Online Storage
Online storage is a valuable resource that has both advantages and disadvantages.
Regarding the positive aspects, one of the significant benefits of cloud storage is that you can
access it from anywhere, if you have an internet connection. With the enhanced security of
online storage, it is much harder for malware or viruses to obtain your data. Compared to
physical storage, it is much more difficult to corrupt data utilizing online storage, as the data
could easily be destroyed by an electrical surge or by merely dropping the hard drive.
Conversely, regarding the negative aspects, one of the primary disadvantages of online storage is
that one cannot access it without the internet. Next, online storages are vulnerable to data
breaches. Do you remember the massive data breach that Yahoo had in 2016 (Morris, 2021)?
That example is one example of many. Lastly, aside from certain conditions, it will likely have a
cost. For example, while Microsoft outlook provides 5 GB of storage for free, you will have to
pay out of pocket if you require more. It is worth noting that although other sites offer more than
5 GB of storage free of charge, be advised that these sites are likely unsafe. Despite the
disadvantages of online storage, I resolutely believe that the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages.
Due to this belief, I plan to use it regularly. The accessibility is beneficial when I am at
home or work. I can access what I need, whether it be schoolwork or paperwork for my job. This
way, if I am traveling somewhere, whatever needs to be worked on can be worked on. Online
storage can also back up any items on the computer, so external storage will not be needed. Cost
is not an issue, since it will mainly be used for work or school, and both provide it. For the most
part, if online storage is not used for these things, it will most likely be used as external storage,
so it will end up being used to back up files to mitigate risk. Any posts anyone makes has a
chance to be hacked or get infected with malware; take LinkedIn, for example. Back in June,
they had a database breach that resulted in 700 million affected individuals (Selyukh, 2017). But,
if the proper precautions are taken, you should not have any issues using online storage.
References
Morris, Chris. “LinkedIn Data Theft Exposes Personal Information of 700 Million People.”
Fortune, 2021, fortune.com/2021/06/30/linkedin-data-theft-700-million-users-personalinformation-cybersecurity/.
Selyukh, Alina. “Every Yahoo Account That Existed in Mid-2013 Was Likely Hacked.”
NPR.org, 3 Oct. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/03/555016024/everyyahoo-account-that-existed-in-mid-2013-was-likely-hacked.