Online Storage

Online Storage:

It is not uncommon these days to hear about online storage. Online storage is a system of uploading data for storage on the internet. It is also referred to as Internet data storage. Online data storage provides a flexible way for users to store data.

 

Online storage gives a means for data backup. We should be prepared to secure data on our computers because hard disks can crash anytime and possibly at a time when we have just stored important data. Viruses and system failure can bring down the whole system within short time without warning.

The first thing that you should always look out for is what are the services offered? It is also recommended to read Terms of Service (TOS), a thing which most people tend to ignore and rush into signing up for services which they are not conversant with. Choose an online data storage provider with good services and complete all requirements. Take your time to read TOS. Some offer a software platform which you can use to upload data from your PC. If this is not the case, all you need to have is an internet connection and select files on your PC which you want to upload. Check how much data can be uploaded at a time.

Online backup or storage relieves the user of the burden of carrying large amounts of data when travelling. Data can be accessed from anywhere in the world provided there is an internet connection.

Online storage provides a larger storage capacity than we possibly can have on our backup media. Some offer up to 50GB of space to store data and that is the reason why people are now opting for online storage. For example, SkyDrive offer up to 25GB of free online storage space. Many online storage providers give flexible offers such as increasing storage space if the maximum allocated space is full. That means online storage is easily increased than the traditional way of backup.

 

With online storage you don’t have to purchase extra storage hardware because it is already provided by the service provider which means there is no biting your pocket at all. You are rest assured that your data is safe from any manipulation at your home or office and not to mention about fire.

 

Security?

It depends on the mode of storage you have subscribed yourself to. There is a wide variety of online storage facilities available from vendors. Paid services offer a great deal of facilities as compared to free ones. Some fees charged depend greatly on space and facilities offered by the vendor such as secure, full-time technical support, backup service, fast upload and download and unlimited monitoring. As a way of enhancing security, most of such services provide secure and password protected service to its clients to avoid unauthorized access to data. Some vendors offer strong data encryption methods for storage, uploading and downloading on the internet. It is also upon your discretion to choose who can view or download your data i.e. file sharing.

 

Online storage has some disadvantages. You have less control of your data and little is known about how your data is being used behind the scenes. If hackers find their way in, the data could fall into wrong hands that may use it for other purposes other than what you intended to. Let’s suppose your online service provider for one reason or the other has unexpectedly liquidated. The result is disaster! All your data is lost which means you have to start all over again to source new data.

 

Backup:

If you have uploaded your data to an online server, it is better to make another copy of backup of your own. Of course many online storage vendors provide backup service but, chances are that anything can happen. You can backup data on CD’s or DVD’s and kept in a safe place though this method is tedious. Great care should be taken when storing CD/DVD containing backup data so that the sectors are not damaged which eventually may render your media unreadable.

 

Further reading on finding the right facility is available here.

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