Cloud Storage is a service provided by third party hosting companies to store your files.  Simply put, cloud storage is like having an external hard drive where you can store all your files, but you don’t actually see it and someone keeps the external hard drive for you, giving you little to worry about?  Or does it?

With the recent Megaupload takedown, the saga has left a lot of users unable to access their files, whether they are illegal or legal.  It makes you think that using cloud storage could ultimately cause a lot of trouble, even if you’re a perfectly legit user.  What’s the point of using a service to keep your files safe, but have no means of retrieving them once things turn bad?  Should we just go back to using external storage devices?

Not really, you just have to be smart in choosing the storage service to use.

Things To Consider

There a lot of cloud services available today, some offer their services for free for a limited amount of space, but you can always pay for an upgrade if you need more space.  But that’s not all that you need to know.

Before signing up:

• Read the terms of service thoroughly, make sure you are not putting you or your data at risk;
• Check if the cloud company offers data recovery in case the service decides to terminate their service;
• Check how secured the service is;
• Check if the service auto-syncs to all your mobile devices;
• Check if they comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA);
• Check if they are SSAE 16 certified – a widely recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that verifies a service organization has been through an in-depth audit of its control objectives and control activities to ensure processing and hosting customer data is done safely and securely.
• Check if they are ISO 27001 certified – the leading international standard for measuring information security management systems. It sets out requirements and best practices for a systematic approach to managing company and customer information based on periodic risk assessments appropriate to ever-changing threat scenarios.

The importance of SSAE 16 and ISO 27001 certification is that it shows the company’s commitment to their client information and its preparation to face the growing threats to digital information.

Data Storage, Backup And Recovery Options

The problem with the Megaupload debacle is that even legit users were not given a chance to recover their files, especially those who paid for the service.  And with the government pushing to delete Megaupload files, users’ data could be lost forever.
So here are some services worth considering:

EVault

EVault, a division of Seagate Technology, combines the on-premise software and offsite cloud services for one of the best ways to protect data in a distributed environment.  They offer five levels of service: Disk-based; Local backup copy for fast data access; Cloud backup copy for offsite disaster recovery; Integrated on a single platform; and WAN-optimized performance for fast, efficient data transfers and a minimal storage footprint. They also offer end-to-end security, and all their data centers are ISO-certified or SSAE 16-compliant and top-tier rated so it’s always there when you need it.

EMC

EMC, the leading provider of storage hardware solutions that promotes data recovery and improved cloud computing, offers various products and services that keep your data safe and secure, as well as data backup, deduplication and disaster recovery. One example is Mozy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EMC with full access to their resources and assets.  Mozy successfully completed a SOC 1 SSAE 16 Type 2 audit and received ISO 27001 certification, which certifies that Mozy’s processes and procedures meet or exceed the strictest control objectives in the industry.

But if cloud storage still seems too complicated, you can always go back you using external storage devices, just don’t leave them lying around for everyone to access or destroy.