Creating Your Own File Storage System In the Cloud
A lot of people are reluctant to use cloud services for storing and backing up their files. The stories out there are pretty scary and it ferments plenty of fear. Even some of the cloud companies who sell the services are guilty of some amount of this panic and uncertainty because of the marketing they do to make their competitors look like unsafe solutions to the needs of their customers.
However, it’s not all bad out there. There are ways to easily use online storage and backup without having to worry about hackers or server crashes destroying or blocking access to all your data. The best way to do this is to create a suitable balance between utility and security. This can be done by combining several types of services and software so that each can serve a vital function in the process.
However, it’s not all bad out there. There are ways to easily use online storage and backup without having to worry about hackers or server crashes destroying or blocking access to all your data. The best way to do this is to create a suitable balance between utility and security. This can be done by combining several types of services and software so that each can serve a vital function in the process.
Here are the following tools that you will want to use to create your own file storage system:
Encryption
Encrypting files makes it so that others cannot open and read the documents even if they have it in their possession. This is great for securing the files that are storing but don’t usually need to access regularly. Most probably the archives and other items that you have located within the folders on your local hard drive. One of the best options to encrypt your files is with a software called TrueCrypt. There are, however, other options—such as Bitlocker if you use Windows Ultimate, or, FileVault if you use a Mac.
Online Storage
Dropbox is a good storage solution for files that you need to gain regular access to and are currently working on. The reason being is that the files you place there can be accessed from any place at any time (so long as you have an internet connection and can open a browser). Your desktop in the office, your laptop at home, your mobile phone in the coffee shop—all of these places will give you access to all the files stored in your Dropbox. Best of all, you can store pretty much any type of file that you will need. Please not, however, that Dropbox is mainly useful if you use multiple devices and computers while on the road. If you happen to just use one computer (such as only accessing your documents while in the office), then Dropbox is probably not going to be of much use to you.
Local Storage
As suggested above, you will probably want to use your local hard drive to store the files that you do not need to have regular access to. These will be your records and archives that could be useful in the future or that have vital and sensitive information that needs to be protected. You can place these items somewhere such as your Documents/My Documents folder.
Backup
Last but not least, you will definitely want to have a backup of all your important documents in case of an accidental deletion, a malicious hacker gains access to and deletes all your documents, or if for some reason you become unable to use your computer or mobile device to access files. It is actually best to use two methods when doing this—backing up by using a physical drive (either internal or external) and by using an internet file storage solution such as Google Drive. This way, all the files that you place within you local archives and Dropbox can be replicated into a separate location. One of the best ways to achieve this is through the use of a service called cloudHQ. This is a file backup / replication solution that will automatically handle the process for you on a daily basis so that all your files are kept up-to-date. Simply storing everything on your Dropbox or local drive can be rather dangerous as that you can easily loose all your data and never be able to gain access to it again. Also, it is possible for Dropbox to make a mistake when storing your data. Here is one example: http://konklone.com/post/dropbox-bug-can-permanently-lose-your-files
Furthermore...
Using the paid versions of your software and service solutions is a good rule to follow. The reason being because better quality of service and a broader access to a variety of features often comes when using the paid versions. Privacy policies, terms-of-use, and security levels can all be effected by the decision to use a free or paid version of the software or service that you intend to utilize.
For example, with Dropbox, the user agreement doesn’t change much between free and paid accounts, however, there is a 2 GB storage limit on free accounts. This can be filled up quit quickly depending on what type of files you are saving. Also, it should be noted that free accounts are automatically deleted after 90 days of inactivity.
For example, with Dropbox, the user agreement doesn’t change much between free and paid accounts, however, there is a 2 GB storage limit on free accounts. This can be filled up quit quickly depending on what type of files you are saving. Also, it should be noted that free accounts are automatically deleted after 90 days of inactivity.
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