Cloud computing works over the internet through a network of collective sets of remote servers. A popular feature of cloud computing is online storage, which can offer convenient online access from any device. So, what is cloud storage?
Cloud storage definition:
An individual or company’s data can be stored in storage devices designed for remote access via the Internet.
Benefits of Cloud storage:
- Reliability and accessibility
- Ssafe data backup
- Inexpensive data storage. Reduces the total costs of storage
- Does not require expensive hardware and costly hardware management.
The most challenging point is the security level of the stored backup.
Types of Cloud Storage:
Though the concept is the same, the cloud storage mechanism is divided into four different types
- Personal Cloud Storage
- Public Cloud Storage
- Private Cloud Storage
- Hybrid Cloud Storage
Personal Cloud Storage:
- Also referred to as mobile cloud storage
- Designed for an individual’s personal data in the cloud
- Access data from anywhere.
- Capable of syncing data over multiple devices
- Capable of sharing information across any number devices.
- Comodo CCloud is a perfect example of personal cloud storage.
Public Cloud Storage:
- Public Cloud storage is implemented when the provider of the storage service and the enterprise are separated, and when there are no cloud resources saved in the data center.
- It helps to manage the public cloud storage of an enterprise.
Private Cloud Storage:
- Private cloud storage is implemented when the cloud service provider and the enterprise are integrated.
- In this type of cloud storage, the infrastructure of the service provider in the enterprise’s data center is overseen by the storage provider
- Security issue can be potentially resolved
Hybrid Cloud Storage
This type of cloud storage takes the traits of both private and public cloud storage, keeping the important and crucial data in the enterprise’s private cloud while the other information are made accessible by storing it through a public cloud storage provider. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have found a flaw which allows a third party interference through the performance of man-in-the-middle attack permitting the secure cloud providers to access the private files of the users when they share files with others.
Planning Your Move to Cloud Data:
Know the Cost of Convenience:
To be very much clear about the Cloud storage, the moment you share your data over the cloud, your data is getting exposed for anyone to access. Therefore maintaining privacy becomes more complicated. It has been found that the cloud services offered by Google and Amazon show a lack of transparency. Malicious hacker can cause a security breach, without your knowledge, unaware of the consequences happening at the back end, you might be still sharing files trusting security over the cloud service provider. Encrypt Your Personal Information: Cloud Service Provider by default have their own set of Security measures that are to be taken care of, in addition to this set up offered by the provider, you, as a user have the responsibility to add extra layer of encryption to better safeguard your data. If you do not protect your data by encrypting it, its like your are ready to give a complete access to the cloud service provider, which helps the service provider to gain access to your personal files stored upon the cloud server. Documents that are not important to you might be valuable to someone else. Personal Digital Calender might be some of the main targets for the hacker. If you are running a business handling customer’s private information, Encrypting the customer’s data is more important, to maintain your business standards. If there happens a breach over the cloud storage service provider, and your company is part of that service provider, then the company’s private information will be liable for the data that is stored over the cloud. Your company might face a financial crisis, if the data is not encrypted. Sign and Verify All Your
Information:
Encryption is not the only ingredient to secure your data over the cloud, there should be a clear a knowledge whether your data is altered or manipulated. You must be able to track the changes to your information. Using some technologies, like PKI or KSI, you can sign your data, helping you to create a wall of trust surrounding your data.
Know about Your Cloud Vendor:
Each cloud storage provider show up a different level of security, by offering different protocols to protect your data. Simple to understand, Larger provider focus on an high end security protocol to secure it’s customers data, comparatively smaller company providers hold up a lower budget to secure the customer’s data.
Be very clear that you are unsafe over the Internet:
In a nutshell, though you secure your data by encryption or by using other technologies, internet is place where you are prone to vulnerability.