Decentralized cloud architectures are becoming increasingly popular. These architectures allow for cheaper, more secure, robust, private, and reliable features than those that centralized architectures can provide.

The traditional centralized storage model is used by all the “big name” providers, including Google, Dropbox, Apple, Tresorit, ProtonDrive, Sync, pCloud, MEGA, etc. Some of these traditional providers, client-side encrypt user data, whereas some don’t. However, that certainly is not enough when looking to truly protect user data.

Cloud storage is classified as decentralized if the storage system is distributed around the world, and centralized if the storage system is singularly controlled. In the centralized version, the storage system is maintained by the cloud controller, and it is operated by the central server in the cloud controller. All the hosts are allocated with only one storage system for storing the images, files, and data. In the decentralized version, a group of clusters with different storage systems for different clusters are used. Therefore, the group of hosts in the cluster will use the storage system related to that cluster but not the other storage system of the other cluster.

This provides higher levels of scalability, redundancy, and durability in decentralized architectures.

Offering a centralized service instead of a decentralized one involves some very serious trade-offs. Without a centralized server, there is no single point of failure for decentralized cloud storage systems. There is no one server that can suffer a catastrophic failure, accidentally burn to the ground, or be seized by a third party. With decentralized systems, your data is stored on the disks of multiple (possibly even hundreds of) operators, who may be located all over the world.

Downloading data from a decentralized network can be very efficient when the recipient is able to obtain data from multiple sources simultaneously. Decentralized components offer compartmentalization of risk.

Internxt Drive is the only easy-to-use cloud storage service that doesn’t only provide zero-knowledge encryption, but also open-source software, which allows you to benefit from enhanced security and up-to-date software.

Internxt, nor any third party can access any of your files. Files uploaded to Internxt are fragmented, client-side encrypted, and distributed all over the globe, so that a server never holds a complete file, but instead an encrypted data shard. We are using AES 256 CTR encryption protocol, which is the most secure encryption technology.