CipherDrive™ is designed to make encrypted storage usable without requiring you to manage cryptographic protocols manually. You still need a few things in place before you can use the service safely.
An Ackaia ID is required to authenticate to CipherDrive. CipherDrive receives the account and entitlement information it needs to connect your encrypted vault to your account, manage your plan, and apply security controls.
Your Ackaia ID and your CipherDrive encryption keys serve different purposes. Signing in proves your account identity; it does not by itself provide the cryptographic material needed to decrypt your files.
CipherDrive is available from free to paid subscription plans. Your plan can determine storage capacity, transfer allowances, feature access, and other limits.
Current prices, limits, billing periods, regional terms, and promotional conditions should be checked in CipherDrive or the relevant Ackaia plan page because they can change over time.
CipherDrive's web storage architecture uses client-side cryptography. Supported browser workflows rely on modern browser cryptographic capabilities, including the Web Crypto API where supported.
Because feature compatibility can vary by browser, device, file type, plan, or client version, keep your browser and operating system current and use a client that CipherDrive currently supports.
Ackaia does not guarantee compatibility with every browser, device, operating system, network, or file type.
In a zero-knowledge system, endpoint security matters. CipherDrive may keep wrapped key material or vault unlock state in local browser or device storage to make repeat access more convenient.
You should therefore use a device that:
you control or trust;
has a secure screen lock;
receives current operating-system and browser security updates;
does not contain untrusted extensions or known malware;
is not a shared public workstation when you are handling sensitive files.
Depending on the current CipherDrive feature and client, access to encrypted content may rely on a vault passphrase, PIN, device key, recovery phrase, local unlock secret, or similar mechanism.
Keep any recovery material in a secure place. Because Ackaia does not normally possess the keys required to decrypt your stored files, losing the required cryptographic secret can result in permanent loss of access to encrypted content.
Do not send private vault secrets, recovery phrases, encryption keys, or similar secret material to ordinary support channels. Treat them as credentials that can unlock private data.
CipherDrive is a cloud-storage service, so uploading, downloading, previewing, sharing, and saving copies requires network transfers. Storage, transfer, bandwidth, rate, file-size, or fair-use limits may apply depending on your plan and the operation being performed.
Large encrypted transfers can also use local CPU, memory, and bandwidth because encryption and decryption occur in the client environment.
Under Ackaia's General Terms, users must generally be at least 13 years old, unless the law where they live requires a higher minimum age for the service to be provided without parental consent. Users who are below the age of legal majority may also need a parent or legal guardian to review and accept the applicable terms where required by law.
Product-specific terms, regional restrictions, legal requirements, or account conditions can impose additional requirements.
CipherDrive is designed as private cloud storage, but no cloud service should automatically become the only copy of irreplaceable data. Ackaia recommends that users maintain independent backups where appropriate.
This is particularly important because loss of encryption secrets, local access, or recovery information can prevent Ackaia from recovering encrypted files on your behalf.
Encryption is only one part of compliance and risk management. Before using CipherDrive for regulated, classified, legally privileged, medical, financial, archival, or mission-critical workflows, evaluate the requirements that apply to you or your organization.
Ackaia ID
An active CipherDrive entitlement or plan
A current supported browser or client
A trusted and updated device
Safe storage for any vault or recovery secret
A network connection suitable for your transfers
An independent backup strategy for important data