Is TeraBox Safe to Use? – The Truth Behind 1TB Free Cloud Storage

The cloud storage market is expanding rapidly, with users increasingly preferring to store their data in the cloud. This is mainly because of the convenience of accessing files across multiple devices as well as the fear of accidental data loss on personal devices.

As file sizes continue to grow, particularly with 4K videos and high-resolution photos, cloud services offering larger amounts of free storage are becoming more attractive. However, cloud storage solutions have inherent maintenance costs. So, when an online storage provider like TeraBox offers a terabyte of free cloud storage, it’s natural to wonder how they cover their expenses.

This raises some important questions.

How does TeraBox offer so much storage space than its competitors for free?

Are they secretly selling user data to make money?

Is TeraBox legit or safe to use?

These are valid concerns as no one wants to compromise their privacy or risk losing valuable data. So, let’s find out whether TeraBox is a legitimate and safe option or not.

What is Meant by ‘Safety’ in Cloud Storage?

Cloud storage safety refers to a combination of two attributes:

• Data security: This means your data is protected from deletion, loss, or corruption.
• Privacy protection: This ensures your data remains confidential and inaccessible to unauthorized parties.

Good cloud storage providers implement various software and hardware measures to uphold data security and privacy protection. These measures often align with industry-recognized security standards. Thus, the safety level of a cloud storage service can be evaluated by considering the following:

• Compliance with standards: Which security standards does the provider adhere to?
• Specific security features: What specific hardware and software protections are employed?

Now that you understand the concept of cloud storage safety and how to evaluate providers, let’s examine these attributes for TeraBox.

TeraBox Certifications and Compliance

ISO Certifications

TeraBox claims to hold ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and ISO 27701 certifications. 

What these certifications mean:

• ISO 27001: It is a respected international standard for Information Security Management System (ISMS). It defines the requirements an ISMS must meet in terms of Information security, cybersecurity, and privacy protection.
• ISO 27018: It is a code of practice that specifically focuses on the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in cloud environments.
• ISO 27701: It specifies security techniques and requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS)

Upon verifying the TeraBox certifications on the official British Standards Institution website, we confirmed their validity and that they were awarded to Flextech Inc., the parent company of TeraBox. To earn these certifications, a company must meet stringent requirements and undergo rigorous audits by third-party assessors. Achieving these certifications highlights TeraBox’s commitment to security.

GDPR Compliance

Terabox is compliant with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), as confirmed in their blog post.

The GDPR is the EU’s framework for data privacy and security, dictating how stored data must be protected. Under the GDPR, cloud storage service providers are responsible for data security and must implement appropriate measures, including encryption and access control.

TeraBox Security Features

Encryption in Transit: (SSL/TLS)

TeraBox claims to safeguards data during transfer between user devices and its servers using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)/TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption protocols. Simply put, this protects user data from interception while in transit. If that’s true, no one else, including TeraBox itself, communication providers, or attackers can access the data in its encrypted form.

We verified it by checking the security information of terabox.com in the browser and their connection was secure with a valid certificate.

Server-Side Encryption with Personal Vault

TeraBox offers a unique feature called ‘Safe,’ a dedicated personal vault for storing your most sensitive files. Data within ‘Safe’ is encrypted on TeraBox servers, accessible only with your personal vault password. This ensures your data remains secure, preventing unauthorized access even in the unlikely event of a TeraBox server breach. 

It’s important to note that TeraBox free users have a personal vault storage limit of 200 MB. Subscribing to their premium plan significantly increases this storage to 2 terabytes.

Private File Sharing and Link Expiration

Terabox provides a security feature called “Private Link” for encrypted file-sharing. When you enable this feature, a random password is generated alongside the sharing link for your file or folder uploaded to the cloud. This ensures that only those who have this password can access the shared content. Additionally, you can control the link’s validity by choosing whether it remains active indefinitely or expires after a specified period.

