Do you consider cloud storage like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, etc a backup solution.

[willie aames]

Different file versions count against your quota on GDrive, so in this respect it's worse than Dropbox if you have big files synced which you often modify.

 

[connie23]

Since most of you mentioned the popular clouds, I would like to recommend Baidu Cloud and 360 Cloud. They are easy to use for me at least. Pay attention to those clouds if someone would like to have a try, as they are based in China.

 

[sfx2000]

Since most of you mentioned the popular clouds, I would like to recommend Baidu Cloud and 360 Cloud. They are easy to us for me at least.

Anything based in China - perhaps not...

 

[connie23]

Anything based in China - perhaps not...

Well, I don't think it's so bad as you think. For me, it's ok.

 

[Nullity]

Anything based in China - perhaps not...

If you encrypt before uploading or "have nothing to hide" (sarcasm implied), what major problems exist when using cloud services?

 

[L&LD]

If you encrypt before uploading or "have nothing to hide" (sarcasm implied), what major problems exist when using cloud services?

Like anything 'cloud', today they're here, tomorrow... who knows?

If it's a third or fourth backup, no problem. If it is the only backup (as that is how I see many people using it)? Huge.

 

[RMerlin]

Like anything 'cloud', today they're here, tomorrow... who knows?

If it's a third or fourth backup, no problem. If it is the only backup (as that is how I see many people using it)? Huge.

Those services wouldn't disappear without you noticing however. So if the service shuts down, you just have to make sure to get a replacement service ASAP.

You'd have to be very unlucky to have a disk failure requiring recovery at the exact same time as the cloud backup service went away. That's why using cloud-based backup isn't an issue, provided you have a plan B for the situation where they might close down.

 

[L&LD]

Those services wouldn't disappear without you noticing however. So if the service shuts down, you just have to make sure to get a replacement service ASAP.

You'd have to be very unlucky to have a disk failure requiring recovery at the exact same time as the cloud backup service went away. That's why using cloud-based backup isn't an issue, provided you have a plan B for the situation where they might close down.

There are examples of exactly that happening (effectively). Cloud 'x' gone in 30 days or less, poof.

We agree about the second part and is why I specifically mentioned that if it's a third or fourth backup it isn't an issue at all. The issue is that most people that think they have a 'backup' of their data only have it in one place (either physical or in the cloud). Many of my customers are surprised that a 'backup' is actually multiple, identical, copies of the same data on different media, locations and/or both.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Since most of you mentioned the popular clouds, I would like to recommend Baidu Cloud and 360 Cloud. They are easy to use for me at least. Pay attention to those clouds if someone would like to have a try, as they are based in China.

Read up on the history of Baidu and Qihoo...the tactics in their global expansion...and the "real" driving force behind them.....there is much..MUCH more to their software than just what appears on the surface. If you can get going on the thought process...I'll give a hint...look at the politics of China, and their view of the rest of the world.

I would format and reinstall the OS from scratch...any computer that had any software from either of those companies on it.

 

[sfx2000]

I'll give a hint...look at the politics of China, and their view of the rest of the world.

Amen - I don't trust clouds based in China - and I'm not trying to be political - at least here in the US, there is some level of legal stuff that one can...

I used to attend standards meetings, and the ones in China - burner phones only, and reimage laptops once we got home...

 

[willie aames]

I used dropbox now a days.

 

[Mindthoughts]

I only use a dropbox.

 

[Shamtes]

Of course I do. I use Flickr for my photos and Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox etc for all the other files. But I don't back up my system files.

 

[CrazyCanuck]

That's one of the things I like about Carbonite: you can generate your own private encryption key. This means even Carbonite's employees cannot access your data. However it also means you need to make sure you keep a safe copy of that key, otherwise in case of a disaster, you won't be able to access your own backup.

I lost a file on that site and never used it since. It just disappeared out of the blue.

 

[ng4ever]

I use Dropbox with Boxifier!

 

[wyfy]

*places tin foil hat on head*

Y'all trust putting your most precious files one password away from the entire internet? I only put junk in the cloud.

 

[Rohan]

*places tin foil hat on head*

Y'all trust putting your most precious files one password away from the entire internet? I only put junk in the cloud.

good quality encryption of what you put in the cloud before uploading and 2 factor verification to access whats in the cloud puts you much more than one pass word away.

 

[Lt. Col. Obvious]

It's creepy as hell that the bulk of "Security cameras" I see in stores now either don't have local storage as a default or it's not even programmed to do it. I set up some cameras at my new office back in November and 4 separate brands that I tried were all set up bu downloading the right program on your phone and using that to make an account with the vendor and tell the camera the local SSID and wifi password. Then you could log in through the app from anywhere, and had the convenient option to pay extra for "online dvr."

None of those models were willing to disclose a default login/pass account to access the camera directly, or any port information. I have no idea if they all lie about it or they genuinely have no idea that that's even a thing. I emailed and when possible called tech support on all 4 of them and every single one of them told me there wasn't any sort of web page or server access in the camera itself and all the security settings are in the app, not the camera. Since it happened with all of them... I really think they probably didn't know. No one does. People are buying spy cameras termed as security cameras. Connecting a 24/7 live video and audio stream that they gave access to their local network, likely while still using the default password for their router. Two brands I tried from Walmart, Merkury and Altec Lansing (GVA pack, w/ camera and google assistant Bluetooth speaker) both streamed the feed constantly. None of them would set up or operate on a network with no internet access. The "security cameras" required having a live external link to function . Both are OEM cameras made by a Chinese manufacturer and sold under a dozen names and with slightly different shells. That's a huge thing now. Altec Lansing is owned by one and the camera in the bundle is made by another shell company they own.

I don't have a better word other than creepy, unless I say the world's losing it's mind or people are way stupider than I'd ever thought. Am I insane and paranoid to want to be able to control the actual feed and security of the camera itself? And... so many speakers and TVs and soundbars are not Google/Alexa/Etc enabled. But those aren't the companies making them, and I don't believe anyone's doing much of anything to make sure they're only connecting where they should. It's not me I'm worried about. No way in hell I'm setting life feeds up on my high value gemstones, but it's kind of terrifying to consider that sort of ignorance being taken advantage of in a coordinated attack. Millions of remote controlled constant communicating streams of information on the people and network infrastructure, passwords and account numbers all pouring on to a central data center? A $30 crappy Google Assistant speaker can test the password on your router. It's on the secure side of the network already, and allowed to phone home already. It has probably far more permissions than it needs on your Android phone, and you already gave one email address and password just to make an account.

How many years do you think it would take having hundreds of millions then quickly billions of these data points and able to conduct networking tests and slowly 'see' more before they'd be able to completely destabilize a large country, possibly beyond recovery, without ever lifting a single weapon?