Cloud-based file storage services can be incredibly handy. They let you access your files from a variety of devices from anywhere in the world. Keeping a copy of your selfies for posterity is one thing... storing highly sensitive personal data is another matter altogether.

Not everyone is comfortable with the thought of uploading that sort of thing to the cloud. Microsoft has come up with a way to put OneDrive users at ease: an ultra-secure file vault that's built right in to the OneDrive app. Ppt To Html Converter Online

While OneDrive Personal Vault will appear next to other folders like your Documents and Pictures it's an entirely different creature.

Your files remain encrypted until the moment you open them. They're protected by strong encryption while "at rest" in Microsoft's cloud, they're encrypted during transmission and they're encrypted on your device (using BitLocker on Windows computers).

Files stored in the Personal Vault can't be accessed without an extra bit of authentication. You can choose to set up one-time use codes via text message, a PIN, or fingerprint or face unlock. Even if someone was to sit down in front of your computer and open Explorer to snoop around, files in your Personal Vault would be off limits if he or she doesn't have your "key."

You don't have to remember to lock your Personal Vault when you're done using it either. OneDrive will automatically lock it up after a set period of time (you control how long that is).

Microsoft's announcement post pitches the Personal Vault as a great way to cart around digital copies of important documents like your driver's license, passport, or or tax returns. The OneDrive mobile app is getting an updated scanning feature that will securely snap pictures and send them directly to your Vault.

Cartoon Story Maker Online Personal Vault is about as simple as encrypted file storage gets, and you'll be able to try it for yourself very soon. OneDrive users in Canada, Australia and New Zealand will see the Vault appear in the very near future. The rest of the world will see it pop up before the end of this year.