What is Vternal Vault?
Vternal Vault is an end-user app and website providing access to the Vternal Network, a decentralized and distributed storage system. Data is stored on the devices of our users. We offer free applications on: iOS, Android and the Web. Vternal Vault allows you to save files and photos privately, permanently, and securely.
Everything you store has a permanent link which you can share or keep private.
What is The Vternal Network?
The Vternal Network is the backbone of Vternal. When you upload a photo or file using Vternal Vault, your items get split apart into many pieces, encrypted, and replicated. Each individual piece of your file is securely distributed (multiple times) across the smart storage infrastructure. The Vternal Network (VN) is a set of connected, anonymous, and secure storage devices. A single VN device (node) has no more than one small, encrypted fragment from each file and your files are never stored on your devices. The choice of devices is random, and no one has knowledge of where the pieces of a file may be located.
The Vternal Network constantly monitors the integrity of each file piece, making additional backups and moving pieces if devices go offline or connectivity goes down. It’s architected as a smart, decentralized platform for an imperfect network (the Internet) with imperfect nodes (edge devices that disappear or go offline intermittently, or permanently). The end result is that: the integrity of your files is preserved, available for reconstruction and decryption when the owner of the file requests it.
How much Energy does Vternal use?
The major cost of data centers is cooling and maintenance of the facility. Vternal stores data on the edge of the network, on users' devices. So, there is no extra energy cost.
We believe Vternal can have a major impact on reducing the carbon footprint associated with large data centers.
Does Vternal store files forever?
Yes. Here’s how: Photos and files uploaded using Vternal Vault are split into small pieces, duplicated, encrypted, and distributed securely across The Vternal Network. Vternal monitors the pieces and replicates them as necessary, including moving pieces around The Vternal Network as edge devices go offline, break, or are replaced. The Vternal algorithm ensures that no two pieces of any file are on the same device. As long as there are nodes on the Vternal Network, your files are stored for the long-term.
How does Vternal keep my files Secure and Private?
Your photos and files are placed in your personal Vault. So, by default, nobody else can find them, or access them. But if you share a Link to a friend or family member, they will have read access. It's up to you to decide if any one file is private or simply permanent. For example, you might store the PDF of your will privately, but make older photos taken by your grandfather available to view by your family.
How can Vternal be Free?
Vternal is free because data is stored, permanently, on the Internet as a whole. Therefore there are no data center maintenance fees to be paid. You need never worry about fees and we store your data permanently.
Vternal expects to offer premium services in the future, while basic file storage will always be free.
What file types are supported?
Any digital file can be uploaded via Vternal Vault into The Vternal Network. All common file types can be opened within the Vternal Vault app or website. Digital file types that are unable to be displayed within the Vternal Vault app or website, are displayed in the app or site as file names only. Nevertheless, you will always be able to download all your original files via the Vternal Vault app or website. We also continue to add new file types for viewing on the Vternal Vault app and the website, as demand dictates.
How does Vternal Vault maintain user’s privacy?
Vternal Vault doesn't track user habits, underlying user data, or user content. Vternal Vault employees don’t have access to your files or account. There are no backdoors, by design. Vternal Vault does not, nor will it, sell any information, data, or content about or owned by the users.
Vternal uses Firebase Analytics for monitoring crashes and managing workloads, but does not use it for any kind of tracking or selling advertising.
Can other companies use The Vternal Network?
Potentially yes, The Vternal Network has APIs which are available for 3rd parties to use. Please contact us at: info [at] vternal [dot] com. Any company using VN automatically complies with Vternal’s privacy and security requirements. In addition, the more that corporations use Vternal, the less they require carbon-emitting data centers.
What if an edge device goes offline?
When you upload a photo or file using Vternal Vault (via the app or the website), your items get split apart into many pieces, encrypted, each small piece securely replicated and distributed across the smart storage infrastructure called The Vternal Network.
The Vternal Network constantly monitors the integrity of each file piece, making additional backups and moving pieces if devices go offline or connectivity goes down. The end result, the integrity of your files is preserved, and is available for reconstruction and decryption when the owner of the file requests it.
How is Vternal different from local or cloud storage?
Vternal Vault and The Vternal Network are designed so files are not kept in one location. There’s not a single point of failure. Files are split into small pieces, encrypted, and distributed anonymously and securely to edge devices. As long as you keep your key (permanent link) secure, no Vternal employee, nor government agency can access your content on The Vternal Network.
Vternal’s aim is two-fold: create a private, secure digital storage platform, app, and website to keep your important files and photos forever, across generations; and, to do so efficiently, efficiently, inexpensively, and with a very low carbon footprint. All by re-using the spare digital storage across Internet-connected devices.
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