Cloud Storage: Secure and Private? - Comments Page 1

No cloud for me at all why store it some where else as cheap as drives to hookup USB

EDITOR'S NOTE: Theft? Fire? Flood? Tornado? Hurricane?

they whould provide ample notice ???????

I just wish I could get rid of the cloud stuff that comes with windows 10.

USB drives are cheap and don't rely on an internet connection or download speed.

Yes, I do use one Cloud, it came with my iDrive. I don't have any real issues with Cloud Storage, as long as you use a reputable company. iDrive's Cloud is very safe and has been around since 1995. I also, love my small iDrive external drive. I use it as a back-up to my other external hard drive. Both of them are 1TB. Nice size for my purposes. I am a home user, though I do have Win 7 Pro 64Bit and have used a Pro version of Windows, since, Win XP Pro.

I like the Pro versions because they work much better with MS Office. Do I use Office every day? No. I use it when I need it and always have. :)

As far as using USB Drive have you read Bob's article on those?

ALERT: Serious Security Flaw in USB Drives

http://askbobrankin.com/alert_serious_security_flaw_in_usb_drives.html

After reading that article, I was more comfortable with using a Cloud Storage. I haven't used a USB Drive to date and I doubt that I will. :)

Hi. Of course use cloud storage. I use Windows OneDrive for all kind of files I find it practical to access from elsewhere. I just dont share secrets that way. If i want to upload a file with secret info then i encrypt it myself before uploading it. That's not hard to do.
Another cloud storage I use is Mozy Sunc. They have a copy of the last week of recordings from our surveilens cameras. It works like a dream:)

What about EMP attacks? Are these huge cloud based farms protected?

Bought an iDrive hard drive last March 2015 but never hooked it up because I thought it would slow down my computer. Did not realize I had to have a subscription service to iDrive Cloud to use it. I have Carbonite cloud service which does not expire now until April 2017. Should I wait it out and then connect to iDrive service in 2017? Do I still need a physical hard drive for this year?

I use a cloud service only for collaboration. I do not store any sensitive data including contact info on the cloud service. I keep multiple copies of contact info on hard drives and USB drives, and a battery less medium called paper!

I just don't trust any company to not mine my data or share it knowingly or unknowingly.

My situation is a little different. I only use my desktop computer--my phone is only used for calls (not even text) so the issue of sharing data from one electronic device to other is not mine. I think the more you share with other devices, the more vulnerable you are to the happy hackers (sound of someone who doesn't believe WiFi or the cloud is secure but nothing is these days), but that's just me. I do use a backup service because my hard drive is getting older and I am sure it is going to crash at some point. I don't use the back up for sharing purposes but just to have a copy "in case." I would never put anything sensitive in the cloud, and I certainly would not put my one and only copy out there. Paranoia? Oh, yes.

You mentioned to make provisions to pass-on the various logins. However, what good would they be if the cloud storage companies read the obituaries and turn of access to the account, much something like the Social Security would stop once a person dies. Furthermore, the storage companies could ask for humongous fees to allow somebody else, descendants, presumably, to access the account?

A few months before you offered the deal with iDrive, I took advantage of a super cheap, lifetime price via Stack Social for unlimited LiveDrive Backup. I thought it also included their Briefcase multi-device synching service, but it didn't, so I was irritated when I found out that would be an extra cost.

Anyway, it allowed me to select what I wanted to backup, it works automagically in the background, and it's encrypted with "military-grade encryption." Once you've backed up your files with Backup you can view them from anywhere - from any web browser, or from your mobile and tablet. You can view your photos and documents, and even listen to your music and watch your movies, wherever you are.

If I hadn't gotten the cheap lifetime deal, I wouldn't have it as it's normally $7 per month. For someone with terabytes of files, that's probably not too bad.

I also use an external drive to automatically create disk images and backup specific folders, and have my photos manually backed up to several places.

Thanks for the great article, I have been using dropbox for years with no issues. The only thing I don't like about dropbox is when I access my files on an Ipad, they are not organized the way I have them on my desktop. I would love to know all the different types of online drives are and what they offer and how safe they are

There is "NO WAY" that I would store stuff on a Cloud of any sensitive matter. If people can hack into our government, businesses, it would be a snap to hack into our cloud accounts. I have discussed this concept with other people and I dead set against the Cloud for that reason. I won't even leave certain things on my computer. I could write a book on fraud and what I've seen happen to people.

Just because I am paranoid about the Cloud, doesn’t mean that I am wrong. We are headed down a path that will cost us our freedom as individuals. First we get the “carrot”, all the goodies that come with cloud storage; medical data, financial data, driving data, family history, all at the touch of a button. We worry about hackers, who only want to steal your stuff, while ignoring the elephant in the room, Big Brother. At 73 I might not be around to see it, but we are monitored with cameras, smart cars, smart TV’s, smart thermostats, toll roads, GPS devices, and a moving toward a cashless society, and the Government is saving all of this data. Why? When we get the “stick”, one may ask how we could let our freedom disappear.

I for one, will only use cloud storage for pictures.

The odds are getting hit with ransome ware are very low, but it could happen. If ransome ware encrypts your hard drive and you have synced to the cloud storage, I assumed that is also held ransom. Or not?

I don't wish to call out any particular person in these comments, but it occurs to me every time I read them that there are some very paranoid people out there. The sort of paranoia that ignores the facts to support itself. I am only beginning to set up my iDrive, my first foray into cloud storage, but that is because I am a procrastinator and because I have a connection that is broadband in name only. That said, if the government wants your stuff, they will come and get it, but really how much stuff could they possibly make use of & what makes you think yours is so important that they would go out of their way to do so? I know, paranoia.

Of all the examples of paranoia shown here and on other sites nowhere is it more evident than in the mistrust Americans show towards their own government. Is the USA no longer a democracy? When did that happen? There's paranoia in abundance here in both camps. I even think Bob suffers from it to some extent - "Fire, theft, flood, hurricane, tornado" - do most Americans live in regions where these acts of nature are highly likely? The advantages of the cloud are being hyped up here. I rely on Reflect backups and it has never taken me half a day to restore everything - a couple of hours maybe.

Americans are understandably concerned about their supposedly oligarchic representational government when it uses a law from 1789 (All Writs Act) to gain access to information they desire, e.g., the FBI vs. Apple. Living in the DC area, you'd think I wouldn't be in an earthquake zone (nor am I in tornado alley), yet hurricanes occur (and there was a quake in 2011). It is axiomatic that even paranoids have *real* enemies, whether natural hazards, individuals or antagonistic organizations.... ;)

I use a fireproof/waterproof hard drives - yes, there are such things! - but back up to the cloud too. Why not have that additional layer of protection? Especially as it's cheap - if not completely free - and extremely easy. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

"Does your home have gated perimeter access, 24x7 on-site security guards, and security cameras? Do you have a fire detection and suppression system, backup power generators, and a disaster recovery plan in the event of hurricane, flood or earthquake? Do you have sophisticated network monitoring and intrusion detection software? "

With the exception of flood and earthquake protection (I live on high ground where there's zero seismic activity) the answer is a resounding YES!