With over 180 million user accounts, 15GB to 50GB free cloud storage, and end-to-end encryption, why hasn’t MEGA become a household name yet? Why aren’t they mentioned at the same time as Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, or Google Drive?
We’re going to take a look at MEGA Cloud Storage, what MEGA has to offer and why it might be for you.
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What is MEGA Cloud Storage?
If you don’t know what the cloud is, read our article What is the Cloud and How to Get the Most Out of It? and then come back.
MEGA is a New Zealand-based company that provides free, free and paid cloud storage services. Just like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive, MEGA provides space on its servers to store copies of your files.
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How does MEGA Cloud Storage work?
Registering for a MEGA account is as easy as registering with any other online service. After confirming your account, you download and install the client application on your computer and tell it which folders to sync.
They have an app for every platform you can think of; iOS, Android, Windows and even Linux The application will make sure that your files have an exact copy in the cloud.
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When you make changes to files locally on your computer, those changes will sync with the files in your MEGA cloud storage.
What’s the difference between MEGA and others?
The first difference you’ll notice is that MEGA offers up to 50GB of free cloud storage But next to it is a big star. The base amount you’ll get is still a generous 15GB, while most other cloud services only offer 5GB for free. Perhaps the biggest difference is MEGA’s emphasis on data security
How safe is MEGA?
All security requires some trust in those who provide it. MEGA’s history is shaky due to its founder Kim Dotcom and his exploits. The original MEGA, known as MEGAUpload, was controversially filmed by the US government on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering, and electronic fraud. Kim participated in the renaissance of MEGA, but soon after was completely devoid of involvement.
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This story still casts doubt on the security of MEGA cloud storage. While some of the people involved with the old MEGAUpload still run MEGA, they do so with closer cooperation and oversight from the New Zealand government. MEGA operates in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) worldwide, not just in the EU countries.
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This separates the new MEGA in many ways from its more shadowy ancestor, MEGAUpload But what about real data security?
MEGA uses AES 128-bit encryption for all data transfers. The MEGASync app encrypts and decrypts your data as it travels or enters your computer. All data stored at their physically secure facilities in New Zealand and on their servers is encrypted in the same way and cannot be viewed by MEGA as it is encrypted on the user’s device prior to downloading. The encryption key for your MEGA data belongs only to you.
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Files in OneDrive and Google Drive are encrypted only if you encrypt them before uploading. Their sync apps just sync data. Apple has end-to-end data encryption between its devices and iCloud, but Apple does store the keys for everything in iCloud. This means Apple can decrypt your files.
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MEGA also gives you the option to use two-factor authentication (2FA). Using an authentication app like Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Mobile, or Authy will give you a spinning 6-digit code. Every time you log into the MEGA system, you enter your password and whatever the six-digit code was at that time.
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MEGA goes a little further. Metadata is a real security threat. Using metadata, a person can learn a lot about you and your actions, even if they are not a continuation of personal information. MEGA gives you the option to remove all local metadata on logout. For now, this is as safe as possible.
What’s really free MEGA account included?
To get the full 50GB of MEGA cloud storage, you must complete a series of achievements. These are simple things like downloading and installing the sync client, installing the MEGA mobile app, and inviting friends to subscribe to MEGA.
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Bonus space and transfer limits are also limited in time. You will receive a 35GB signup bonus right now, but it will expire in 30 days. Bonuses for installing the MEGASync app and mobile app will expire after 180 days. Bonuses earned by friends upon registration expire after 365 days.
Another thing to watch out for is that data transmission is also limited. The number of uploaded and downloaded files with MEGA is limited per month. With advances in memory accumulation, you also get a higher transfer limit.
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The MEGA service also comes with MEGAchat. MEGAchat is a text, voice and video messaging application that uses the same end-to-end encryption as data encryption. It works in the same way as the Signal secure messaging app
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Is MEGA worth using?
Yes. The service is as easy to use as any other, but more secure. MEGA is what you need to securely back up sensitive data to the cloud.
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Paid versions are available at a reasonable price and allow you to increase the amount of protected storage up to 400-16 TB. If it is important to you that your files are encrypted in the cloud, then you need to check MEGA cloud storage. Just remember about transfer quotas.
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