Explaining cloud storage

Technology advances at such a rapid pace that it can be hard for consumers to keep up. Something that maybe didn't exist as recently as a few years ago may already be considered obsolete, while some solutions that were on the periphery for years may suddenly become vital to how individuals and businesses operate.

Cloud storage likely qualifies as something that, though it's been available for many years, figures to become a bigger part of people's daily lives in the coming years. That likelihood means now is as good a time as any for consumers to familiarize themselves with cloud storage.

What is cloud storage?

According to Amazon Web Services, cloud storage is a computing model that stores data on the internet through a cloud computing provider who manages and operates data storage as a service. Items stored on cloud storage services can be accessed on demand and access is available anytime, anywhere.

How does cloud storage work?

Third party cloud vendors sell and manage storage capacity. So the relationship between cloud storage customer and vendor is not all that dissimilar than the customer-proprietor relationship when renting a physical storage unit to store items people can't or don't want to store in their homes. In return for a fee, cloud storage vendors manage data storage infrastructure, including security and durability. But unlike physical storage units, cloud storage customers won't have to drive to the outskirts of town to access their data like they might if they want to bring that old couch back into their homes. Rather, cloud storage enables convenient, instant access to data. All users need to do is log in.

How does cloud storage benefit businesses?

Cloud storage is convenient for individuals, but its most substantial impact will likely be seen in the business sector. According to AWS, businesses that choose to store their data on the cloud won't have to purchase any hardware and they'll be able to add or remove storage capacity on demand.

Is cloud storage secure?

According to SearchStorage.com, a website designed by the B2B marketing services vendor TechTarget, cloud storage security has concerned users since the early days of the technology. However, as cloud storage technology has advanced, so, too, have its security capabilities. For example, AWS notes that all cloud storage data is ideally encrypted, both at rest and in storage. Permissions and access controls should work just as well in the cloud as they do for on premises storage.

More and more individuals and businesses are utilizing cloud storage to house their data. Understanding the technology and how it can benefit users can help calm any concerns people may have about storing files on the cloud.