A tiny black cube is aiming to make cloud storage more secure

A US-based startup has built a hybrid storage device which is being touted as a more secure alternative to traditional cloud-based offerings.

Amber, developed by Latticework, is a small cube that on first impressions looks like a stereo speaker. It serves as a physical cloud of sorts for storing files, videos and photos that can be viewed online at anytime, according to a report in CNBC.

Usually, when data is stored on a cloud, its distribution is more widespread, therefore limiting privacy. 

With Amber, the data remains stored inside the device.

The concept was developed by Latticework’s chief executive Pantas Sutardja, who is the former chief technology officer and co-founder of Marvell Technology, a storage and communications company.

“If you put data on the cloud, it’s hard to protect,” Sutardja was quoted as saying. “Google Drive’s business model is to learn as much about you, and sell all your data.”

Amber allows users access to files through the internet through what it calls the “hybrid cloud,” a way of accessing these local files online.

The device creates a ‘hybrid’ between cloud and physical storage. To make it work, one needs to install the corresponding software on the machines that need to be backed up.

According the report, Network Attached Storage device (NAS) can also perform similar functions but its software is less evolved.

Amber, which was featured at a tech event in New York recently, currently costs around Rs 28,000.