• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Break in the Cloud

andruoid

andruoid

Android Expert
I have 2 'free' online services and they sure are easier to sync and find my emails, calendar, etc from either my laptop or phone. However, I'm just not so sure I want 3rd parties to house my info anymore. I'm responsible enough to take care of my data (backup) so that's not an issue. If I decide to drop 1 or both services I'd just use my ISPs web mail.

Good or bad I'm getting alarmed by MS's and Google's ability to log everything in my online world when I'm using their services. As an example; I've shutout Google Now on my phone as before I opted in it knew where I worked in a matter of 3 days. I'm not to concerned with what they have it's how they get it without asking. I'd like a prompt saying: "we are going to log this ____ now, do you accept/decline."

This is a personal decision and what I do may not be inline with someone elses opinion. In the next day or 2 I'm going to make up my mind.

What is everyone's take on the subject?

-
 
Funny, minutes ago, I was just about to start backing my documents and emails to Mozy and just before it engaged, I closed and rebooted... I have a side drive and it’ll do. Then again, just having my Android means I’m already sharing everything current.
 
Dropbox. Fastest, most useful and flexible of all cloud storage services. Secure and reliable.

I avoid anything Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, Google Now, Google+, Facebook etc. But I do use some basic Google stuff - calendar, gmail, contacts, Google Drive and Google Voice. Some things are just too handy to resist.
 
I use dropbox, though, I wish I used it more. I have tons of space just waiting for files. And I'm always misplacing files having to get them from backups or gmail.

It's weird, but I don't have a problem with google knowing just as much about me as I know about me. They provide useful services in exchange for information (which most of the time makes their various services run better/smarter). But the paranoid in me doesn't mind feeding facebook/MS bad data every know and then. ;)

I just find gmail/calendar/drive/dropbox far too convenient for the time being. *shrug*
 
I'm very anti-cloud. But in a qualified sort of way. I think people who rely on 'the cloud' for storing all of their stuff, especially business stuff, are morons. :eek: As I've said before, all it takes is one power outage, one Internet outage, one hack, one DDoS attack, one...any number of things, to drive home just how stupid it is to trust your valuable files to some place out in cyberspace. Now, for backing things up? No problem! But for relying on the cloud for your actual working files. I-D-I-O-T-I-C.
 
MoodyBlues said:
I'm very anti-cloud. But in a qualified sort of way. I think people who rely on 'the cloud' for storing all of their stuff, especially business stuff, are morons. :eek: As I've said before, all it takes is one power outage, one Internet outage, one hack, one DDoS attack, one...any number of things, to drive home just how stupid it is to trust your valuable files to some place out in cyberspace. Now, for backing things up? No problem! But for relying on the cloud for your actual working files. I-D-I-O-T-I-C.
Click to expand...


Sadly, the big vendors are pushing us into the clouds. For better or worse, in my opinion, we will be forced to use the cloud not so very far down the road.

I use DFT and it gives me more space than I can possibly use today, so the issue for me is security. Being told that nothing can go wrong and my crap is safe is something I've listened to every year for many years.

Fact is, accounts are hacked and we are generally told it "can't happen to us...your SSN is safe...on and on." Then it happens and we kick ourselves for trusting a rather insecure system.

At least with Dropbox, your files exist on the cloud (or is it in the cloud?) as well as on your system.

These various strategies are designed to make life easier. That said, perhaps we should avoid the ease of use and avoid some of these services. That will depend upon your needs and situation, i suppose.

Servers can fail, but we have backups. We are nervous when it comes to relying on Cloud Storage and rightly so.

Like I always say, just assume everything you post online will be taken and used by someone else and let that guide your decisions.
 
Definitely being pushed to the cloud. Apple's been doing it for a while with their iCloud or whatever it's called. Installed the new Office '13 at work last week, and MS is now pushing their SkyDrive cloud thing.

In fact, 'the cloud' is such a loathed term in some IT circles, that a firefox/chrome plugin was created that does a text replace turning 'the cloud' into 'my butt'.

(Note, if you already have that plugin installed, you saw a lot of my butt in that post :p :rofl: )

And cloud storage makes thing tricky for a lot of people as far as compliance is concerned. There's a lot of data that you really don't want to let out of your sights.
 
9to5cynic said:
In fact, 'the cloud' is such a loathed term in some IT circles, that a firefox/chrome plugin was created that does a text replace turning 'the cloud' into 'my butt'.
Click to expand...


:D:congrats:

/back on topic
Personally I use Dropbox, Box.net, and Google Drive, but truly the best way to protect data is encryption like TrueCrypt. if your data is in a container this can make it harder for smoneon to steal/snoop.

Just having a phone, your location is tracked within 2000 meters using towers, and can easily be triangulated down to 5-20 meters with GPS and WIFI.

Only way around it really is to turn off your phone. If Google doesn't have the data Verizon does. If Verizon doesn't Apple does. If Apple doesn't Microsoft does, if MS doesn't Facebook does. And these are just the groups that have public reputations to protect.


For me the worst part is managing keeping track of old services and website i used in the past. I never seem to find the time to go back and delete accounts or update passwords, etc.

All my current accounts are protected via 2-factor, but damn I'm sure there is a lot of old software and site I used I really should update/check up on.

For me, Google is the least of my worries regarding privacy and security.

Not because they are perfect, but there is so much else to look after.


Oh, I also use Crashplan, and wrote my own java applet for generating the twofish key. I'll post the source to github if anyone is interested.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom