Cloud computing is fast gaining grounds in recent times, owing to the numerous benefits it affords individuals as well as modern businesses. It’s cheaper, effective, and more accessible, allowing business owners and managers to access important files, data, and information remotely.
Even though there are benefits cloud storage afford individuals, there threats that arise as a result of their use. The onus is on organizations to keep their private data and information secure. That’s why we are going to provide you important tips to guide you as well as help you make important decisions for your businesses or organizations on what cloud storage service to choose.
Important functionalities a good Cloud service should have
File Exchange: The file exchange functionality is one of the most important features a good cloud service company should have. Users should be able to share important information, change permissions that give users roles on how they access and modify files. Some good cloud services that provide this functionality include Dropbox, Google Drive etc.
Multi-device support: A good cloud storage service should be supported by multiple devices and should be capable of being accessed via Desktop, Mobile, and web.
Editing Customizations: High-quality cloud services should provide users basic editing tools that will allow them to make changes to files in the cloud. There are lots of cloud services that lack editing tools or capabilities. This means that for users to be able to make changes to files saved on the clouds, they will have to download them each time and make changes using offline editing tools. This can eat valuable time that could have been channeled to more productive activities.
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Return to or recover previous and lost versions: There are lots of times we find that deleted files may be needed at some point in future. However, recovering these deleted files may not be possible if you are using a poor cloud service. A good Cloud service allows you to rollback important data and information that may have been deleted or lost. They provide you will a history and versions of files that have been deleted, which makes your data recovery efforts a lot easier and faster.
Real-time Synchronization
When you work on a file that’s saved on the cloud through any of the mediums available, i.e., Desktop, mobile or web app, you’ll want the modified file to be synchronized in real-time so that users having access to this file around the world can get up-to-date information on the modifications you’ve made. Not all cloud-based services provide users real-time synchronization functionality. This is a factor to consider when choosing a cloud-based service provider.
Safety – A Big factor to Consider
Generally, it’s much safer to store your important files in cloud-based storage than your hardware or hard drive. There are lots of regulations put in place by regulatory authorities to keep our files and data safe. Files are encrypted and stored on different servers around the world. In case of a data breach or hacker attack, your information can be recovered from other servers in the network a cloud service provider.
The primary safety concerns users have when deciding on which cloud service to choose revolves around these two factors:
- The complicity between cloud service providers and big organizations/government agencies with regards to sharing your private data
- Preventing access to deciphered information by development teams
How can these Safety Challenges be Surmounted?
1. Pay more attention to encryption services offered: A good cloud service provider should employ the use of good end-to-end encryption technology. This ensures that your important files and messages aren’t accessible by anyone that isn’t you.
Each data or piece of information going through the servers is encrypted with a Unicode. The developers managing the system shouldn’t know the key to decoding this information. You never can tell; anyone can be compromised.
Popular instant messaging platforms such as Whatsapp, Telegram have deployed this technology. This means even if the government intercepts communication or data, they might find it very difficult to crack or decode.
2. You should track and see all actions: All changes made to documents stored in the cloud should be made known to users. Information about users logged in, last modified, deleted documents and files should be made known. All actions or modifications carried out on documents or files saved on the clouds should be reversible.
3. Employ the use of more security layers: You may be wondering why the need for additional security layers if you have end-to-end encryption technology deployed by your cloud service provider. Have you thought of a situation where hackers gain access to your login credentials to access your cloud storage account? I must tell you, the result of a successful unauthorized login attempt can ruin you.
So you must ensure you employ the use of strong passwords, composed of alphanumeric numbers and letters. Also, ensure you change your alphanumeric passwords regularly from time to time.
Conclusions
It’s important that you make your data safety and security paramount when choosing a cloud-based service. Ensure that your cloud service provider’s encryption technology is top-notch, so your data will remain safe irrespective of who tries to steal your information. They’ll need the key to decode encrypted data, and we know how difficult it is for them to obtain. Making a choice on which cloud-based service to acquire can be herculean for many. However, if you follow the guidelines and tips provided above, you should find it a lot easier making a quality choice on which cloud service to purchase.
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