Cloud Storage 101

Cloud-StorageDo you know that you can now access and edit your files in a remote location without bringing a USB drive or a portable storage device with you? It’s now possible, thanks to the emergence of online storage solutions. You can now upload your files to a remote server and access them later using another device, such as a tablet or a small business phone that can connect to the internet.

You can also take advantage of online storage to store backups of your valuable files such as videos and photos. If you’re ready to take advantage of this new trend for storing files using the internet, here are some of the things you need to know about online storage solutions:

Benefits of Storing Your Files Online

There are several benefits to using the internet or the cloud to store your files. For one, you get to use a free service to back up copies of your valuable files. Most cloud storage providers give free storage allowances to their users.  Of course you can keep backups of your files in a separate hard drive but storage devices can easily get damaged and corrupted. It can give you peace of mind knowing that you have another backup stored in a secured online server that you can use in case you lose your local backup. Another feature of online storage is that you can easily access your files across different devices so you don’t have to worry if you always forget your USB drive. You just have to log in to your online storage account to access and edit the documents that you need.

Where to Store Your Files Online

You can sign up for an account with any of the cloud storage providers to get started on storing photos, documents, music and videos online. Here are some online storage providers that you can consider:

If you are looking for a quick comparision among free cloud storage providers, here’s our Guide to Free Cloud Storage

  • Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the pioneering providers of online storage solutions. It provides 2 GB free storage allowance to its users but you can get additional free storage when you do tasks such as invite friends to sign up for a Dropbox account.

  • Google Drive

Google Drive is an online storage and synchronization service provided by search giant, Google. It can store up to 5 GB of your files and Google+ photos for free. Besides its cloud storage solutions, you can also use Google Drive to create documents and spreadsheets that you can share with other users for collaborative editing.

  • Mega

Mega is a new player in the cloud storage industry but has one big advantage over other cloud storage providers: it offers 50 GB free storage allowance to its users.

Other storage service providers that you may consider include SkyDrive, Adrive and Box.

Is it safe to store your files online?

Many are afraid to try cloud storage for fear that their files might get into the hands of unauthorized parties but cloud storage providers actually use encryption technologies to secure their users’ files and prevent unauthorized access. Microsoft SkyDrive and Google Drive for example, encrypt the spreadsheets and documents that you send from your computer to their cloud servers so you do not have to worry about some Wi-Fi sniffer peeking at your documents.

Dropbox, on the hand, encrypts their users’ files with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and AES-256 bit encryption. Regardless of these security measures, it still helps if you can double secure your files by password protecting your data or encrypting them with tools such as BoxCryptor, Cloudfogger and DataLocker. It also isn’t recommended that you use your cloud storage account as a digital safe to store sensitive data.

Not enough ? Check out or Top 4 Free Cloud Storage options comparision

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