Is Cloud Storage Safe?
"I'm using cloud-based services like online backup, web-based email and document sharing. But I really don't know much about the safety and security of cloud computing. How vulnerable am I?"
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Is Your Head in The Clouds?
Cloud computing – storing data and using application software "out there" in the cloud of Internet nodes – is becoming more and more common. (See my related article Cloud Computing for more background.) But is it safe? Can you trust some company on the other side of the globe with your business and personal data? Can you depend on software that isn't on your computer to be available when you need it? What are the risks of cloud computing, and how can you mitigate them?
The first risk you run is being cut off from your computing resources by some breakdown in communication between you and them. But that's rather unlikely, really. The Internet was designed to route data around broken communication lines, crashed routers, and other obstacles. The Internet is self-healing, unlike your desktop computer.
If your hard drive controller suddenly gives up the ghost, do you have a spare one in the closet that you can pop in quickly? Before fuming at your cloud-computing provider for going down a whole five minutes, estimate how long it would take you to obtain and install a new drive controller. Half a day, at least? See my related articles Free Online Storage and Which Online Backup Service Is Best? to explore your options for storing data in the cloud.
Risks of Cloud Storage
Data theft is a second and more serious risk of cloud computing. It's not that cloud-computing providers are sloppy about security. They're more conscientious about it than many large enterprises and most small users. But the bigger the castle, the more barbarians there are at the gates. As more companies deposit their top-secret data in cloud-computing providers' castles, more hackers turn their efforts to breaching those high walls. It's a never-ending battle, but fundamentally no different from you versus a lone hacker -- and most home users are no match for a skilled hacker.
Government monitoring and seizure of data is a third issue with cloud computing. The European Union has strict, high standards of privacy protecting citizens against government intrusion into their personal business. Not so in the United States, where the PATRIOT Act and other laws give government agents enormous latitude to spy upon and seize personal data, if they can get their hands on it. It's easier to serve a subpoena on a cloud-computing provider than to serve hundreds or thousands upon individuals.
And it's always possible that your cloud-computing provider will go out of business. What happens to your data in that case? Well, you should be keeping local backups, or engaging a second cloud-computing provider to back up your data for you. That can be done automatically between the two providers, leaving you nothing to do but pay for the peace of mind. On the other hand, if the applications that you use are provided through the cloud, it can be a serious blow if your provider suddenly goes dark. That's what a business continuity plan is for. You should make plans to recover your data and keep using it in the event that a cloud-computing provider goes out of buinsess.
Cloud computing is definitely here to stay, and its benefits are compelling. You shouldn't avoid cloud computing because of imagined or falsely inflated fears, but you should be ready to deal with the real risks.
Are you in the cloud? Got comments or questions about cloud storage? Post your thoughts below...
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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 9, 2009 09:28 PM
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Is Cloud Storage Safe? (Posted: September 9, 2009 09:28 PM)
Printed from: http://askbobrankin.com/is_cloud_storage_safe.html
Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved
Most recent comments on "Is Cloud Storage Safe?"
Posted by:
Herb Smith
10 Sep 2009
Just like with Windows 7, we will see if it's worth investing in as time goes by.
Posted by:
Rohan H. Wickramasinghe
10 Sep 2009
Thank you very much for this article which was truly helpful. Rohan Wickramasinghe (Sri Lanka)
Posted by:
Andy Barber
10 Sep 2009
I use Humyo.com On-line Storage as my X:\ drive. It gives 100Gb of storage & looked great. Then the other day when I looked many Gb's of files had vanished & lots of my folders were empty, what's going on?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, this is a case in point. Cloud storage leaves you at the mercy of the storage provider. They screwed up...
Posted by:
Lissa
11 Sep 2009
I would love to trust in cloud computing - but why back-up locally (which I do) AND in the cloud? What is the advantage of doing both?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Because you need a backup of your backup? As mentioned in the article, what happens if the cloud backup service goes poof?
Posted by:
Newzjunque
12 Sep 2009
Another balanced and well thought out analysis Mr. Bob. Many thanks.
I do not trust these entities - I have no way of knowing how secure they are. Facebook started out as a service which gained popularity and then allowed 3rd parties to peruse their customers accounts no doubt for the revenue.
I have found social networking and many of these upstart services have become flypaper for fools.
In a day when enemies to our privacy such as Google and their dubious privacy claims as well as their deplorable track record re these issues -and now a browser (hmm...) we need to keep both eyes open - wide open.
Through rfids we are being tagged like cattle and need more ammo in our privacy artillary.
Every thing one has said online can be 'googled' via screenname and linked to their true name and even address if one was foolish enough to provide this info - complete w/a map to their door.
What do I have to hide? Nothing, however that is the wrong question - why do you need to know and why is the real issue.
For these reasons I do not involve myself w/these 'services'. Security and privacy are my primary concerns.
Posted by:
Rahul
13 Sep 2009
why do we need fancy names like "cloud" to make a service popular? Long ago, Xdrive had remote storage service and so had Yahoo (briefcase).
with local storage getting larger in capacity, smaller in size, reliable in quality and cheaper in price, the value of "cloud" is limited for the individual user. If your work is so important and urgent that you need to access the files from anywhere, carry them in a usb drive. With portable applications also on the ame drive, you are good to go on any computer.
As for the document sharing that the cloud offers, use email. At least you know who has the document and when they got it.
Posted by:
Al Cosh
18 Sep 2009
One thing not mentioned under Gov't monitoring when you signup for cloud storage you have no idea where the servers are located. They could even be in China!
Posted by:
Harry
18 Sep 2009
The virtual world carries the same risks and rewards as the real world. We drive cars, motorcycles, walk across streets and put doors and windows into our homes. Sometimes we are hurt or robbed, but the alternative is to hide in a cave.
If your hard drive fails, if you don't have backup data you have probably lost it (or pay a lot of money to a rescue service). The same applies to online storage. But, the advantage in online storage is the availability anywhere. If your database lives on your desktop computer, no one else can work with it. Put it online and your life gets easier, because your co-workers, clients etc lives become easier.
Posted by:
mark
19 Sep 2009
To answer Lissa the advantage of using both is in case there's a fire at home or theft of your computer.
As for security: I use truecrypt and upload truecrypt volumes to the internet.
I use getdropox.com (it comes with 2 gb for free expandable to 5 gb by getting your friends to sign up) If you need more you'll have to pay or you can use more than one free service. GMail can also be used as it has over 7 gb.