With how rapidly technology is advancing, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of developments. It wasn’t a long time ago that we relied on external and internal storage for storing our data. Many people still do. But these storage options (Hard Disks, USB drives) are physical objects, meaning they’re susceptible to degradation/damage and thus loss of data.
That is where cloud storage comes into play.
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud storage is a data storage model that utilizes a network of connected servers. These servers are hosted and maintained by the hosting companies (Google, Apple, Dropbox, Mega). But servers and networks are confusing. Think of it as storing your data on the internet instead of on hard disks or USB drives.
Since your files are stored on the internet, you can access them from anywhere with an internet connection using a PC or even your cellphone.
With the spread of the Internet all around the world, cloud storage has been gaining more and more popularity. While it’s certainly expensive to store large amounts of data on the cloud (buying extra storage, fast internet speeds), many people are able to make do with the free cloud storage given by file-hosting services. (Google Drive [15GB] and Apple [5GB])
But is it Secure?
While your files are stored on the internet, the servers are still physical objects. So it’s natural to question how cloud storage is any better than traditional storage methods like hard disks and USB drives.
All it would take to lose your data is these servers going down, right?
While it is a possibility, these servers are stored in massive warehouses with state-of-the-art facilities, which is more than what could be said about the long lost USB drives or hard disks we have lying around our houses.
What About Your Privacy?
With some major companies being accused of stealing data, it is natural to be concerned about the data you store on the cloud. Without proper encryption, your data can be easily accessed in case your email has been hacked. Take the case of the Facebook data breach where the personal information of more than 533 million users was exposed.
While this is a cause of concern, there also exist cloud services with encryption enabled(pCloud). They make use of encryption keys that solely belongs to the user. This means that even the file-hosting company won’t have access to your files. Such services are double-edged swords in that you could always forget your password, leaving your data inaccessible.
The Benefit Of Using Clocr’s Digital Vault
Most people host their files on multiple cloud services. While this reduces the chances of some important documents being hacked, it makes it so that retrieving this data once you pass away is harder. With how almost all parts of our lives are being digitized, it is important to start thinking about your Digital Assets and what happens to them once you pass away.
By using Clocr’s Digital Vault, you’ll be able to
- Easily keep track of shared documents
- ‘Lock’ your files until death or incapacity
- Remove assignees or their access to your files in a single click
- Empower designees to have instant access in case of emergencies or death
You can also rest easy knowing that your data is secured since Clocr uses the highest standard in network communications with 256-bit encryption and automatically encrypts your data. Your Digital Vault works like an extra secure cloud that also provides the option to pass on your data following your death.
Now that you’ve learned about the risks and benefits of using the Cloud to store your personal documents, check out Clocr’s Digital Vault to get started with securing your data for the future.
