Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Let Proton Drive keep your important files and photos private

Discover how Proton Drive safeguards your personal files and documents

Thursday 25 September 2025 13:19 BST
(onephoto - stock.adobe.com - Proton)

We all have confidential files and documents that need to be kept private and Proton Drive is an effective way of giving you and your data peace of mind.

Proton Drive’s end-to-end encryption ensures that your files, their names, and contents are all fully encrypted when they are created. Users don’t need to have any additional IT knowledge or tech understanding as all files are automatically encrypted as soon as they are added to Proton Drive. The process is simple and user-friendly without the need for managing or distributing encryption keys to provide advanced security.

Why securing your files is important

(Proton)

Files containing sensitive or confidential information including passports, or bank statements should always be encrypted to safeguard your privacy and security. If these details get into the wrong hands, then this could lead to financial issues, data breaches or negatively impacted credit ratings. Proton Drive’s end-to-end encryption can help boost your defences against these issues as no one, not even Proton, can access these files and folders or see their names without your permission.

End-to-end encrypted file sharing is also supported by Proton Drive. This means only those contacts you share the link or password with can access your files. Ultimately, the application ensures your data remains fully owned, accessible, and controlled only by you.

Get 40% off Proton Drive

Security features

(FellowNeko - stock.adobe.com - Proton)

Proton Drive includes a number of features to help keep your files and confidential information to yourself. They include:

Digital signatures: an essential part of effectively maintaining your security is knowing when any data has been tampered with. Proton Drive uses cryptographic signatures to verify the authenticity of your files and folders, meaning that you’ll immediately detect any unauthorised attempts to access or change your files.

Regularly audited by independent experts: Proton Drive is regularly inspected and audited by independent IT and privacy experts. Securitum, a leading European security auditor, is behind this, reviewing code for any potential vulnerabilities. These reports are publicly available, allowing users to read these third-party app evaluations.

Aligned to Swiss privacy laws: Proton is based in Switzerland, which provides many legal privacy protections. End-to-end encryption is protected under Swiss law, and under Article 271 of the Swiss Criminal Code, data cannot be shared with foreign authorities.

What Proton Drive offers

(Farknot Architect - stock.adobe.com - Proton)

24/7 accessibility

With Proton Drive, your files are accessible 24/7 from any device and secured with automatic backups in multiple data centres. Your data remains safe even if you lose your physical phone or computer as it is stored securely in the cloud.

Proton logo

Get 64% off Proton VPN

Servers in over 120 countries
connect up to 10 devices
30-day money back guarantee

Get the Deal

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Proton logo

Get 64% off Proton VPN

Servers in over 120 countries
connect up to 10 devices
30-day money back guarantee

Get the Deal

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Proton’s security teams also operate round-the-clock, continuously monitoring IT infrastructure for security alerts and taking proactive action when attacks against specific user accounts are discovered.

Share large files securely

Anything you create using Docs in Proton Drive will be end-to-end encrypted, meaning work will not be exposed in data breaches, featured in online surveillance or used to train AI models.

Large files are split into separate 4 MB chunks with each signed with a hash to prevent removal or reordering. When you open or download a file, Proton Drive’s file transfer and decryption algorithms ensure your data is rebuilt quickly in the correct order.

Encrypted storage for organisations

As a business owner, Proton Drive lets you collaborate on documents, securely store and share files within your organisation while maintaining control over permissions and data access. Many Proton Drive clients include journalists and business ventures with high-security needs.

Get Proton Drive now

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in