer:  Refunds will be issued to eligible customers securely via PayPal to the email address associated with their Wuala account, in the currency in which the initial payment was made.  Refund recipients will receive an email notification in coming weeks with instructions on how to claim the refunded amount.  Please note that monthly subscriptions and inactive subscriptions are not eligible for refunds.  Annual subscriptions expiring before 30 September 2015 or with less than USD/CHF/EUR 10 in remaining credit are not eligible for refunds.  If you have purchased via bank transfer, we will get in touch with you or please contact us via [email protected].

Question #9:  What happens to my data stored on the Wuala cloud service if I am not able to delete it before 15 November 2015?
Answer:  Data in accounts will be deleted after 15 November 2015.

Question #10:  I am signing up for a Wuala account in connection with an offer made with the purchase of a LaCie product.  What are my options?
Answer:  Please refer to your local cloud storage provider or contact LaCie customer support at www.lacie.com/myaccount to obtain information about other free cloud storage opportunities.

Question #11:  Can you provide my data to me on a drive instead of having me download my content via the Internet?
Answer:  No.  Please export your content from Wuala using the Migration Wizard and safely backup it to your PC, Mac, external hard drive or another cloud storage provider.

Question #12:  I am having a Wuala-related technical issue, who can I contact?
Answer:  Please contact Wuala support at support.wuala.com or [email protected]

Question #13:  I have Wuala-related questions not listed in this FAQ, who can I contact?
Answer:  Please contact Wuala support at support.wuala.com or [email protected]

Question #14:  I have Tresorit-related questions not listed in this FAQ, who can I contact?
Answer:  Please contact Tresorit customer support support.tresorit.com/home

Question #15: Is Tresorit taking over the Wuala service or software?
Answer:  No, Seagate/LaCie will continue to operate the Wuala service until its termination.  Furthermore, Seagate/LaCie will retain the software and all intellectual property rights thereto.  There is no transfer or sale of assets, business or otherwise from Seagate/LaCie to Tresorit.

Copyright © 2015 Wuala by LaCie AG, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are an active Wuala user

Our mailing address is:
Wuala by LaCie AG
Köchlistrasse 15
Zurich 8004
Switzerland
__________________________

[4wd]

You could sling Mega into the mix as well, I suppose.

-IainB (August 18, 2015, 03:53 AM)

Just as a matter of interest, MEGA will terminate your free account and delete your data if you don't log into it within 2 years as I found out via warning emails.  This is despite having MEGASync running constantly over that time.

Your account is due to expire in 7 days as there has not been any activity on your MEGA account since January 21, 2013.
We would love to have you as a user, but we will close your account and delete any stored data (as specified in our Terms of Service) unless you log in to it at https://mega.co.nz/, or our new domain of https://mega.nz/, within the next 7 (seven) days.

You get two warnings, 30 days and 7 days, interestingly I logged in after the first warning but it apparently failed to register since I received the second warning later.

[IainB]

^^ That's interesting. Shouldn't happen, methinks. Thanks for the info.
I wonder if there may be a bug in their MegaSync?

I've held off using Mega as I didn't quite understand the reports that Dotcom had said Mega had been the subject of a hostile takeover by the Chinese, or something. It didn't make sense. It's a private company properly registered in NZ and I checked the Companies Office records, and though the shareholders/directors and the charter have changed, it all looks aboveboard from what I could see. Maybe he was pushed out somehow, but that doesn't make sense either as he was originally the major shareholder, I gather.
Maybe the NSA have taken it over?     

[4wd]

I wonder if there may be a bug in their MegaSync?

-IainB (August 18, 2015, 09:53 AM)

Just to be clearer, MEGASync doesn't count as logging in, you need to access your account through the website.

When it didn't seem to register the first time, after the second warning email I logged in on a 24/7 machine and left the browser open for 24 hours which seemed to work, (well, the account is still valid so I'm guessing it worked).

[IainB]

I wonder if there may be a bug in their MegaSync?

-IainB (August 18, 2015, 09:53 AM)

Just to be clearer, MEGASync doesn't count as logging in, you need to access your account through the website.
When it didn't seem to register the first time, after the second warning email I logged in on a 24/7 machine and left the browser open for 24 hours which seemed to work, (well, the account is still valid so I'm guessing it worked).
_____________________________

-4wd (August 18, 2015, 11:52 PM)

Actually, that's a bit of a worry - that you are left to "guess" whether it worked, I mean.
Suppose you hadn't seen that, buried away in the legal straightjacket Terms Of Use, that what it actually said was an explicit statement to the effect that the only acceptably valid login was where you logged-in on 3 consecutive occasions within not more than 35 minutes apart of each other, on the night of a blue moon?

If you didn't do exactly that, then your account and data could/would be irretrievably taken from you, and even though you might know (or assume) that they would have prudently backed-up your data like any pukka IT operation, they for sure weren't going to recover it from backup for you anyway (similarly, Tresorit wouldn't do that for me).

There seems to have  been a Newspeak redefinition of what is meant by the term: "Safe & Secure Cloud Storage™" services.

[IainB]

I became concerned about Google Drive security when they switched from an LLC (logical labelling concept) to an FC (Folder Concept). I had individual and separate files which were each labelled in several separate categories, and when Google switched to FC, they turned all the labels into folders, put the single file into a single folder (apparently at random), with links in all the other folders (which had been labels before) pointing back to the single file. Each link had a.doc suffix but was only about 280Kb in size. It was very confusing and made a lot of unnecessary and tedious work for me to clear up.
Such churlish disregard for their customers, confusingly populating their drives with virtually empty folders like that, and burying the actual document in the matrix.
So it was with mixed feelings that I read this post (below) on the Google Drive blog.
One thing it has going for it though is that Google seem to be making genuine improvements (albeit very belatedly), and they don't use the E-word ("excited") anywhere that I could see, so it may be genuine rather than yet another marketing puff.   
(Copied below sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)

Because it's gotta be super easy to find your files
Wednesday, December 9, 2015

When you store important files in Google Drive they’re not only safe, they’re accessible from any device. And finding them again from any device should be super easy so we’re rolling out a new search experience to get you better results — even faster. Drive lets you search across all your files, regardless of the device they came from. To make that easier, you can use these new ways to find your files:

    Narrow your search to a file type from the search box on Android, iOS, and the web.
    Open advanced search instantly from the search box.
    Access recent files or search Drive from the home screen using 3D Touch on iOS.
    Search Drive using the iOS search bar without opening the Drive app.

Several behind-the-scenes improvements give your search queries even better results than they did before. And to get more specific results, anyone can now do the following:

    Search for shared files by file owner using their name or email address.
    Use advanced search options like the date a file was modified, words it contains, or who it was shared with.

This is all part of an ongoing effort to make Drive the easiest place to find your files. Look for these features as they roll out in the coming weeks. Posted by Steen Andersson, Group Product Manager, Google Drive