Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud-Based Data Storage
Cloud-based data storage provides the following advantages:
Scalability: Most cloud-based data-storage providers let you scale your storage capacity (up or down) to align with your storage needs.
Pay for use: With most cloud-based data-storage facilities, users pay only for the storage (within a range) that they need.
Reliability: Many cloud-based data-storage facilities provide transparent data replication.
Ease of access: Most cloud-based data-storage facilities support web-based access to files from any place, at any time, using a variety of devices.
Ease of use: Many cloud-based data-storage solutions let users map a drive letter to the remote file storage area and then access the files through the use of a logical drive.
Automatic data synchronization: Most cloud-based-storage solutions can automatically sync files between the cloud and a user’s computer. If a user creates or updates a file on either, software will automatically update the other.
Disadvantages of cloud-based storage include the following:
Required Internet connection: To use cloud-based storage, your device must be connected to the Internet.
Performance: Because the cloud-based disk-storage devices are accessed over the Internet, they will never be as fast as local drives.
Security: Some users will never feel comfortable with their data in the cloud.
Data orphans: Users may abandon data in cloud-storage facilities, leaving private or company-confidential data at risk.