Cloud Computing – It’s Not Ready
Yeah, I fell for the Cloud too. Why wouldn’t I? It’s an awesome idea until you start thinking about the distance and lack of control that cloud computing puts between you and your data.
The Cloud Defined
Cloud computing, in the simplest of terms, is using resources which are not directly installed on your hard drive, but are accessed and usable via networking. A great example of cloud computing is the collection of tools offered through Google Docs.
Like Google Docs, cloud computing takes tasks that once required software downloaded onto your machine, and it puts them onto wide area networks with increased bandwidth across all systems. The benefits are numerous, especially the ones that remove cumbersome software installations and upgrade hassles.
But cloud computing is not hassle free. It’s not even heckler free. Not yet.
Amazon – A Lesson in Cloud Security
The internet as we know it is ripe for those that wish to do harm. You’ll find one news story after another about a major company losing personal data to hackers. And it’s unfortunate that each time a new technology is released, human nature compels us to jump in with both feet without fully respecting the consequences. Amazon’s recent cloud computing breaches are a prime example.
Security Cannot Be Overstated
With the potential for millions of users having their information stored in a single, remote datacenter, the importance of securing the information prior to providing the service cannot be overstated. Neither can the importance of waiting for a secured computing environment before using it.
As consumers, we must consider the risks of cloud computing seriously and take appropriate precautions. Those precautions range from avoiding cloud computing completely to assuming an entirely different identity. Between those two extremes, neither being 100% feasible by the way, we can always limit what we put into existing technologies.
Cloud Computing Demands Awareness
We can also make some demands. As consumers, we have a right to know where and how our data is stored, and who has access to that data. We also have the right to remove ourselves from a method of storage we’re not comfortable with. Cloud computing is new, and because of what it actually does, it requires us to stay on top of it.
So get informed and stay informed. This link provides a starter base of what you need to know and why.
External Resources:
1. Above the Clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing
2. Cloud Computing – Assessing the Risks
3. Understanding the Legal Risks of Cloud Computing
