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AS FAR AS buzzwords and jargon go, the cloud has to be one of the most confusing names out there. Thrown around with wild abandon, it’s a term that is regularly used by services yet never properly explained.
Chances are you’re already relying on one service already, companies such as Adobe, Apple and Microsoft have released products that require syncing to the cloud, so what exactly is it and how much should you depend on it?
Ok, so what exactly is ‘the cloud’?
It’s best to think of it as an online hard drive, where your data is saved on the internet instead of on a physical hard drive.
While the origin behind the name isn’t clear, the most popular reason given is during the early days of network design, the symbol network engineers used to describe the internet was a cloud, because it represented more than just networks and the web.
Unlike physical hard drives which are either fixed in the one location or require you to carry around, you can access cloud storage anywhere that has an internet connection, and over a wide range of devices, most of which can be synced together so each one stays up to date what any changes made.
Many people use it as a backup for photos, documents and other important files, while others use it as an easy way to access certain files from different devices like their work computer or smartphone.
For lower-end smartphones which don’t have much storage in the first place, it’s a handy option to have. Also, smaller businesses which don’t want to spend large amounts on hard drives and their own storage use it as a cheaper option to save data.
Normally, you can access cloud services (and any files you have saved) through the web, but you can also connect them to your smartphones and tablets, all the major services have their own dedicated app, and manage your files remotely.
What services are out there?
The answer is quite a lot, each one has its own strengths and uses or work better with certain products. For this, we’re going to focus solely on consumer products and the free storage each one offers so here are some of the more popular services out there.
iCloud - Apple’s own cloud service designed for iPhone/iPad users. Unlike the other services, iCloud only saves information you would usually store on your phone or tablet so its use is limited. New users start off with 5GB of storage.
Google Drive – While best used by those who rely mostly on Google products like Docs or Gmail, Drive can be used by anyone who has a Google account. New users start off with 15GB of storage.
OneDrive – Previously known as SkyDrive, Microsoft’s offering is most useful if you’re a regular user of Office, Outlook and similar products. New users start off with 7GB of storage, but can increase the amount of space available by completing actions.
Dropbox - One of the more popular third-party cloud services out there although is beginning to be overshadowed by rivals offering larger storage. New users start off with 2GB, but like OneDrive, you can earn extra space (up to 15GB) by recommending friends to the service or following accounts.
Amazon Cloud Drive – The online retailer has been developing its web products and cloud storage is no exception. Users start off with 5GB of storage.
Box.com - Not to be confused with Dropbox, Box.com was created with professionals in mind, but it’s still handy for those who use the cloud for personal reasons. New users get 10GB of space for free.
CloudMe – Another alternative which is growing in popularity, CloudMe is based in Sweden and therefore your data is protected by EU laws. New users start off with 3GB of storage.
SpiderOak – Its focus solely on privacy – a ‘zero-knowledge’ policy means it doesn’t know what your passwords or encryption keys are – makes it one of the most secure cloud services out there. New users start off with 2GB of storage.
All services allow you to pay for extra storage, the majority requiring you to pay a subscription fee to avail of it. This would only be useful if you’re heavily reliant on one particular service.
What if I choose more than one service?
Considering how many options there are out there, and how different the amount of storage space each one offers new users, there’s nothing to say you can’t sign up and rely on two or more services to avail of all that free storage space.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the more services you sign up to, the more complicated it is to manage them.
There are services which can help you manage certain accounts together. One good example would be Primadesk, which can allow you to manage ten accounts, including Dropbox and Google Drive, for free. If you don’t mind spending a bit of cash, Otixo might be a better bet and offers a 14-day trial to get you started.
How does it work on smartphones/tablets?
In general, just as well as you would expect. Some services allow you to set up your devices so that any new photos or videos – usually the most common reason for syncing – are automatically uploaded to cloud storage, but for those worried about racking up a large bill from doing this, all services require a WiFi connection first before it uploads automatically.
Usually, you’re asked what methods you want to use to upload the first time you open an app (always choose WiFi unless you have an amazing data plan), but if there’s any uncertainty, it’s best to check the settings for whatever app you’re using first to make sure.
What are the drawbacks?
Like all things, there are cons to any service, the biggest one being security and privacy. Since your information is online, this becomes more important than ever and you should check up to see what precautions a service offers first before signing up.
Companies like Dropbox have been criticised of not letting users know about certain security vulnerabilities, while one hacker recently found a security flaw in Apple’s iCloud allowing a hacker to unlock a stolen iPhone, which doesn’t inspire confidence if you’re considering saving more than just text files and photos.
In some cases, like for Apple or Microsoft, you’re required to sync and backup your products to the cloud. If privacy is a concern, then you need to be aware that if it’s online, then there’s always a possibility of a security breach occurring.
That said, each service offers encryption to make sure your data is safe but on the users’ end, the best thing to do is to create a strong password (make it as long as possible, use different characters, don’t use the same password for different accounts, etc.) and don’t store sensitive information like bank account details on it.
What if I prefer to keep files offline?
Considering how much you can now store on hard drives now, and their price, having one can work well in conjunction with cloud storage, both serving different roles.
