No Data Too Big Or Sensitive For The Cloud - Security and the Cloud

Private Cloud and Public Cloud

Since its inception and ensuing rapid acceptance by data-driven companies as well as individual users, cloud services for data recovery needs and storage of discriminatory information has proven to be a practical and versatile alternative to less dependable data storage devices. The quickness and ease with which data can be accessed through the cloud has completely replaced hard drive storage methods that meant users had to boot up their computer, load special software (a memory stick, for example) and hopefully, pull up the data they needed.

In addition to advanced benefits of cloud-kept data, cloud storage capability has minimal restrictions regarding the amount of data placed in remote servers. Moreover, with encryption technology available to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive data, government, hospital and other organizations responsible for safeguarding immense amounts of compelling information can now depend on cloud services for depositing unique data for future utilization.

Security and the Cloud

Early cloud services experienced problems in keeping data free from security breaches or loss of integrity. However, these "holes" were quickly detected, repaired and re-developed to prevent additional breach events from occurring. Due to cloud services now offering cutting-edge technology that integrates applications specifically designed to protect sensitive information from escaping through less than optimal server apertures, organizations and multinational companies are depending more heavily on the efficacy of cloud storage.

How Cloud Services Contain, Protect and Defend Sensitive Information

Data encryption--encoding information placed in the cloud allows only authorized personnel to read this "encrypted" information. Although hackers may be able to access the data, they will not be able to read it. Information encrypted using an algorithm that incorporates encryption keys is called "ciphertext". Classified encrypted data stored in a cloud can only be decoded by people who have access to a secret decryption key. Encryption services provided by cloud providers include key-generated algorithms capable of producing random lists or a series of keys that are impossible to decode.

Increasing redundancy of cloud infrastructure--redundancy provides the security of knowing that any problems affecting a cloud service's infrastructure will not affect the integrity or accessibility of important information. Nearly all cloud providers now safeguard stored information by operating autonomous and geographically remote data facilities to ensure clients have uninterrupted access to their data. Users can also specify virtual server locations and create environments that are fully protected from internal and external failures

Establishing firewalls to block threats to applications--cloud providers do not need to employ additional hardware when users protect their information with firewalls. Probes, worms/viruses, denial of service invasions and remote command executions can all be stopped when firewalls are correctly installed and implemented.

Even when minimal security measures are taken with data sent to a cloud server, the ability to securely deposit centralized data for later access by authorized entities is greater with cloud technology than traditional systems of saving and storing information. Moreover, providers can commit their time and resources to continuously solving issues with security and accessibility, while users reap the benefits without worrying about overhead expenditures and costly maintenance of on-site computers.

Matt Smith is a Dell employee who writes to help raise awareness on the topic of Dell Cloud Technology Solutions and other network management subjects.

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The Future Is Bright For Data Storage Technology | SSDs and HDDs

Hard Disk
Source: cc-by-3.0, sxc.hu

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? People with a philosophical bent have debated this question and others like it (one hand clapping, anyone?) for ages, so they might as well consider this: does business’s growing need for big data drive data storage capacity, or does increasing data storage capacity drive the need for more data?

We’re not going to try and answer that question here (and the only thing we’ll say about eggs is that they’re nice scrambled on toast), but we are going to look at where the future of data storage is headed and what that means for business data (especially big data).

The future is shiny and bright

It’s been quite a big year for data storage with many exciting developments and announcements. For example, Seagate and TDK announced that they are working on a 20TB hard drive that they’re hoping will be ready for public consumption by 2016. Helium drives are starting to make waves, and there are new technologies that help businesses make the most of the space they have, so that they don’t have to fork out for excessive storage capacity.

Now, as we look to 2014, we’re seeing all sorts of IT experts come up with predictions for what the year will bring and if they’re to be believed, it looks like 2014 will be an even bigger year for data than 2013. Let’s look at three of the most anticipated trends.

1)     The battle between SSDs and HDDs will be even out, and the two technologies will even be used to complement one another.

According to InfoStor’s Paul Ruben, solid state drives (SSDs) will continue to gain market share as prices continue to fall. He says that it’s unlikely that SSDs will become as affordable as HDDs in the next 12 months, but he believes that prices will fall enough to put them within reach of many small businesses (and private individuals) who could previously only dream of their high performance and reliability. More than that, however, Rubens sees business enterprises using SSDs and HDDs together in a way that makes data storage super-efficient. He says that instead of just short stroking several HDDs to get the perfect IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second), businesses can add an SSD or two into the mix to get even better performance and free up even more space for less expense.

Philip Hunter also believes that SSDs and HDDs will be used in combination to optimise storage capacity, minimise costs, increase performance and improve energy efficiency. This is because businesses and data centres don’t really have much choice but to start getting creative with the way in which they blend data storage systems. Big data has grown (and will continue to grow) so rapidly that existing storage hierarchies have to be optimised because new technologies haven’t yet been developed. The new technologies that are being developed are taking their cue from the well-improvised hybrids and are looking at ways to more smoothly merge SSDs and HDDs to produce even better performance.

2)     Data centres will use increasingly sophisticated systems based on old and new technology.

