In 5 years, Dropbox, the online file storage company has grown to a user base of 50 million users worldwide. That’s great news for their founders Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, but why is the technology so popular, and how can it help small businesses? Also, let's not forget that the online world carries some risk. Is it safe to use online storage, and what security precautions should be taken to protect your data in the cloud?
Why Is Online Storage So Popular?
Online file storage is cheap (free in some cases), simple to use, and incredibly convenient if you need to access files both in the office and at home. It allows you to access your files from your work PC, your home PC, as well as from any tablet device or Smartphone. It also overcomes the attachment size limitations of email by allowing you to upload the file to your online storage and create a link to the file that you can then email to the intended recipient. They then simply click on the link and download the file via a web browser.
Synchronising Data To The Cloud From Your PC
Most online storage services allow you to create a synchronisation folder on your Windows PC's into which you can "drag an drop" files that you want to upload to your cloud storage. This saves you having to log in to your cloud storage every time you want to upload a file, and also keeps your online files and folders in sync.
Integration With Tablets And Smartphones
My initial reason for using online storage was to allow me to access client documentation on my iPad. Apps are available for Smartphones and tablets (Android and Apple iOS) that allow you to access files that have been uploaded to your cloud storage. You will also find that some third party Office Apps available for Android and iOS plug straight in to online storage such as Google Drive which allow you to edit documents stored online. This is in fact my favourite feature of cloud storage, and I use it regularly to write blog posts at home while watching television (How much attention can you really give to Masterchef?).
There is also an additional feature in Trend Micro SafeSync For Business which is worth mentioning, in its ability to allow you to view Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat documents on Android and iOS devices without running a Microsoft Office editor / Adobe Reader. I use this capability most on my Smartphone to access price lists as well as product documentation that I store online for reference while I am out of the office. It saves having to wait until I get back to the office to check out specific questions that people ask from time to time.
Data Backup
One of the obvious applications for online data storage is for online backup. Over the years, tape backup has proven to be unreliable, and no amount of onsite backup provisions can protect you against fire / flood. We strongly recommend that all companies should implement online backup for their data, since it provides the only reliable way of making sure that you can recover your data when you most need to.
Data Security
As with all things cloud, data security is a consideration. Companies such as Trend Micro and Google have a pretty good handle on data security, but the weak point if there is one will always be a reliance on passwords. For general use, I would suggest that you simply use strong passwords including letters, numbers and at least one special character. It sounds complicated, but once you have worked out a system it's fairly simple to work with. Alternatively, if you need to make sure that it is only your employees who are able to access your data online, then I would recommend using Google Apps since Google allows you to authenticate access to the system using "one-time-passwords" (i.e. they change every time you log in) generated on your employees' Smartphones. This capability is provided by Safenet's Cloud Authentication Service, so you don't have to install security software on your network to keep your cloud storage secure
The US Patriot Act
If you are going to be using a provider of online storage who uses a US datacentre, you also need to take the US Patriot Act into consideration. Under the US Patriot Act, the CIA can demand to see your data if it is kept in a US datacentre. If you have concerns about this, then use a service that uses European Data Centres.
Clearview Data Systems provide IT Service / Support and cloud computing services to Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. If you need advice on storing your data in the cloud, please call us on 01707 255060 or send an email to info@clearview.co.uk.
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