The price of physical hard drives has fallen in recent times – a 1TB hard drive cost between €70 – €90 depending on where you look – so there’s no reason not to look into getting one.
The obvious problem is the lack of accessibility – you either have to leave it at home or carry one around with you – meaning it’s better for significantly larger files or files you don’t need to access to immediately.
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Best description I have read when trying to explain cloud, particularly to non techie senior managers is a very simple one liner.
‘Storing your information on someone else’s computer’
Cloud is a window for the NSA.
Frank, does that mean they have access to all data ?
Noone knows for sure but we have good reason to suspect they do.
Sometimes Frank, among all the crazy talk, you do hit the nail on the head.
Security experts also suspect they have a backdoor to break AES encryption.
More than likely they have a back door to your PC and Smart phone irrespective and without a warrant also any email / internet transaction through a US based server can be spied on by the NSA.. Here’s the timeline for domestic Spying…
It is prudent to assume that EVERYTHING is compromised.
I said AES in my last comment. I meant DES.
check out arxshare, this will be difficult for the NSA ;)
What about Mega.co.nz? You get 50gb free & it uses end to end encryption.
Mega is hardly reliable though is it?
Could go down tomorrow for all we know
Data Protection hate the cloud. You have no guarantee as to where your data is stored and no idea of who has physical access. If you hold any sort of confidential data, do NOT use a public cloud. If it’s only your own photos, music and documents, then go for it.
NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a far cheaper per gb ,and safer alternative.
Basically a hard drive connected to your router so it can be accessed online from anywhere. Should be the next big thing in the consumer tech market
It’s cheaper per gb at first glance only.
When you consider quality and reliability of that access – then it’s not that instant winner anymore.
And security wise – many would argue here. If setup wrongly, nas drive may be childishly easy to break into, while professional cloud services mentioned in the article, while still exposed to some breach have the basics definitely better covered – allow less user error.
Of course if you buy crap you get crap but for relatively low investment you can get great quality.
Reliability again is down to your in segment in broadband – invest well get reliability.
Security-wise I’d rather have my data sitting in a hard drive beside my router rather than in a data centre I have no control of – not who handles my drive.
NAS drive:
- uses your household electricity (I know small, but…), cloud not
- is dependable on your Internet connection, cloud is hosted on mesh of super fast links and basically always ON
- is not great for sharing, cloud is (imagine 10 co-workers downloading large graphics files from your NAS)
- is not providing any data redundancy (if your NAS fails your data is gone – unless you have another solution setup for it), cloud is fully redundant
- cannot easily scale, cloud scale very easily if your demands grow
Security? There is no such thing as privacy in the Internet, connecting own NAS disk does not change anything here. You are still using online banking, Facebook, you are still sending emails with attached CV’s or payslips that are stored on email servers, you are still buying in the Internet… Everywhere you touch you leave trace. Therefore cloud is as secure as anything else to me :)
If your house floods or goes on fire your “cloud” storage hasn’t worked at all. Off site backup is key and NAS at home is a crap option unless your get some enjoyment from making things harder then they need to be.
Protip: for people who need large amounts of storage or are concerned about it being spied on, go onto dabs.ie.
Look up western digital my cloud.
1tb own personal cloud you can access anywhere, if I remember right it’s the bones of 100 quid.
Easy set up and no worries.
Also, it’s a physical thing you connect to your own network at home via Ethernet cable, it’s not an online service.
If you’ve got a VPN as well, about as secure as possible.
It’s not a cloud. Its a server.
I’m aware it’s a NAS server but let’s try to keep it simple here.
1. Worry – what if you are burgled and they take the NAS?
Jamie, what kind of authentication and encryption are you using for that?
“Copy” is another cloud based storage app. 35GB’s of space.
Dropbox is the best by far.
I didn’t see any mention of the fact that providers use bots to read your data in order to direct advertising at you. I wouldn’t put anything in the cloud without first applying 128 bit AES encryption.
Dropbox is the best, and very easy to use with a nice interface
Just set your libraries to sync to OneDrive and forget it. It’s solid in all areas and the Office online apps are useful in a pinch.
Simplicity is key.
Logmein’s “Cubby” is brilliant if you need access to clients files. You can create a directory for each client and lock it down with a unique password. It can be setup so each client can only see they’re directory. You get 5gb free, plus it has an app for iOS & Android. I’m paying €45 a year for 1tb of data. Also, If you accidentally delete files, you can recover them anytime and from anywhere. I tried a few cloud systems and most had problems with security and access.
Flickr has an allowance of 1000 gb free.
“That said, each service offers encryption to make sure your data is safe but on the users’ end, the best thing to do is to create a strong password”
I very much disagree with this. Security and privacy must be the main argument for choosing a cloud storage solution, and although they all offer encryption, all mentioned services encrypt on the server, and therefore are not secure and see transport the user’s data in plain text.
There is a trend towards client-side encryption (or end-to-end encryption) and self-hosted clouds. Companies that want to secure their intellectual property should consider solutions like Owncloud or Arxshare http://www.arxshare.com.
wuala.com
- As best I recall, all servers are in Europe.
- Uses ‘Client side’ encryption.
- Can sync easy with your chosen PC folders.
- Mobile apps.
- Only 5gb free.
have your say