Online Backup Solution Reviews

Data is secured using 128-bit SSL encryption during transmission and 256-bit AES encryption on storage. There are two options: a ‘user-defined encryption key’ that is known only to you; (not even IDrive personnel have access to it) or the application provides the key, without the need for you to remember the same. The second is more convenient but not as secure.

IDrive has the right technologies in place, but based on an article about security audits, I have some reservations about how IDrive is implementing their security. Therefore, I am giving IDrive a B+ until I find something that would assure me that they fixed the problem.

The install and initial setup of IDrive was fairly smooth. I’m still wondering why I couldn’t install to “Program Files”. My next concern occurred when I finished and found myself looking at their client application and not knowing exactly what I needed to do next. It turns out that they had already created a scheduled backup and it even showed it in the client, but then there was a choice for a continuous backup and I wasn’t sure what the difference was. I later learned that the continuous backup is a feature that tries to backup files on an almost “real-time” basis. This could be useful for some users, but I think that it should be in an advanced options menu or something like that. One other issue that I ran into was that somehow my backup-set got cleared. It was probably something that I did when I was fiddling with the client, but I’m not exactly sure. There was some indication that there was a problem (task bar icon showed some red), but when I looked at the client it wasn’t as apparent as it should have been. I would expect some bold red telling me that nothing is getting backed-up.

Overall, I like IDrive and quite like their client. I would recommend it to more advanced users; however, I would recommend a different service to a typical user. One with less options that made smart decisions upfront with the ability to override if needed.

The IDrive Pro plan is priced similarly to other offerings that claim that their capacity is unlimited. I think that IDrive is taking a more honest approach by giving the user the real target upfront. These other “unlimited” plans do have limits and might even kick you off of their service before you ever get to 150GBs. Suffice it to say that using more than 150GBs would be very difficult for a typical home user. The real value of IDrive is the 2 free gigs of storage that they offer. I think that it is a great way for you to try out the service before spending any money.

The BBB gives Pro Softnet Corp (IDrive) a C-. It appears that this was only because “…the company failed to respond to the one complaint the Bureau brought to its attention.” I was surprised that the grade was so low and found it to be a bit harsh since there weren’t any other complaints listed. The company has been in business since 1995 and have a lot of different services. Click here for some information on their various offerings. I think that a C- is a bit harsh based on the longevity of this company and only one unanswered complaint. For now, we will rate it at a B until we find out more information on Pro Softnet Corp.