In extremely basic terms a cloud storage is a place to store your files online and on the fly, but, I wanted to get more into the nitty gritty of the cloud and it is becoming more popular especially since Apple started using it for their iCloud. You can think of a cloud like a massive cluster of computers with your little space on that you can save documents, images, music and much more to!

 The Ins And Outs Of Cloud Storage

Am I Using It Right Now?

Well right now you are passing through data centres to read this very article but as for cloud, I would guess yes! You are using it, I mean if you use Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo Mail and other services that you can login to from anywhere in the world then, yes, you are using some sort of cloud.

The rack mount servers that store all of this data are absolutely massive, they usually sit in warehouses in data centres, Google for example has over 400,000 rack mounts in one single location, hmm how much data would that be 🙂

Is The Cloud Safe To Use?

Keeping files safe while having your computer connected to the Internet is a big task now a days, as the Internet gets bigger so are the malware and viruses, they are getting more advanced and spreading more quickly, this is why we need clouds and other backup servers to aid us in not losing our precious data!

Your cloud provider will try to keep your data as safe as they possibly can, I mean let’s face it, it’s there job and its what you are paying them for! They not only encrypt your data in 256 BITS of encryption when transferring to and from your cloud, but they also have disaster recovery plans should anything happen physically to the centre such as fire and theft etc.

A good cloud provider will have backup generators just incase there is a power cut, they will also have backup servers themselves taking regular backups of backup servers, if that makes sense to you? Haha!

The Advantages Of Using A Cloud Are…

  • No more DVD’s for backups required
  • No more external hard drives needed
  • No need for storage in your own home as people used to use spare computers to backup, you will now have the space and less electricity usage.
  • High speed for file transfers
  • Able to backup your computer to the cloud or data centre
  • High security for your files
  • Low costs

Author Bio: My name is Emily and I use a cloud with my iPhone and iPad, since using those I have thought about backing up my files for my computer and decided to opt for a service called ShareFile, I am now able to backup my files and have them safe and secure in case my laptop goes down.