Ways to securely store and share files

Like any group of people working on a project, human rights defenders need ways to easily share and work on digital files. Many of us use Google Drive to share and collaborate on documents with colleagues, but human rights defenders often wonder -- "Is Google Drive a secure platform to use for this?".

This page is meant to explain ways to use Google Drive and other alternatives for creating, storing, collaborating, and sharing files. To learn about additional tools to help you collect and store sensitive information securely, see this page: How to collect and store information in a secure way

Google Drive and Google Workspace

If the Google company itself is not your adversary, their platform provides a lot of great free and low-cost tools for individuals and team. Google Drive includes many important security features, such as two factor authentication.

There are at least three different ways to set up the use the Google platform for file sharing and collaboration:

1. Google Drive (which is mostly for individuals),
2. Google Workspace for businesses
3. Google for Nonprofits (which is basically Google Workspace, but free if you are an eligible nonprofit organization)

Google Drive (for individuals)

"Store, share, and collaborate on files and folders from your mobile device, tablet, or computer." Many of us already have personal email addresses on Google and this gives us automatic access to Google Drive for individuals. More information on Google Drive.

Google Workspace (for businesses)

For those organization in countries that are not eligible for Google for Nonprofits, you can consider purchasing Google Workspace for Businesses. Pricing is around 12 USD per month per user. More information on Google Workspace.

Google for Nonprofits

Google for Nonprofits provides free tools to nonprofit organizations that allow them to work more quickly and efficiently reach a wider audience, spur more supporters to take action, and tell their story in a more compelling way. This offer is available to our community directly through Google, and it is made possible in part by TechSoup Validation Services. Learn more about how TechSoup works with leading companies to bring offers like this one to the nonprofit sector.

Google for Nonprofits Eligibility Guidelines (including the countries that your organization must be registered in)

Important considerations for making Google Drive more secure

For each of these Google file sharing options, you will want to make sure to:

• have all contributors use strong, unique passwords,
• have all contributors use two factor authentication, and
• create some policies around permissions and access levels to certain kinds of information, and policies around how to add and remove people from access.

Proton (alternative to Google)

Proton was born in Switzerland in 2014 when a team of scientists who met at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) decided to build a better internet where privacy is the default.

Proton Drive

Proton Drive is an end-to-end encrypted Swiss vault for your files that protects your data. Proton Drive's strong encryption goes beyond other secure cloud solutions. End-to-end encryption ensures that no one, not even us, can access your files. Files, file names, folder names, and more, are all fully encrypted at rest and in transit to the secure cloud. Proton Drive's end-to-end encryption also works when sharing files and folders. Optional features like password protected files and expiring file sharing links enhance security even further. Best of all, there are no file size limits.

Proton Drive guide

Proton for Business

Secure business email, calendar, VPN, and much more, built on the principle of your data, your rules. Pricing: about 11 USD per month per person.

Cryptpad Drive (alternative to Google)

Flagship instance of CryptPad, the end-to-end encrypted and open-source collaboration suite. Administered by the CryptPad development team. Encrypted data hosted in France.

Stackspin (alternative to Google)

Stackspin, built and managed by Greenhost, is an online office suite in which you control your data. It includes everything a small organisation needs to get themselves organised. The Stackspin dashboard is a single place for installing and managing apps, adding and managing users, and customizing your Stackspin instance. The project is aimed at CSOs and individual activists that require online solutions and are weary of the corporate offering (or are keen to move away from them). They want these services hosted on a system that they can rely on, but do not need to maintain. As of May 2023, the suite includes:

• NextCloud for file sharing
• Only Office for document collaboration
• Zulip for team chat
• Wordpress for website creation
• NextCloud for password management
• Wekan for task management

Secure hosting companies for human rights defenders

See Trusted hosting companies in the human rights community >>