DropboxRecently, there has been change in the method of storage which has gained massive attraction due to its convenience and efficiency: users can access the data they stored in the cloud from anywhere and at any time with access to the internet. One prominent application used in this regard is
"Dropbox". For the purpose of this blog, to establish the necessity of Blockchain technology in the storage sector.
How it worksWhen users upload their data to the cloud, it will first arrive at the master control data server, which serves as the brain of the system. Data will then be transmitted to various data centers and multiple copies of data will be made in case one copy gets destroyed. Once the data is uploaded, the safety of them will be completely depended on the safety of the data centers. If data centers got damaged due to the natural disaster or human mistake, data may completely be erased. Google has once encountered this issue. In 2015, its data center located in Belgium was struck by lightning four times and caused permanent data loss.
Besides the concerns regarding data safety, centralization and lack of data encryption are other issues existed in modern cloud storage systems. Most cloud storage services only provide data encryption during transmission using SSL/TLS encryption mechanism, which is vulnerable to attack. In addition, due to centralization, the server administrators also have direct access to data stored on the server. Even though most companies have strict policies on protecting users’ privacy, as long as human beings are involved, there is a risk on the data breach.
This indicates there are
"privacy and
security issues associated with using centralized cloud storage.
If not checked, the essence of using cloud storage is jeopardized.
DxBox DxBox is a demo application builds on top of DxChain Testnet v0.3.6. It serves as an interface which simplifies the process for users on file uploading and downloading. The application uses the client-provider model for data transferring, where the client is a node that uses DX Token, the DxChain cryptocurrency, for file storage, file uploading, and file downloading. Provider, on the other hand, is a node that provides storage services with disk space to get profits rewarded by the client. To become a provider, the node must make an announcement, which will be added to the blockchain. This is further explained in the article found
Reading further from the above link, it explains plainly how Dxbox as a blockchain solution can be a complete solution to the inherent issues of Dropbox being a centralized form of storage service. Could cloud service be more better than this?