It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological advancements in products and services. Although cloud storage has been commercially available for over a decade at this point, there are still some people that avoid using it. This may be due to a lack of confidence or a fear of learning something new, but this is often misplaced. In fact, many people are already using cloud storage services without realizing it.
They could have data stored with an email provider, files on Google Drive or something else. In this article we will introduce you to cloud storage to help you become confident using it in your daily life.
The Basic Concept
Cloud storage is when you save data at a remote location that’s not on your built-in hard drive or some other local storage media. This has become a popular option for many users in recent years because the need for local storage space is minimized. The other main advantage is that files can be easily shared between authorized users.
This makes it much easier to collaborate on projects or just share images and videos with friends and family. Recent data from the Thales Group has revealed that many businesses now store their sensitive data using cloud storage, but a great deal of this information is not fully encrypted!
How Does Cloud Storage Work?
Cloud storage is facilitated with remote servers that store your data in the same manner as you would store it on a local hard drive. The user requires an internet connection to upload their images, video, filers and other data to the cloud servers. The data is kept on a virtual machine on the physical server which can be accessed by the user and those authorized to use it.
This can be very large volumes of data collected from global users that are often spread to various servers and multiple data centers. This is done to ensure that the data is available and that some redundancy is built into the system to protect the data. If more storage is required, the cloud provider can spin up extra virtual machines to handle the storage requirements. The data kept in cloud storage can be accessed by the user online using a specific mobile app, portal or web browser.
3 Cloud Storage Types Explained
There are three different cloud storage types, these determine what data you as the user can interact with and how you can use it. Let’s take a closer look at each in a little more detail.
| Aspect | Private Cloud | Public Cloud | Hybrid Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | A dedicated cloud infrastructure for a single organization. | A shared cloud infrastructure offered by third-party providers to multiple users. | A combination of private and public clouds that work together. |
| Ownership | Owned and managed by the organization or a third-party provider exclusively for the organization. | Owned and managed by a third-party provider. | Combination of private ownership and third-party public cloud services. |
| Accessibility | Accessible only to the organization and its authorized users. | Accessible over the internet by anyone with proper credentials. | Offers controlled accessibility, integrating private resources with public resources as needed. |
| Cost | High upfront costs due to dedicated infrastructure and maintenance. | Lower upfront costs; pay-as-you-go pricing model. | Cost varies depending on the mix of private and public usage. |
| Scalability | Limited scalability, depending on on-premises infrastructure. | Highly scalable; resources are virtually unlimited. | Offers flexibility to scale between private and public resources. |
| Security | High security, as resources are dedicated to one organization. | Moderate security; data is shared among multiple users but protected by the provider. | Enhanced security by keeping sensitive data on the private cloud and less critical data on the public cloud. |
| Control | Full control over infrastructure, data, and applications. | Limited control; depends on the service provider. | Balanced control; critical operations can be handled in the private cloud, while public handles the rest. |
| Performance | High performance for workloads due to dedicated resources. | Performance depends on internet connectivity and provider’s resources. | Balanced performance based on workload distribution. |
| Compliance | Ideal for organizations with strict regulatory or compliance requirements. | May not fully comply with strict regulations. | Can be configured to meet compliance requirements by isolating sensitive data in the private cloud. |
| Use Cases | Large enterprises, government organizations, and industries with sensitive data. | Startups, small businesses, or projects needing scalable, cost-effective solutions. | Businesses needing a mix of scalability, security, and flexibility, such as e-commerce or healthcare. |
What are the Key Advantages of Cloud Storage?
There are multiple benefits to using a cloud storage solution, some obvious and others less so.
Easy Data Access
Many of us will have been to an important meeting only to discover that we don’t have the specific document that we needed. This is extremely frustrating and it can derail a project or lead to a loss of confidence in your capabilities. But, if the data is in the cloud and you have your phone with you it can be accessed at any time. This is an advantage for things that you want to access regularly, such as photos or key documents. Sure, these can be kept on your preferred mobile device, but they can take up valuable local storage space.
Eliminating the Requirement for More Hard Drive Space
In the very recent past, one of the key specs that you would consider when you shopped for a new PC, laptop or tablet would be the hard drive capacity. Of course, this is still important for those that are regular PC gamers that want to download the latest games. But, for many users it’s less of a convenience because there is a huge volume of data that we may need to interact with regularly. Around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated every single day according to CloudTweaks. This is a staggering volume, but we still need a way to gain access to our documents, files, photos and other data without resorting to using a huge hard drive.
Simple File Sharing
There are times when you need to collaborate on a project or simply share pictures and videos with friends and family. Perhaps you need to coordinate with others to plan an event? Some people may need to be given specific email addresses or other links for personal or business use.
This is much easier if you set up a specific folder with access for contacts that need to log in and access the data. Simply share the link to the folder and any password you may have set up and they are good to go.
Elastic Cloud Storage
This may seem like a strange phrase, but it’s a pretty simple concept to grasp. Cloud storage is considered to be “elastic” because it can be stretched or contracted as needed.There is no need to go out and buy a new USB stick or upgrade the hard drive in your PC to gain more storage. If your storage needs are lessened, it’s easy to downgrade your cloud storage to a cheaper package to save money on your subscription.
Improved Security
Many cloud storage providers offer robust security features to protect your data. The data center will have considerable physical security at their location and application security built into the software. For those that need enhanced security, it is possible to add identity access and encryption to keep your data safe.
