How Lucidchart Respects Your Privacy

Nobody likes to be spied on. By now, you've surely heard of the NSA / Edward Snowden debacle. While the leaked details of government surveillance are disconcerting, many Americans feel like they have nothing to hide. That's a pretty normal response. Here's why it doesn't hold water (credit for this comparison goes to one of my Facebook friends):

Pretend we're dating, and I treat you really nice. You might think I'm a little too aggressive cause every time I think someone doesn't like you I try to beat them up (usually unsuccessfully), but we've been dating for so long you just kinda let it slide. Then all of a sudden, I never leave you alone. You're out with your friends and I'm constantly texting, asking for updates on your location. When you come home, I read your texts and ask you to describe all your phone calls. While you're out, I read your emails and log onto your Facebook (you really think Dave should date Brittany? Weird). You are 100% loyal to me, but still I keep on checking and asking, and eventually I stop telling you when I do it. If that were to happen between us, you would have every reason to break up with me. So why not with the government?

The reality is, you have the right to privacy, whether it concerns your bank statement or your browsing history. As this scathing blog post points out, some cloud-based companies make a habit of publishing your documents if you use a free account. The author writes,

Some quick Google searches revealed a number of entertaining diagrams. This data ranges from boring to concerning. I held back a few that I felt were not responsible to disclose. At any rate, this highlights the dangers of using “cloud services” and not educating employees about the inherent risks this involves. Also, some of this is just plain laziness from those who probably know better.

This policy isn't a coincidence or an oversight. By freely publishing your documents, websites look bigger than they really are. This leads to preferential treatment from search engines and SEO ranking services. At Lucidchart, we decided not to sacrifice your privacy for corporate gain. This decision has a consistently negative bearing on our SEO efforts, but we realized that short-term gains weren't worth losing users' trust. Sharing even seemingly innocuous details about your hobbies, coworkers, business, or family can give unsavory characters exactly what they need to exploit you. If you're not convinced, watch this striking Belgian ad about identity theft.

Sure, the PSA is highly dramatized, but the point -- don't carelessly store or share online information -- is more trenchant than ever. As a company that sells cloud-based software, we care deeply about our industry's reputation. The perception that SaaS services are inherently insecure is bad for business. For the record, Lucid Software uses AES-256 bit encryption, employs robust backups, and provides industry-leading storage and security. If you'd like to learn more, check out our privacy page and security page for all the juicy details. If you're wondering how Lucidchart stacks up to its competitors on security, please see our comparison pages for Visio, Gliffy, and Creately. The following screenshots are available on their websites:

From Gliffy:

 

From Creately:

We're proud of our security track record. If you're skeptical of our claims, we'd love a chance to prove ourselves. Sign up for a free 14-day Pro trial -- you'll see that all of your data, from passwords to finished documents, is safe with Lucidchart.