Automatic App Lock

While not directly related to cloud-side security, Terabox includes a feature called ‘Screen Lock’. This feature restricts access to your data if someone gains physical access to your mobile device with a logged-in TeraBox account. It adds a 4-digit PIN that must be entered after one minute of inactivity within the TeraBox app. The setting is not enabled by default and you’ll need to enable it manually within the security settings of the app.

It’s important to note that TeraBox refers to this as two-factor authentication (2FA) in their official blog. However, this differs from true multi-factor authentication, which typically involves a code sent to your phone or email each time you log in.

Other Important Factors

TeraBox Reputation

While not a direct indicator of cloud safety, it’s important to consider Terabox’s reputation. At the time of writing, the Terabox cloud storage app has over 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone, with additional users on iOS and other platforms. Moreover, 2.58 million users have reviewed Terabox, resulting in an average rating of 4.5 stars.

This demonstrates a widespread level of trust and satisfaction among Terabox users. However, it is not a direct measure of TeraBox safety level as user satisfaction does not guarantee absolute security.

Geographic Location of TeraBox and Applicable Laws

TeraBox is managed by FlexTech, a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan has strict laws governing the handling of personally identifiable information (PII). The most notable is the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), enforced by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC). The APPI outlines guidelines for organizational, personnel, physical, and technical security controls. Failure to comply with APPI can lead to legal action against a company operating in Japan. 

The Grey Areas

Aggressive Advertisements

The number of advertisements shown to free Terabox users is excessive. These ads can be irrelevant and sometimes even promote unsafe mobile app downloads. Users can remove advertisements by subscribing to the premium plan. Alternatively, users can install a Terabox mod apk to get rid of ads. However, it’s important to note that using modified versions of apps carries risks, potentially compromising the security of your data and harming your device.

Privacy Policy Concerns

TeraBox privacy policy lacks specifics on some important security aspects. For example;

• Data Accessibility to Governments: Terabox may share your information with government or law enforcement agencies in special circumstances, even without your consent.
• Third-Party Access: Some of your personal information may still be shared with third-party vendors that are necessary to provide the service.

No Live Customer Support

TeraBox lacks direct customer support channels. While there’s a feedback section in their mobile app, it functions more as one-way communication where users can send suggestions to them. They do have a dedicated TeraBox blog and a FAQ section addressing common issues, but overall customer support features are limited.

Is TeraBox Free Plan Less Secure Than the Premium Version?

In terms of core security features, TeraBox Premium does not offer any enhancements over the free version. However, there are some major differences in terms of app useability:

• Advertisements: The free plan includes frequent advertisements, while the premium plan is ad-free.
• Personal Vault Size: The free version limits your personal vault to 200MB, whereas the paid plan offers a 2TB vault.
• Upload/Download Speeds: Upload and download speeds are slower in the free plan.
• File Size Limits: The free plan has a 4GB individual file size limit, compared to 20GB in the premium plan.
• Video Backup: The video backup option is not available in the free plan.

Check out this page for a complete comparison of TeraBox free vs premium.

Safety Precautions for TeraBox Users

When it comes to cloud storage, there are always inherent security risks, regardless of the cloud service provider you use. The cloud space is vulnerable to both internal and external threats targeting your stored data. Since data security is crucial, you should take proactive measures to avoid data breaches and ensure the safety of your information. As a TeraBox user, consider implementing these safeguards on your end:

• Use strong, unique passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Don’t share your login credentials with anyone.
• Give the TeraBox app only the minimum permissions it needs to function.
• Periodically review the access permissions you’ve granted to the TeraBox app.
• Use TeraBox’s personal vault for storing any personal files, videos, and photos. Publicly shared files like movies, songs, or books can be stored in the regular TeraBox storage outside the vault.
• Avoid storing any sensitive data, like financial information, critical business data, or personally identifiable information on TeraBox.
• Whenever someone shares a TeraBox link, always scan it with antivirus software before downloading.
• Set up automatic screen lock in the TeraBox app.
• Create regular backups of your data and try to maintain your own backups outside of the cloud service.
• Keep your device’s software up-to-date with the latest security patches.

Frequently Asked Questions