One nice thing about using web-based services is that you rarely need to take charge. You just sign up for an account, and instantly access your data from anywhere on any device without having to know how the internet works, much less how to configure a server. But that lack of control over the process is also, increasingly, the problem. Companies hold your data on their servers, which means it could get used in ways you—and sometimes even they—don't realize. And if a company gets hacked, your data could be stolen regardless of what precautions you personally took.
A startup called Helm, coming out of stealth Tuesday, aims to make it easy for you instead to own your data, and manage it locally on a personal server at home.
Helm has begun accepting orders for simple devices that you can use to store things like photos and videos, and to host your own email, contacts list, and calendar. You set up a Helm server in your house, office, or wherever with a mobile app, and can then access your own personal email server and cloud from all your devices anywhere. And the data on the device can't be copied or accessed without a physical security token for multi-factor authentication.
The idea is to offer similar convenience to third-party web services without having to let your data live in someone else's server farm, thereby reducing your exposure to targeted advertising, government surveillance, and data breaches.
"This is a physical place in their homes that they control where they can store all their data. It's approachable."
Giri Sreenivas, Helm
"This is the first time that people will have an alternative to the existing way they live their lives online," says Giri Sreenivas, co-founder and CEO of Helm, who previously worked on