The amount of data that is produced daily and stored in the cloud is nothing short of mind-boggling. By 2025, there will be over 100 zettabytes of data stored in the cloud, so it’s easy to see that the cloud is here to stay.
Just a decade ago, the cloud was only an interesting topic among IT professionals, but it seems that today just about everyone not only knows about the cloud but also uses it. And if you think that you can’t escape cloud storage, you’re absolutely right.
But that’s not a bad thing. There are a lot of benefits to storing and backing up your data on a cloud hard drive. This technology isn’t just something that will fizzle out and be forgotten. If you know why cloud storage is important and how it works, it’s time to delve into all the benefits it can offer.
Benefits of Cloud Hard Drive
Traditional ways of storing data are impractical and expensive. When you take all the elements you need to keep your data safe and properly maintained into account, you can easily see that it’s not sustainable to keep up with old methods.
Making sure you have storage devices and space, electrical power, a good IT team, and security is a waste of time if you can simply opt for cloud storage. If you choose to use a cloud service, you can expect the following benefits.
Spending less money
All of the above-mentioned traditional storage requirements are not only a chore, but they’re also expensive. All of the things you need to pay for and the equipment you need to purchase don’t come cheap. And the bigger your storage needs are, the higher the costs go.
With a cloud storage hard drive, that isn’t a concern because you will only have to pay a monthly fee for the cost of cloud storage. One of the things we learned from the beginner’s guide to cloud storage is that one of the biggest pros of using a cloud hard drive is affordability.
Certain solutions will charge you based on how much storage space your data uses, but no matter how big of a fee you pay, it will still be the more affordable option even if you need extra cloud storage.
Having full accessibility
Unlike old-fashioned personal storage methods that allowed you to access your data from only one or two devices, a cloud storage hard drive can be accessed from any device. This is true regardless of whether you’re using a PC or a mobile device.
All you need to do is have an internet connection that will get you to your online storage and you can access your personal cloud account.
Simple and efficient recovery
Losing important data and files can bring dire and catastrophic consequences, especially for businesses. If you become the target of a ransomware attack or suffer disk failures, your computer systems will be wiped clean and you won’t have access to them, which will lead to downtime until you can get access to your files back.
However, with a hard drive cloud backup solution, you can retrieve all of your important information within minutes from your cloud accounts and your company won’t suffer. And if you want to ensure you can always get your files from your backup drive, enable automatic backup and file versioning.
Improved security
Just like technology is on the rise, so is cybercrime. Unfortunately, there aren’t any ways to get rid of malicious parties who are trying to attack your systems. But there is a way you can protect your data from them, and that is to use cloud storage services.
Storing your data on a cloud hard drive means entrusting it to IT professionals that have used their expertise to implement the highest security measures to protect your data. If you want to step up your cybersecurity, using the cloud is a good first step.
Types of Cloud Storage
When we say “cloud hard drive”, it’s important to understand that the cloud is a bit more complex than some people realize and that there are actually a couple of types of cloud storage.
To be more precise, there are four of them. If you want to take full advantage of having a hard drive cloud backup system in place, you need to understand the four different types of cloud storage and choose the one that suits your needs best.
Private cloud storage
Also known as enterprise or internal storage, private cloud storage is a type of storage where data is stored on the company’s intranet on personal cloud devices and protected by the company’s firewall.
This is a great choice for organizations that manage their data privacy in-house and have expensive data centers.
A big advantage of using private cloud storage is that you as the user have complete control over your data. However, since you’re the one who will be putting the effort into maintenance and performing regular updates, you will have to invest a sizable amount of time and money.
Public cloud storage
Public cloud storage doesn’t require the user to maintain the system as it’s hosted by a solution provider. It can be accessed online by the person who has authorization and stores all of its data on a dedicated cloud server.
A common public cloud storage solution you might have heard of is Google Cloud, which can perform file backup on multiple types of files. Google Cloud is a freemium platform you can access from your PC or mobile device. You only have to pay for it if you need extra cloud storage.
Public cloud storage services are popular amongst businesses and individuals because they are affordable, scalable, reliable, highly secure, and don’t require any maintenance or monitoring. Some public cloud storage solutions are free, but they come with a limited storage plan.
Hybrid cloud storage
If you’re looking to get the best of both worlds, hybrid cloud storage might be the solution for you. As the name suggests, it’s a mixture of private and public storage.
When you opt for a hybrid solution, your data can be stored on a private cloud while the information processing tasks are handled on a public cloud. Using hybrid cloud storage is more affordable than going the private route and it offers more customization and user control than public cloud storage.
Community cloud storage
Finally, we have community cloud storage, which is a variation of private cloud storage. It offers cloud solutions for specific organizations and cloud storage providers allow users to access their software, cloud architecture, and all necessary development tools.
The data that is stored on a community cloud needs to meet the requirements set by the community itself and has to abide by the community’s compliance and security needs. This type of storage is great for organizations that have strict compliance policies such as those in the legal or financial niche.
Public Cloud Backup vs. Private Cloud Backup
Let’s put a bit more focus on the two most popular types of cloud storage options, which are public and private. If you’re thinking about what option to go with for your business, you should know that they both have their benefits and that enterprises use an average of 2.6 public and 2.7 private clouds.
Public cloud storage wasn’t designed specifically for enterprise usage, but rather for many different use-cases. Since it’s meant to cater to millions of users, it’s very endurable and secure, which makes it perfect for long-time retention and backup.
However, public cloud providers might not care about possible compliance issues and some users are concerned with shared data tenancy. From a business perspective, a public cloud may not be the smartest idea if you’re handling a lot of sensitive information.
As we already mentioned, the biggest drawbacks of private cloud backup are the maintenance and updates that come along with running your own backup. However, larger enterprises that can afford to hire an on-site IT team and have sensitive information they wish to protect would be better off with a private cloud.
Of course, the one you opt for will ultimately be your decision depending on the features you’re looking for.
Bottom Line
If you’re still using old methods to store your data, it’s time to enter the 21st century and get on the cloud. Regardless of whether you’re looking for a storage solution for your business or just for yourself, you can’t go wrong with choosing the cloud.
Get rid of those bulky external drives, forget about fiddling with the USB port and looking for that tiny flash drive, and allow yourself to store your information in a safe and affordable way. The cloud is here to stay, and if you want to keep up with modern times, you should know that you absolutely need a cloud hard drive.
