Last 2011, an exploit of HTTP was discovered which allows an applet to decrypt SSL encrypted channels so that the cookies may be copied and used to login to a site without knowing the credentials. This is a great security risk because services like online storage that uses HTTPS are vulnerable to this attack. This allows hackers to gain access to storage accounts of other people and use the data for their own personal gain.
Cookies are used to maintain an ongoing session between a server and client so the user doesn’t need to input the login details every time the browser is refreshed. This system has a security hole that can be exploited using a technique called BEAST or Browser Exploit Against SSL/TLS. An applet is used to sniff the connections and decrypt the data. Once the cookie is acquired, the attacker then creates a cookie in the browser, gaining access to the target account.
Online media storage services that use FTP are not vulnerable to this attack since they do not use cookies. Consider getting a service that utilizes file transfer protocol instead of HTTP if you are worried about the security of your files.
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