This guide walks you through the main things to know when using CipherDrive™ for the first time.
CipherDrive uses Ackaia ID as its account and authentication layer. Your Ackaia ID connects your identity, account status, security settings, and product entitlement to CipherDrive without turning the identity service into the storage product itself.
If you do not already have an Ackaia ID, create one when prompted. A free CipherDrive plan is available, and optional paid subscriptions may provide different storage, transfer, or feature allowances. Current plan details are shown by Ackaia before you subscribe or purchase.
CipherDrive separates account authentication from file encryption. Depending on the current client and feature configuration, you may be asked to create or use a vault passphrase, PIN, recovery credential, device key, or another local unlock mechanism.
Follow the prompts shown by CipherDrive and store any recovery information in a safe place that you control.
Important: Recovering your Ackaia ID does not necessarily recover your encrypted files. If the cryptographic secret required to unlock your vault is lost, Ackaia may be technically unable to decrypt or restore the files for you.
Select a file from CipherDrive's upload interface. A typical supported upload works like this:
the file is selected on your device;
applicable pre-encryption safety checks may run;
the client generates a file-specific encryption key;
the file is encrypted locally, usually in chunks for larger files;
the encrypted data and encrypted key material are uploaded;
Ackaia stores the encrypted object and the operational metadata needed to manage it.
The exact interface and available upload options can change over time, but the important security boundary is that supported file content is encrypted before ordinary encrypted storage.
You can use files and folders to organize encrypted content. CipherDrive needs some operational metadata to maintain object relationships, storage usage, timestamps, sharing state, and other service functions.
Where supported metadata such as filenames is encrypted by the client, Ackaia stores the encrypted value rather than a readable plaintext name.
When you access an encrypted file, CipherDrive provides the encrypted data and encrypted key material to an authorized client. Decryption then happens locally using the key material available to your device.
For supported file types, CipherDrive may offer browser-based previews. A preview can require encrypted bytes to be transferred and may count toward the same transfer allowance used for downloads.
CipherDrive may let you create public or controlled sharing links. Encrypted sharing can use a combination of object identifiers, access permissions, and decryption material carried by the recipient's link or client.
Anyone who obtains the complete link and any required key material may be able to access the shared content. Revoking a share can stop future access through CipherDrive, but it cannot erase a copy that a recipient already downloaded, saved, copied, cached, screenshotted, or redistributed.
Client-side encryption makes your device part of the security boundary. For safer everyday use:
keep your browser, operating system, and device up to date;
use a strong device lock and protect your Ackaia ID credentials;
avoid untrusted browser extensions;
avoid unlocking sensitive vaults on shared or public computers;
sign out or clear local access when a device is lost, shared, or no longer trusted;
protect any recovery information or vault secrets separately;
maintain an independent backup of files you cannot afford to lose.
It helps to remember that CipherDrive has two separate access layers:
Account access: Ackaia ID proves who you are and whether your account can use CipherDrive.
Encrypted-content access: your client must also have the cryptographic material required to unlock the vault and decrypt files.
You can therefore be successfully signed in to Ackaia ID and still be unable to decrypt a vault if the required encryption secret is missing.
Once your vault is working, the most useful topics to learn next are how CipherDrive encryption works, how public sharing works, how to protect local keys, and what to do before changing or losing a device.