Turnkey NAS manufacturer question

[Enquiries]

I've watched many of your videos, both new and old, for several months as I've been researching my first home NAS purchase. I've already narrowed down to the "big 4" turnkey manufacturers, but in reading about each company, I noticed that synology, qnap, and asus(tor) are Taiwanese companies while Terramaster (and most of the DIY NAS case&board makers) are Chinese companies.

I'd imagine the taiwanese companies probably make most of their products in China as well. I am concerned about data privacy/security, and very up to date and aware of China's extensive surveillance&hacking/ransomware activities, both in China and abroad. Hearing about Chinese mini-pc's with sketchy backdoors and the like was pretty concerning, and it's not much of a stretch to imagine similar happening on a Chinese-made NAS.

That's making me lean away from terramaster, but is that a reasonable concern, or would you consider the "big 4" comparably "secure", (meaning the company's OS/apps aren't spying on you)?

[ed]

eat that you've been doing thorough research before making your first NAS purchase! You raise a valid concern regarding data privacy and security, especially in light of recent global concerns about technology originating from certain countries.

Here's a quick breakdown of how I view the situation:

Taiwanese Companies (Synology, QNAP, Asustor):
While it's true that many products are manufactured in China, Taiwanese companies like Synology, QNAP, and Asustor have a strong emphasis on security and privacy, and their software is largely developed in Taiwan. These companies have earned their reputation by regularly providing security updates, implementing encryption, and working to meet data privacy standards like GDPR. There's no evidence or indication that these companies are involved in any backdoor activities or espionage.

Terramaster (China):
As you pointed out, Terramaster is a Chinese company, and naturally, this raises concerns for some users regarding potential backdoors, given China's governmental policies on surveillance and technology. While Terramaster hasn't been directly implicated in any such activity, they don't have the same track record of security updates and privacy guarantees that companies like Synology or QNAP provide. This may contribute to your unease, especially with the broader concerns about Chinese technology.

Security Practices of the "Big 4":
Generally speaking, Synology, QNAP, Asustor, and Terramaster provide similar functionality for home and SMB users. However, the first three have more robust ecosystems, established trust, and a long-standing commitment to regular firmware updates, security patches, and user privacy. Synology, for example, offers very strong security features like AES-NI encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular security audits.

Reasonable Concern?
I’d say it’s reasonable to prioritize security and privacy. For peace of mind, many users prefer Synology, QNAP, or Asustor over Terramaster, especially given the more rigorous and transparent security measures these companies provide. If you want to play it safe, sticking with the Taiwanese manufacturers will likely reduce any concerns regarding backdoor access or data privacy.

Recommendations:
Given your budget of £400-700 and need for 20TB+ storage with a 4-bay NAS, I'd recommend considering the Synology DS923+ or the QNAP TS-464. Both provide excellent performance, security, and upgradability, and they can easily handle your storage requirements with RAID configurations for redundancy. If you're looking to go a bit more budget-friendly but still want reliability, the Asustor Lockerstor 4 is also a solid option. All three offer good security and regular software updates.

[Westicia]

Synology and QNAP are generally seen as more secure.