Online+Storage;+Using,+Collaboration,+Back-up,+&+Security

Luke Wier CIS 125 Research Paper **__Online Storage; Using, Collaboration, Back-Up and Security __**  Due to my own personal skepticism, I chose to research the topic of online storage. Before I delve into the different websites and services offered as well as their uses, I would like to take a close look the security available to you, the consumer, when using these types of online storage sites. One can never be too careful when it comes to protecting personal and confidential information on the internet. With more and more manufacturers leaning towards “cloud” storage of your personal files, I think this an important topic to research.

Several types of security for online storage exist. Let’s take a look at a few of them. Transport Layer Security (TSL) – TSL is a type of encryption used for online communications. This method uses cryptography to encrypt data as it sent over the internet from one host to another (i.e., from your computer to a data server), in order to prevent eavesdropping and tampering of data. Before data is uploaded or downloaded, the two hosts engage in an authentication process to determine every piece of data traded is a verified secure communication. TSL is the industry standard for web communications. It is used not only by online storage services but web-based email services, high-profile ecommerce websites, financial institutions and more. Any reputable website that asks for personal information or credit card information should use TSL encryption. (Neilsen) Secure Socket Layer (SSL) – The predecessor of TSL is also an encryption method used to safely transmit data online. SSL is considered a safe and secure method, but from a security standpoint, TSL is preferred. (Neilsen)

 Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) – AES is the encryption of electronic data and the standard encryption method of the U.S. government. While TSL and SSL are used to encrypt data while it’s being transferred, AES is used for data in rest, or while it’s being stored on a data server. With this method, a single electronic key is used to both encrypt data as it enters a server and decrypt it as it leaves. An AES key can contain 128, 192 or 256 bits; 256 bits is preferred, as it provides increased security. (Neilsen)

 Folder Permissions – Folder permissions allow you to establish permissions when sharing files. The permissions determine what users who are invited to view the files can do, whether it’s simply viewing them or editing and deleting the files. (Neilsen) Password Protection – As with any online account, password protection should be utilized to prevent unauthorized access to your account. If an online storage service allows sub-accounts, they should be password protected as well. (Neilsen)

 Now that we have taken a look at the different types of security available the next step is to look at a few of the different services offered online; JustCloud.com, Dropbox, and Mozy to name a few. I will not cover all of the online storage sites available as that would take too much time and would make for a boring read. I would suggest looking at [|this site] in order to view detailed aspects and ratings of certain online storage/back-up services.

[|Dropbox] allows you to create an account for free. The free account allows up to 2GB of storage starting out with the ability to increase your free storage for referrals of others to use their site. Dropbox does have options to increase storage for monthly or annual fees as well. Dropbox also has an app that you can download to your apple or android phone/tablet which allows access to whatever files you have stored in your account. The files stored online can be viewed, edited, and printed from any computer/phone/tablet with internet access. Their website is interactive and informative regarding aspects of their service. Dropbox has a plain English [|privacy policy and terms page]. It is very clear on what they will and will not do with your information. Dropbox (as well as other online storage sites I will discuss further in the text) allows for sharing of stored files for collaboration or simply viewing.

 [|Justcloud.com] is an online back-up and storage service. It uses a desktop application to continuously back-up your files on your computer. You can take a look at their [|“How it works”] site by clicking [|here]. Justcloud.com allows you to synchronize your uploaded/backed-up files between numerous devices as well as share them with family, friends, and co-workers for collaboration. With their service, you can choose a back-up schedule in order to have it run in the background so files are backed-up without you having to do anything. Interestingly enough, thus far Amazon.com is the host of both Dropbox and Justcloud.com services. Amazon’s servers are used to store your information. Personally, I find it a bit coincidental that Amazon is “willing” to store and back up information for millions of people worldwide and host two of the top online storage services.

[|Mozy] is another similar service I mentioned above. Exploring their site leads me to believe they do not offer any more of a service than Dropbox or Justcloud.com. Mozy offers online storage, back-up, file synchronization and collaboration. You can upload files, photos, music, and more for your own personal use and for sharing with others. I did notice that Mozy has a [|reseller program] for businesses that want to re-sell their services. The other two sites I reviewed above may have this option as well, but Mozy does make the option to resell very obvious. Mozy appears to be owned by Decho Corporation. Reading through its privacy policy and terms, it is possible for Decho to collect personal information, location information, cookies, and your IP address. It is stated that your information will not be shared with third parties, but may in fact share your information with other Decho Corp. companies. If you are interested in reading through Mozy/Decho Corp. polices, you can by clicking [|here]. Be sure to read each tab located across the top of the screen.

 Using the services I mentioned above seems to be as simple as creating an account with the particular service you are interested in. Services offered range from smaller free accounts to monthly contracts for gigabytes of storage/back-up. A handful of sites allow for unlimited storage with a set monthly fee. Along with their service comes some sort of proprietary application either for your desktop or your mobile device.

 Wikipedia’s definition of collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. Collaborating on a file, project, or presentation is possible with all of the sites I researched. As the owner of the file, you have to create it, upload it, and allow sharing (whether via a link sent to another collaborator or a temporary password) in order for a group of users to team up on that particular file. Collaboration seems to be a popular method in today’s business world in order to achieve desired results on certain projects. With the ability to work on files from numerous locations, work can be completed in a more efficient fashion than if a physical meeting in one location was required for the same collaboration.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> In closing, I personally learned a fair amount by completing this course project. The options for online storage, back-up, and collaboration are endless. Some larger companies are more eager to offer storage and for a lesser cost than others. I am not too sure of my comfort level on this. Although I am more at ease with the security in place and how secure my actual file(s) is/are on some of these sites, I am not sure I will give in to the fad just yet. The wording and terminology used in the privacy polices/terms of use has me a slight bit uncomfortable (even paranoid) of the ways my information and files may be used. I can definitely see the benefits of using online storage as well as the ease of access for a person’s stored files. At this time I would still suggest keeping those items you want private, exactly that… private. Store them on your personal computer, personal flash drive, or external hard drive and keep them in a safe secure location.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bibliography __** //“//2012 Best Online Storage Service Comparisons and Reviews.” //Top 10 Reviews.//n.d.Web. 23 August 2012. Neilsen, Katie. “Online Storage Services: How Secure is Your Data?” //Top 10 Reviews//.n.d. Web. 23 August 2012. Homepage. //Dropbox.com//. n.d.Web. 23 August 2012. Homepage. //Justcloud.com//. n.d.Web. 23 August 2012. Homepage. //Mozy.com//. n.d.Web. 23 August 2012. “Collaboration.” //Wikipedia.// 21 August 2012. Web. 23 August 2012. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">** I tried to edit this page to make it appear similar to the document I created in MS Word. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">It seems to be as close as I can get it, however, it looks better in MS Word. **