It’s 2022, and now cloud storage has become one of the most efficient methods for organizations to store data online. Data is an important asset for an organization, and they want to ensure that it’s saved securely. The majority of them have sided with cloud storage because it has gained considerable traction in the storage space. In cloud storage, your data is saved at a remote location that can be accessed using the Internet.
There are several cloud storage service providers on the Internet however, most of them are too expensive for a small or medium-sized company to afford. Fortunately, almost every company offers discount codes and deals to their customers, such as PCloud Discount Codes. Before considering buying it, you should know the benefits and risks of cloud storage. Here in this article, we will discuss five benefits and risks of using a cloud storage service. So, let’s start.
5 Benefits of Using Cloud Storage
- Accessibility
- Disaster Recovery
- Automation
- Security
- Scalability
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Accessibility
Cloud Storage lets you store data remotely from anywhere around the world. It’s a great option when your team is located in a different time zone, or your work requires you to travel a lot. Cloud storage helps in collaborating data when you’re company office is spread in other countries. The only thing you to access your files is Internet access.
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Disaster Recovery
Recovering data is the hurdle that no company wants to encounter that’s where cloud storage helps you. In cloud storage, your files are stored and backed up in an external device, and the source of your data is thousands of miles away from your location. Simply, it means that there are lower chances of losing data, and even if you did, the cloud storage already creates a backup of your data.
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Automation
The cloud storage is managed and automated by the cloud vendor, which means that if one user is using a cloud storage service, the other user won’t be affected by his task. There may be multiple people using the cloud at the same time, so you don’t have to worry about any system failure because its automation makes it efficient.
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Security
The primary concern of every organization is data security. Once the data is saved on the cloud, the owner can take relief because their data is safe and secure. Cloud storage provides more than one security layer to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to the files. The data is sent over the Internet using encryption technology, which ensures the highest measure of safety is upheld.
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Scalability
Cloud storage is scalable and flexible for organizations because they can increase or decrease the plan of storage according to their business needs. If your data is increasing, you can upgrade the service plan. You don’t need to move your data from one location to another since the extra storage will be added to your current storage. Similarly, if your business shrinks or your data is reducing, you can choose less storage space by contacting your service provider.
5 Risks of Using Cloud Storage
- Network Dependency
- Lack of Control
- Security and Privacy Concerns
- Fixed Contracts
- Problematic to Migrate
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Network Dependency
A suitable network connection is required to use cloud storage. Cloud storage methods are completely reliant on a high-speed internet connection. As a result, you won’t be able to use clouds unless you have access to the Internet. You could also be in trouble if your Internet connection is slow. As a result, you must always keep in mind that many regions lack a stable network connection. Your access to remotely saved data will be lost if your Internet connection goes down. When your organization relies largely on cloud storage, Internet failure might result in costly downtime. Furthermore, if your Internet connection is slow, accessing your remotely saved data will take a lengthy time.
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Lack of Control
There’s no guarantee that data stored in cloud storage is completely safe. Especially, for a big organization that requires a great extent of customization. Users have no control over their data because it is kept on remote servers in multiple places. As a result, cloud providers are unable to meet data control requirements. It is likely to be a problem for larger companies with sophisticated storage requirements. This usually necessitates a level of customization that cloud data storage providers are unable to provide.
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Security and Privacy Concerns
In cloud storage, the organization gives its confidential information to a third-party company. Before entrusting your data to a cloud storage service, you must have complete confidence in their ability to keep your data safe. Cloud storage businesses have been known to experience issues in the past. Dropbox, for example, released its clients’ sensitive data in 2014 due to a security flaw in its infrastructure. Tax returns and mortgage applications were among the information leaked. The National Security Agency, a governmental intelligence organization in the United States, has been accused of snooping on data held by cloud storage businesses. Codespace, a large cloud data storage provider, was forced to shut down in 2014 after a hacker erased all of its customers’ data.
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Fixed Contracts
Many cloud storage service providers try to trap the customers into long term contracts which is a big disadvantage for an organization. If the company needs to reduce their storage size they can’t do it because of the fixed contracts.
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Difficult to Migrate
It’s difficult to move data to another cloud storage service once you’ve signed up and started using one. ‘Vendor lock-in’ is a term used to describe this occurrence. Vendor lock-in is a major issue for medium-to-large enterprises that store substantial volumes of data with a single cloud provider. If you have issues with that service, switching to another provider may be difficult due to the sheer volume of data and the associated difficulties.
Last Words
Although there are benefits and risks of cloud storage, it has gained popularity among big tech companies. Several small and medium-sized companies are also moving towards cloud storage because of its accessibility, scalability, and automation. Cloud storage certainly needs more improvement since it holds the potential to change the structure of online storage.
