OwnCloud is a software suite client-server to create and use file hosting services. ownCloud it is functionally very similar to Dropbox, with the main functional difference that the ownCloud Server Edition is free and open source, and therefore allows anyone to install and operate it free of charge on a private server.
It also supports extensions that allow it to function as Google Drive, with online document editing, calendar and contact syncing, and more.
Its opening avoids forced quotas, in the storage space or in the number of connected clients, instead of having strict limits (as in the storage space or in the number of users) defined only by the physical capacities of the server.
The second generation of end-to-end encryption arrives
Owncloud has announced the second generation of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for its business version. With version 2, the ability to use hardware keys such as smart cards or USB tokens is created.
The E2EE plugin enables encryption and decryption through private key and public key generation directly on the sender and receiver in the web browser.
E2EE for ownCloud Enterprise is the safest and easiest way to exchange encrypted files between two or more people, regardless of the internal security infrastructure available in a company.
Esto it means that neither the sender nor the recipient of a file is tied to a specific environment.
Unauthorized third parties and even administrators do not have access to the encrypted files, which cannot be decrypted even if the hardware token is stolen.
Using hardware keys that have a private key that never leaves the token significantly increases security, he tells Owncloud.
How It Works
The E2EE plugin also makes it easy to send encrypted files by email. When emailing through the Outlook Owncloud plug-in, additional encryption is no longer required.
Recipient receives individual key pair after registration. Also, it is possible, large files that cause problems when sending mail, for their recovery.
Encryption by the E2EE plugin ensures security, while decryption of a sent file is done directly in the user's web browser.
To ensure that the private key cannot be accessed, decryption of the file keys can be outsourced to an external key service, which also supports communication with external hardware tokens.
Subsequently, this decrypted file key is used by the browser for the actual decryption of the file.
File sharing can be done through the ownCloud Outlook plug-in, as well as with any web browser.
Since file sharing takes place within ownCloud, there are no restrictions on file types. Previously, there were file size restrictions when sending emails.
Whereas now with the new plugin, this limitation is no longer a problem, as the attachments are no longer sent, but are only retrieved by the recipient on the Cloud server itself.
All users have the option of sharing a file within the ownCloud user interface or by sending an email directly through the ownCloud Outlook plug-in.
The sharing settings can also be changed at any time.
How to get?
E2EE in the second generation can be added to any version of Owncloud Enterprise. So administrators or anyone with this type of Owncloud edition you can take a free 30-day trial.
Later, for those who want to continue with this feature, the cost is 20 euros per year per user, starting with 50 available users, according to the company.
As with all ownCloud Enterprise features, E2EE source code is available to customers upon request so that encryption can be verified independently.