Internxt Review: Is It Worth It?

Internxt Review

Is Internxt safe? Is it really a stable and trustworthy cloud storage option? In this Internxt review, we will go over Internxt's background, its features, its pros, its cons, and whether or not this is a serious contender for the best cloud storage provider.

Internxt Review

Background And History

Internxt is a Valencia-based company with a mission to help shape a world that respects humanity’s privacy rights. The right to privacy is a fundamental right, and the Internxt team wants to ensure that it truly remains like that. To do so, Internxt has been releasing a series of services, which all have the common goal of helping humanity protect that fundamental right.

Internxt's main service is Internxt Drive which is decentralized cloud storage that ensures files remain private to the end-user by utilizing the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to ensure the security of your data.

IPFS ensures anonymity as it can be implemented either locally or globally thanks to nodes becoming anonymous through cryptography. This means you'll no longer need to trust your data with huge companies at the risk of them exposing it to 3rd parties or losing it altogether because of negligence. Currently, BitTorrent Sync is one of the rare file-sharing services that utilizes IPFS data security purposes, however, unlike BitTorrent Sync or other decentralized cloud storage services, Internxt provides its users with a web-based interface that is not only user-friendly but also has an attractive design.

Main Features

Internxt Drive is a zero-knowledge file storage service that’s based on absolute privacy and uncompromising security. Internxt's cloud is secure and decentralized since it uses blockchain technology so users' data and files are fully encrypted, this means the files are totally safe due to files being fragmented and distributed to different nodes that Internxt has in its network.

Here are some of Internxt's main features include in a subscription:

  • Internxt Drive
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Zero-knowledge
  • File-sharing: You will be able to share the files you select through a link
  • Backups
  • Intuitive interface

Decentralized Cloud Storage

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, and MEGA. Users’ data is stored on physical servers that are owned and operated by the cloud provider. Decentralized cloud architectures are mainly offered by companies such as Internxt, Sia, Storj, MaidSafe, and Filecoin.

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. ProtonDrive itself recognizes that “the nature of decentralized models makes them highly effective at defeating censorship.

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.

As demonstrated by the success of the p2p BitTorrent protocol, this makes decentralized systems almost impossible to censor, block, or shut down, as there is no central organization that can be pressured or coerced. Downloading data from a decentralized network can be very efficient when the recipient is able to obtain data from multiple sources simultaneously.”

The paper “Analysis of Centralized and Decentralized Cloud Architectures” by the School of Computing, University of South Alabama (2016) studies the topic. This research is funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Division of Computer and Network Systems, Secure & Trustworthy Cyberspace Program. The research finds the following: Defining characteristics, such as the degree of component centralization or decentralization, have significant implications on the security and performance of cloud-based services. Cloud components that are centralized, often increase the risk of catastrophic failure in the event of a zero-day virus. Decentralized components offer compartmentalization of risk.

Another paper, “Cloud Storage. A comparison between centralized solutions versus decentralized cloud storage solutions using Blockchain technology” by the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, concludes “Central cloud storage solutions introduce a single point of failure. In the case of Amazon S3 Bucket, the data coming from an IoT device is stored on Amazon’s Servers. If the S3 Bucket suffers a security breach the data stored is compromised. Another advantage of the Ethereum based storage is the encryption capability at the data file level using SHA256 asymmetric encryption method, the data inside the blockchain network cannot be altered.”

Internxt Drive is an easy-to-use cloud storage service that doesn’t only provide zero-knowledge encryption (like ProtonDrive, Tresorit, and many other traditionally secure cloud storage services), but goes a step further by offering its service on an infrastructure of data centers spread all over the globe. Internxt, nor any third party can access any of your files. Files uploaded to Internxt Drive 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.

Decentralized storage clusters provide security via compartmentalization. Even if attackers are able to infiltrate an isolated storage array, they cannot launch a rogue virtual machine without also hacking the cloud’s compute component. In these architectures, files are often split into evenly sized segments of data. Each segment or block has its own address but no metadata to provide context about what it is.

The storage target can be configured to replicate data across storage arrays or distributed file systems. Decentralized compute components isolate resource scheduling from the control node. A cluster controller performs scheduling for its respective cluster. If an isolated cluster controller is compromised or otherwise brought offline, the other cluster controller would still function. In the case of Internxt Drive, files are not only distributed and replicated but also end-to-end encrypted.

Internxt uses the AES 256 CTR encryption protocol. In centralized systems, if the cloud controller is hacked, the storage array should be considered compromised as well. The decentralized compute design presents a reduced risk of catastrophic failure.

All in all, decentralized architectures provide enhanced security to cloud functionality. The services they provide are performed in isolation. If a decentralized component is compromised or encounters a runtime error which is an unrecoverable worst-case scenario is that the component goes offline, while the rest of the cloud continues to function normally. This design presents a failsafe which increases cloud stability. On the other hand, centralized cloud designs interlace core functions within the same space. If an error or attack manages to destabilize a centralized component, the entire cloud is at risk.

Internxt Send

Internxt Send is a secure file-sharing service. Through Internxt Send, you can securely send any sort of file to anyone, with an easy-to-use sharing link. You can use Internxt Send for free with your Internxt account. Files uploaded to Internxt Send make use of Internxt's disruptive architecture, in order to maximize the security and privacy of files uploaded to it.

Internxt Mail

Internxt Mail is a secure email service. You can configure it with your own domain, or under a @internxt.com email address. You can use Internxt Mail for free with your Internxt account, it features zero-knowledge client-side encryption to ensure that only you can access your emails. The Internxt team, nor any other third party can access emails sent within the Internxt ecosystem. Internxt Mail is currently in beta and will be made available to the general public within the next few months.

