Cloud data storage is a great idea in many ways. It offers you large amounts of storage space for storing personal data and business data, and can save businesses a lot of money as it negates the need for offsite data centres. But, is cloud storage safe and secure?
How safely is your data stored?
All the major cloud storage providers store your data in a number of different data centres. This means that even if one burned down or was otherwise destroyed, your data would still be safe in several other locations. However, these remote data centres have to handle a huge amount of different people’s data at the same time. As with any IT system, there is a risk that your data could be lost or stolen.
Storing personal data in the cloud is not a guarantee of privacy, even if zero security breaches take place. Some major providers, including Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud reserve the right to go through your personal data if it suspects you are storing any offensive or illegal material – please be aware, however, that illegal material could include copyrighted content. Many providers don’t do this, and will only access your data if requested to do so by the police.
What digital security measures are in place?
Many people worry about cloud storage making their data vulnerable to hackers. However, cloud storage services do put the most stringent security measures in place to minimise the risk of these events occurring. Your data is encrypted while it is resting on cloud servers and in transit. Many providers allow customers to choose their own personal encryption keys and set permissions as to who can and can’t access their data and what level of interaction they can have with it, such as edit or read-only.
Some cloud storage providers increase security even further by using a process called “sharding”. This is where each data file is split into several pieces, which are then encrypted and stored separately from each other. Even if someone did manage to break the encryption, they would only be able to access a small piece of a file, not the whole thing.
How to maximise your cloud storage security
If you are worried about the security of cloud storage, there are a number of measures you can take yourself to protect your data further. Make sure you update your antivirus software regularly. Also, delete any old email addresses that are no longer being used, as this is one of the most common ways for hackers to access your personal data. In addition, never give your password out to anyone, not even if you receive a telephone call or email that appears to be from technical support. If the cloud storage company needed to contact you, they would ask you other security questions rather than your password.
Ask for assistance
Cloud storage for personal data and business data can be an excellent way of freeing up space on all your devices so you can save all the information you need. However, if you’re worried and would like to access some specialist support, or need advice on how to setup a personal cloud, Nerds 2 You are here to help! Call us on 1300 637 372 for all the help and support you need.
