Microsoft OneDrive Personal Vault Brings Prophylactic Security, More Storage For Your Naughty Bits

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Microsoft has announced some updates for OneDrive Personal Vault that brings more security for important files and adds additional storage options. Personal Vault is a protected area within OneDrive that you can only access using a strong authentication method or a second step of identity verification such as a fingerprint, facial scan, PIN, or code sent via email or SMS. These locked files have an extra layer of security in case someone gains access to your device.

Personal Vault adds to the current privacy and security that OneDrive offers, including file encryption at rest and in transit. OneDrive started to offer tools to fight malicious attacks and ransomware back in April of 2018. To enable Personal Vault security, all a user needs to do is enter their PIN or use a face or other method mentioned before. Users can scan and shoot directly into the Personal Vault.

OneDrive Personal Vault

That means you can take whatever photos or video floats your boat and send them directly into the Personal Vault to keep them off less secure areas of your device, like the camera roll. Other important documents for travel, ID, vehicle, home, insurance, and more can be scanned directly into the Personal Vault. Personal Vault data on Windows 10 PCs is synced automatically to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your hard drive. Microsoft does recommend that users on iOS and Android enable encryption on their mobile devices.

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Personal Vault also automatically locks on PC and other devices after a short period of inactivity. Any files that were being used will be locked requiring reauthentication to access. Automatically locking prevents the risk of forgetting and leaving personal files open to access if you walk away from a PC or other device. Microsoft plans to roll the new features out to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada "soon" with everyone having access to the features by the end of the year.

Microsoft has also added more storage with the $1.99 monthly 50GB plan now getting 100GB of storage for the same price. Subscribers will be upgraded to the new plan automatically. 200GB of additional storage will add $1.99 monthly, 400GB $3.99 monthly, 600GB $5.99 monthly, 800GB for $7.99 monthly, and a 1TB plan at $9.99 per month.

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Shane McGlaun

Shane has been into tech since his dad brought home a Pong game when he was a toddler. A passion for gaming led to a passion for PC tech and hardware. That passion was eventually turned into a career writing about cool gadgets, computers, and automotive technology for some of the biggest publications online and in print. Shane also has a passion for the outdoors and when not writing about tech can be found hiking the trails of Colorado whilst keeping an eye open for nefarious rattlesnakes and bears.

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