This is a web-based service providing a storage space on the server. The cloud drives which have client-side software can be accessed over the Internet and have been beneficial in backing up files. The cloud drive provider offers a free but limited online storage space and any additional storage can be purchased for a monthly or yearly basis. The symbol for the internet on the flow charts is how the word ‘cloud’ originated. Backing up files and data is so crucial especially in today’s context when security and hardware issues remain prevalent. Hard disk failures and malware attacks call for the need of cloud hard drives. While copying data to an external hard drive is both quicker and inexpensive, the cloud storage services have their precedence when it comes to utility and safety.
Advantages of Cloud Hard drives
It is more user-friendly to turn to cloud servers as your data saviors rather than physical hard drives. Some of the many features cloud drive includes is the file synching mechanism wherein you can have access to the recent copies of your files. Small businesses and individual users can now protect their data and electronic media without purchasing or maintaining external hard drives and file servers. The service provider has to enable access to the stored data, esure availability and maintain the servers. There is easy accessibility using the cloud for storage so you can access your files anywhere you can find an internet connection. It is literally a rescue in time of hard drive failure or hardware malfunction. When working on cloud drive any file that you make changes to will be synched and updated across all of your devices to access from the cloud at a later point of time. There is an additional layer of security provided by the cloud service since many people have their files stored on the cloud. So safety is offered in a way that your files are not acquired by anyone else who is not supposed to reach them.
Comparing Cloud Storage vs External Hard Disk drives
Universal access
It is common knowledge that if backing up your files is not easy then you might not do it frequently or everytime you are saving some important information on your computer. This is why it is essential that you choose a backup plan which works effortlessly on any device. Thus, in matters of accessibility cloud storage and backup surpasses any external hard drive since all you need is an internet connection for transferring files. In addition, if you want to transfer files like pictures and videos from your smartphone when Wi-Fi facility is not available, you can do so if you have a good mobile network data package. Nevertheless if you want to transfer anything from your mobile to an external hard drive you will have to connect your mobile to the computer and the computer to a hard drive. This becomes a hassle and tedious process when a lot of wires are needed and you cannot easily transfer files when on the move.
Synch Technology
This helpful technology runs in the background of your device all the time and automatically updates any modified files to your storage space. This means your files are being backed up constantly when any edits or changes are made and you won’t need to worry about it for weeks on end. The automatic backup software can run on external hard drives as well but for that your device needs to be connected all the time. This is not always possible when mobile devices are used and only increases the chances of your drive failing.
Cost along with quality
It may initially appear that hard drives are a cheaper solution but in actuality cloud storage subscription cuts down any extra costs that you may encounter later on. The cheapest solution on the forefront would be hard drives for they cost terabytes of storage for well under $100 while cloud storage requires a monthly subscription which may seem overwhelming for people at first. Nonetheless on a closer look you will see what benefits you are reaping due to the pricing difference. In case of any external drive failures the warranty will pay the cost of the drive itself. The downside of this is that the manufacturer won’t help you recover your files which can cause a loss of $1000 or more and may not even work to the best of its ability. However with cloud servers there is no chance that your files will be lost or misplaced which is because there are redundant copies of your files saved on a variety of servers worldwide. Also, if you accidentally delete any files you can get file versioning and advanced recovery options.
Security
External hard drives play an equally important role in security issues but the cloud storage providers use encryption for maximum storage and file safety. Security used to be a major concern for cloud users as many of them lost their personal data when their computers got hacked but cloud storage has now come a long way and has built enough credibility amongst people. The secure cloud systems now use virtually uncrackable 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption to protect your data before it even leaves your devices. Some services even offer zero-knowledge encryption meaning that only you are aware of your encryption key and so if a hacker got hold of your data, he won’t be able to decode it. In contrast it is true that security on hard drives is unparalleled suggesting that the hacker will not be able to access your hard disk unless it is connected to your computer. However, if you want to gain security and reliability both in the same package, then hard drives do not seem a very attractive option. This is proven by the fact that more than half a quarter of all modern hard drives fail before the end of their warranty period. Thus, the aftermath of this is that recovering your data may either cost you a lot or may not even be possible.
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