Privacy

Military-grade encryption

All the data you store in your Internxt account is encrypted with AES-256. This means that the most powerful processor in the world would need twice the age of the universe to decrypt a small file.


Zero-knowledge technology

Internxt ensures that there is no point in time where files, photos, passwords, or any kind of unencrypted data is visible to unauthorized users or servers.


GDPR-compliant synchronization

The team's commitment is to conform with all GDPR provisions such as privacy by design, the right to information, and the right to be forgotten among many others, and meet future provisions.


End-to-end encryption

Everything you store or transfer is encrypted before leaving your device, making it impossible to decrypt without the user's permission, not even the Internxt team can access your files, photos, or passwords.

Apps And Software

Internxt offers mobile apps, desktop apps, and web apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Securelly access all your files from your computer, smartphone, tablet, or any kind of device with a connection to the internet via Internxt's cloud storage apps.

Internxt Drive allows you to organize your files in folders, rename them, and filter lists of files to find what you want faster. You can even backup your computer folders like your documents folder, so you always have the most recent changes of your most important files.

Payment Methods

Internxt currently accepts traditional payment methods such as Debit and Credit cards (Mastercard, VISA, American Express, etc), and Apple, and Google Pay.

Under request, it also accepts iDeal, Cryptocurrency, Bancontact, EPS, Giropay, SEPA Debit, P24, and Sofort. To request an invoice using one of the alternative methods described above, simply email the team at hello@internxt.com

Internxt does not accept PayPal.

Pricing

Internxt 10GB: FREE

  • Enjoy up to 10GB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt 20GB: €0.99/month or €10.89/year (8% OFF)

  • Enjoy up to 20GB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt 200GB: €4.49/month or €10.89/year (22% OFF)

  • Enjoy up to 200GB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt 1TB Lifetime: €99 (66% OFF)

  • Enjoy up to 1TB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt 5TB Lifetime: €299 (40% OFF)

  • Enjoy up to 5TB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt 10TB Lifetime: €499 (50% OFF)

  • Enjoy up to 10TB forever
  • Encrypted file storage and sharing
  • Access your files from any device
  • Get access to every service

Internxt Pros & Cons

Internxt: Pros

  • Uses blockchain technology
  • Outstanding privacy features
  • User-friendly apps and software
  • Fair pricing
  • Offers lifetime subscriptions

Internxt: Cons

  • Speeds need improvement
  • Doesn't have lots of features
  • It doesn't have a preview feature for video, pdf, and zip files
  • Customer support response times need improvement

Internxt Review: Verdict

After our Internxt review, we found this to be one of the most promising cloud storage services in the market today.

Few companies take privacy as seriously as Internxt, their approach to use blockchain to achieve this speaks to the team's commitment and outlook to a private and secure future, Internxt has even developed its own cryptocurrency.

Internxt offers its users user-friendly apps and software that work on every major platform, the pricing is very fair and they offer some great value lifetime subscription plans.

On the downside, Internxt's speeds aren't great, and it still lacks some features when compared to other alternatives in the market.

That being said, Internxt is committed in further improving and developing its services, and already has a number of features in line to be released in the near future.

If you'd like to get 20% OFF Internxt annual subscription plans, simply follow the link below!

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2 Comments

  1. Iason Yannis Schizas on June 1, 2022 at 11:02 am

    I have been a client for 2TB lifetime since April 10 2021. I am now (June 1, 2022) in release 1.9.0 (latest for 2022.06.01).
    So far, I am using 540GB. The tech problems in the beginning were many and were resolved very slowly, but at least support and CTO were close to resolving them. I was amazed to see that they did a special call with me for a fix that helped solve some of the early bugs.

    However, as time passes by, support has become slow and does not offer real solutions, coming to a halt. Support is not responding at all now.

    There are two issues/bugs that cannot be resolved by support from May 8, 2022 till June 1, 2022 at the moment:

    A) VERY PROBLEMATIC:

    There is a strange phenomenon happening with sync on windows 10 pc.

    Delete Case 1:
    – I deleted a file locally
    – After syncing, the file is brought from cloud locally
    Resulting Problem: I cannot delete files

    Delete Case 2:
    – I deleted a file via web interface
    – After syncing, the file is brought from local file to cloud
    Resulting Problem: I cannot delete files

    Rename Case 1:
    – I rename a file locally
    – After syncing, the file is brought from cloud locally as it was before renaming and local file is loaded as new file on cloud.
    Resulting Problem: I end up having duplicate files with original name and renamed name locally and on cloud.

    Rename Case 2:
    – I rename a file via web interface
    – After syncing, the file is brought from cloud locally as it is renamed and local file is loaded as it was before renaming on cloud.
    Resulting Problem: I end up having duplicate files with original name and renamed name locally and on cloud.

    The whole sync mechanism seems that it misbehaves!!!

    B) No link for files larger than 1GB
    Internxt has a file share link option with some very likable attribute. You can share a link for only a number of downloads. This feature is superb. BUT, it does not work on files larger than 1GB. I have such a large storage for big files but I can only share files with less than 1GB. That is not something that I was looking for. This is anticipated for many months and support has not resolved this either.

    I hope that support becomes once again what used to be in the beginning, supportive. For the time being it simply neglects the clients.

    • Dalton Rush on June 1, 2022 at 11:09 am

      Hi Iason, sorry to hear that, and thanks for sharing your feedback, we are going to take it into consideration and investigate the issue.

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