Data Redundancy
Keeping copies of important files in the cloud is an excellent way to provide redundancy to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances. Perhaps you have some photos from a trip that would be lost forever if the camera was misplaced or stolen. If you take a few moments to back up the photos on the cloud during your trip, those photos are safe. This is useful for home or business data too, you can keep key documents in the cloud where they are immune to accidents, thefts and other calamities. This can make all the difference if you need to file an insurance claim after a house fire or some other unforeseen event.
What are the Main Disadvantages of Cloud Storage?
There is no such thing as a perfect service or product because everyone has different expectations and needs to consider. There are certain cloud storage disadvantages that you should understand.
Offline Access Restriction
To access your files and folders in the cloud, you will need a consistent internet connection. If there is an interruption in the connection due to internet-related problems or a power outage it may be difficult or impossible to access your data. This can be quickly restored if internet access is restored, but it can be frustrating during the interim.
Latency Issues
There may be latency issues caused by a high volume of network traffic or a slow internet connection. This can be a frustrating problem to deal with if you need to pull up a file quickly and/or you’re trying to meet a deadline. Inevitably, the system will catch up with the demand, but this may take some time.
No Direct Control
As a cloud storage user, you are giving up some of your direct control over your data management. This is a significant drawback that some people cannot overcome because they don’t want to relinquish that power and control. This is understandable, a cloud storage user is trusting their provider to keep their data accessible and secure.
Cloud Storage Outages
It’s rare, but there can still be times when you cannot access your data even if you have a stable internet connection and no power-related issues. The best cloud storage providers endeavor to offer continuous access to stored data. But, there are still times when an outage cannot be avoided or the system may be down for a short time.
Why Would I Choose Cloud Storage?
Given the advantages and disadvantages that we’ve discussed above it’s likely that some readers may still be unconvinced about the benefits of cloud storage. To help you understand if this is the best option to meet your data storage needs, we will cover a few scenarios where this may be a smart choice:
Archiving Files
As a cloud storage user, you can archive files that you need to keep, but that you don’t necessarily need on-hand. These older records can take up a great deal of physical space if they are kept as hard copy files. They can also take up a lot of hard drive space and you may feel compelled to back them up with physical data storage media too. This takes up a lot of space and cloud storage is a much better option. As you shed files, you no longer need or add new files to your archive you can shrink or grow your cloud storage plan to meet your requirements.
Easier Collaboration
We’ve already touched on the ways that cloud storage can improve collaboration with others. It’s easy to store and share Word documents, images, spreadsheets and other files that are required for real time collaboration. This makes sharing and transferring files between team members from anywhere in the world simple and efficient. At the time of writing this article the most common cloud services used for collaboration are: Dropbox, Google Drive and Box.
Recovering from a Disaster
There are natural disasters and other calamities that can strike at any time and it can be hard to recover if you lose access to critical data. This is especially true when it comes to insurance documents that you will need to replace personal possessions or important assets.
Some data that can be stored digitally can be crucial to cover photos, paperwork, video files and other data which is irreplaceable if it’s lost in a physical format. Disaster recovery can be a traumatic experience, but having cloud storage can give you some much needed peace of mind.
Data Backup
Most computer savvy people know the “3-2-1 Rule” when it comes to data storage and backup. For the uninitiated this means that if there are not three copies of a file it doesn’t exist. Ideally, there should be three copies stored on two different types of media.
At least one of these should be stored off-site and cloud storage meets that specific need. A simple data backup could be a folder on your Google Drive account for personal documents. Those with more stringent cloud storage requirements may need more security and space to keep data backups safe.
How to Choose a Cloud Storage Provider
As you can see, most people in our digitally connected world could probably benefit from cloud storage. However, not all cloud storage providers are the same and you need to have confidence that your chosen provider can keep your date safe and secure. Choosing the right provider to meet your needs can be a challenge, but there are few things to consider that can help you to make the right decision.
- Security: The provider should encrypt all data and keep a record of data breaches. Certain companies are targeted by hackers and the provider should have recorded no data breaches in its recent history.
- Availability: Your files may be secure, but you must be able to access them continuously with minimal outages. The most reputable cloud storage providers store user data across multiple data centers to ensure that the files are available at all times.
- Good Value for Money: Everyone likes a great deal and your chosen cloud storage provider should offer good value for money. They may offer a basic storage package for free to try out their services or there could be a low-cost starter option. This is a great way to test drive the services before you consider a paid upgrade for more storage later.
Consider Cloud Service Storage Pricing
This is an industry that’s evolving quickly, the largest companies such as Google are always looking for ways to expand and power their data centers. Getting good value for money is easier than you might imagine because there is a lot of competition for your business. Some of the more popular providers are: Google, Microsoft, Mega, Dropbox, Proton and others. These cloud providers all offer free or low-cost plans to get you up and running quickly.
The specific price for cloud storage may vary depending on where you live, the range of services you require and the resource needed for storage. Certain providers may charge a flat monthly fee for each GB stored and others may charge for the storage capacity. This is important, you don’t want to pay for storage that you won’t be using in the foreseeable future. Depending on the provider, you could be paying $2 or $10 to store 100 GB of data and understanding how the plan works is crucial to avoid overpaying. Some providers charge fees for data transfer, but these are usually built into the subscription price and you shouldn’t need to track them separately.
Our best advice is to start with a free or basic plan unless there’s a deal that’s too good to miss and/or you have a recommendation from someone you trust. Don’t go with the cheapest provider when you’re assessing prices. Remember that deep fakes and AI have been used in fraud and the extra security you need is likely to cost a little more. Choose a service provider with a solid track record and upgrade later if you need extra features or storage and you should find a cloud storage solution that meets your needs.