Cloud Computing

I think there is a lot of misinformation regarding what Cloud Computing is and the risks that are involved.  No matter what you do, there are risks of some kind, that’s the nature of business and life.  But let’s be clear, cloud computing is anything that is not localized to a specific single machine.  When buy Yagara online you bank, PayPal, anything on a server (whether in your home, office or on the web) your email server is even a form of cloud computing when you get right down to it.

But what risks are there when you don’t put it in ‘the cloud’?  Fire, theft, viruses, hacking into your computer that is ‘Online’ 24 hours a day through a broadband connection and basic simple data loss or corruption due to mechanical or software failures.   Do you back your data up Buy cheap Levitra Online Pharmacy every day?  Do you store it in more than one location?  Are all the username and passwords to your computer and network secure?  Then your data is no more secure locally than it is in the so called cloud!

Also, it is correct that many free services have TOS’s in place that allow them to use your data… well when it is being shared extensively to the public or to multiple users that have no real affiliation with each other, then there is no expectation of privacy. Those rules can  also change whenever, especially if the TOS say’s they can or that your data doesn’t really belong to you any more.  Do you read every TOS?  You should.

Using something like Google Apps, does not mean you don’t have protections. Not only do they offer a free service, they have a paid service now too, that is designed for businesses and large institutions.  It utilizes SSL (if you choose to or it can be forced to always use it), it has multiple back ups done regularly and it’s accessible anywhere.

Furthermore, a federal subpoena can be served to get your data, from anywhere, not just from another company.  A warrant isn’t always necassary.  Besides, the question here is always are we talking personal use or business?

As an individual you may have to do more to ensure your data is safe and backed up, but overall you are more protected in your home, because as an individual you have more rights.  As to financial data… do you bank online? Then why would they need your computer records.  Think about what you might keep at home on your computer or in a paper file, that is not already available at some company somewhere.

As a business, the rules change and whether it’s in the cloud or not, isn’t really relevant.  A lawsuit or any other reason that the government or a lawsuit might have agains’t you can warrant a subpoena to produce records, whether in the cloud or not.  Warrant’s aren’t needed.

So, is your data really more secure locally?  Probably not.  Is the cloud more secure?  Perhaps, it reduces many risks, while maintaining others and making a few just more important to understand.

Here’s a recent report by the World Privacy Organization that does bring up some concerns, perhaps not all that I agree with, but they are something to think about.

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