By Chris Versaci CLOUD SECURITY

WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING? Cloud computing is a concept that involves a large number of computers connected through a real-time communication network such as the internet. When you use the cloud, your computer communicates with a network of servers. Some of these servers specialize in storing data, while others use their computing power to run applications. Some services that use the cloud are Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Google Docs, Facebook, and Dropbox.

BENEFITS OF THE CLOUD The cloud improves accessibility by having access to it anytime and anywhere. You can get more work done in less time and with less people. You can monitor projects more effectively and stay within budget and stay ahead of completion times. You have practically unlimited storage and don’t have to worry about running out of storage space. With your information being stored on the cloud, it is a lot easier to back up and restore it than it would be to do it on a physical device. It is also very cost efficient to use the cloud.

SECURITY ISSUES WITH THE CLOUD This deals with who is able to access a certain users cloud data. Users have to understand that they are uploading potentially sensitive information to the internet. Nothing is completely secure and there are people who look for ways to access other peoples information. Users should choose a cloud provider that is very reputable and can trust to keep their information secure. One method that users could use to decrease the chance of their data getting hacked into is to have complex passwords which involve capital letter and numbers.

PRIVACY ISSUES WITH THE CLOUD This deals with a users data being stored or if its being used for advertising purposes. Users have to trust that the providers will not use their data for any other purpose than it being stored on their service. Many cloud providers will have the user accept a terms of service that shows that the provider will not abuse the users information. For example Facebook’s terms of service states: "You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings."

MORE DISADVANTAGES OF THE CLOUD Cloud outages. There is always a chance that a cloud server will shut down even from the most popular and reliable providers. Data transfers. It can be very time consuming if a business is trying to transfer a large amount of data into or out of a server. One way to speed this is to put the data on a flash drive and mail it to the cloud provider so they can upload it to the physical server. Compatibility. This is making sure that every existing tool, software, and computer is compatible with the web based service. Unpredicted costs. Even though the cloud can be very cost efficient for businesses and companies, there can also be some unexpected expenses. Moving to the cloud for the first time can end up costing quite a bit.