Security

How to Safely Store Your Data in the Cloud

Cloud Storage

Using the Internet for business purposes is becoming one of the main reasons in general for using the global network. Of course, this statement is negotiable if we know how many kids are on social networks 24/7, but a certain hedge can be comprised in the claim that most employed adults today come to the Internet in order to improve their business results. To go further, it is not too bold to say that even those workers who don’t use the Internet as a business mediator or the means of handling their business(es), but just for fun, have their business results also dependent on the time they spend on the net. For example, if they spend nights and nights playing Counter-Strike and come to work exhausted and worn out, their work quality will definitely suffer. On the other side, spending time online for relaxation and rejuvenation of your mind will lead to better results at work. So, although the time people spend on the Internet doesn’t necessarily look directly business-related, if we scratch a bit under the surface, we can see that many things that we do online do belong to the business field, though they might not seem that obvious, but as if they are in a cloud.

Onlinization and risks

Since the term cloud has been mentioned, it is important to state that the information technology industry has been making some huge steps towards complete onlinization of the brave IT world. The term onlinization can refer to the process of moving all the data from hard disks and portable memory storage devices online. The virtual space where all this data is meant to be kept is called the cloud. While many IT companies and service providers have been using the cloud for a while, business users are in the middle of a huge expansion in their use of the cloud. As it usually is in case of technology, every potentially useful and practical idea must be faced with its newly-bred nemesis. In case of the cloud and data people store and save in it, the archenemies are hackers and data thieves. It would be too simple if we could just upload our confidential (and non-confidential) data onto the cloud and enjoy the fact that we can access them from any Internet-connected part of the world. Since the Internet world is also no fairy tale, the “other side”, i.e. data thieves, have been developing their methods simultaneously with the cloud service providers. Due to that, it is essential and crucial to think carefully before choosing a cloud service provider and to do that, you need to pay attention to some common problems and features.

Holistic protection approach

Imagine that you have a small business or even a company and you have calculated that your annual expenses could be significantly cut down if you decrease the number of data storage devices by turning to the cloud. Once you have opted for the cloud, you need to be aware that many providers offer numerous options and that you don’t need all of them, but you have to find the most appropriate choice for your business. If you have a lot of financial files and data about your (or other) companies, you won’t be needing options for entertainment, such as media players on your cloud account. On the contrary, you are going to need high quality protection features and protective encryption, the way it is explained here. Apart from protection via encryption, you also need to be careful when it comes to back-up options. A high class provider will offer you an original plan for saving your data if an attack still happens. Also, you should also have a plan B of your own for the data on the cloud, such as an external disk or two, in case of an online catastrophe.

Tips for security

When talking about provider-offered original plans, you should also be careful of your behavior on the net. Just like keeping healthy and fit in real life, you should also follow in the same footsteps when you are online, especially on the cloud. By mentioning this, we mainly refer to the websites you regularly visit and personal data that you leave online. Hackers can do unimaginable things today and because of that, you shouldn’t reveal any confidential or secret information about yourself or your company. For example, you should definitely avoid using the same password on different sites. The same password should never be used more than once, especially in business terms on the cloud, as it is explained in this article, because only one password theft could lead to a business-harmful butterfly effect. In addition to that, personal information need to be kept secret and never shown to anybody, especially if you are in the middle of potentially hostile online environment. It is not only the case with passwords, but also with people’s general carelessness, as well. You need to be aware of all the possible threats online and behave accordingly.

Uploading your business on the cloud a good solution, since it will definitely speed up your business actions and save a lot of time and money, but this also might face you with some risks you haven’t come across before. The worst option is staying still because of your fears. So, don’t be afraid of business onlinization, but be careful and always have pre-planned alternatives at your disposal.

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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