Rubens is quite excited about helium-filled drives and their potential to, if not revolutionise, at least revamp data centres, thanks to their low energy demands and high storage capacity. They will come in particularly handy for businesses that have or would like to have their own data centres, as opposed to the major centres run by the likes of Google and Amazon. Rubens is careful to add that the technology is still so new that it has yet to prove itself in production environments, but it definitely shows great potential.

According to Hunter, data centres will combine three grades of storage so that they can increase their storage capacity and provide more comprehensive services at more affordable rates. Hunter says that advantages of flash/SSD, HDD and tape-based storage technology can be used to create a perfect (or near perfect) balance of reliability, efficiency, speed, accessibility, security and capacity.

Hunter also talks about the emerging “Software-Defined Data Centre” (SDDC), but that’s a topic for another day.

3)     The cloud will become even more important from a data storage point of view.

There is a proliferation of cloud storage providers, and while they might not all have Amazon’s reputation for reliability and stability, many offer very good services at very affordable rates. The range of services is also increasing and business enterprises are able to enjoy greater scalability, so that they get the kind of data storage and protection that they really need. According to Rubens, not only will more businesses migrate to the cloud, but they will also start using cloud storage for more than backups and archives; they will start storing all of their primary data in the cloud.

Twenty terabyte hard drives notwithstanding, it looks like the data storage industry is in for some exciting times and that can only bode well for businesses with big (and small) data needs, not to mention hoarders who can’t stop collecting TV series, music and movies. 

Jemima Winslow is a part-time freelancer, so she doesn’t have big data that has to be stored, but she does have an addiction to Joss Whedon and cheesy horror movies, and all of that TV time has to go somewhere. That’s why she’s quite interested in what’s on the horizon as far as data storage goes. 

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How Windows 8.1 Update Increases The Visiblity Of Cloud Computing

Windows recently released the latest version of its software in October and it is now available in its finalized form as Windows 8.1. The new operating system has had positive reviews and many people are now running it on their machines. A key feature of the new OS is its heavy integration of the cloud into the system. The popularity of Windows and this new update is likely to put cloud computing even more on the map than it has been in recent years. As an integral part of the new Windows, cloud computing is expected to see a dramatic increase in its visibility as people adopt the new technology though this major update.

Cloud established with Sky Drive

Even previous versions of Windows have already established the cloud as a part of the system with the popular program Sky Drive. This program is a cloud storage service such as Mac’s iCloud or Dropbox. With the new version of Windows, however, Sky Drive is much more integrated into the system and is an important part of the Windows experience. Anytime you save a document using Microsoft Office you will be encouraged to do using your Sky Drive ‘Documents’ folder rather than a folder on your C drive. Using Sky Drive to save important documents will make it quicker and easier to access those files from anywhere at any time. You can use cloud storage as a kind of backup that will be treated like any other folder on your computer. With Sky Drive storage you will never lose your files and other Windows apps automatically save files to the cloud such as photos taken with the camera app to ensure you can always access it later.

Cloud is no longer just an alternative

Now with the updates to Windows 8.1, the cloud is no longer just an alternative option that technology buffs can choose it is becoming streamlined into a major operating system. Sky Drive is now part of the usual quick links on your computer and can even become the default option for saving files. With the cloud playing such an important role in this new system, Windows has even increased the amount of storage available for free on its new devices. Earlier versions of the Surface Pro included 7GB worth of free storage to anyone who bought one to supplement the small amount of built-in storage on the device. It gave users the ability to store larger files that would be impossible without the extra cloud storage. The newest version of the Surface now includes 200GB of free storage along with the purchase of the device. This huge amount of free storage is a sign that cloud computing is becoming a much more integral part of modern computing.

Expect more cloud

Anyone that purchases a new Microsoft device or operating system for their computer will now be using the cloud and familiarizing themselves with the benefits of this new technology. As Windows further embraces the cloud it seems that it will continue to evolve because other companies like Apple and Google are likely to respond with even more cloud integration into their systems as well. People will begin to see cloud storage as an important part of their computing system.

Leo Hart has become a virtualization expert thanks to his years of experience, his current focus is VPS hosting for Custom Cloud. 

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How Cloud Streaming Sticks Can Power Your Next Presentation

Google Chromecast gained attention as one of the top-selling Christmas gifts during the 2013 holiday season. But the affordable device is only one of several of its kind. Labeled "streaming sticks," these devices communicate with the cloud to connect to items being streamed from a user's PC or mobile device.

But the living room isn't the only place streaming sticks are being considered for use. Chromecast, along with competitors Apple TV, AIRTAME, Roku LT, and Sony's Bravia Smart Stick, is being eyed as a way to easily stream presentations in board rooms across America. Rather than dealing with projectors and cables, meeting presenters can stream presentations from a device directly to a TV.

The Challenge

The problem is, the technology hasn't quite caught up with business needs. Since technology-driven companies aren't willing to wait for software developers to tweak devices to meet demand, several IT-minded individuals have come up with workarounds that can beam a PowerPoint straight from a computer or mobile device to a TV. Users can upload the presentation to Google Drive then, using the Chrome browser, send the tab to Chromecast.

Google is reportedly working on a way to allow Chromecast users to Chromecast a slideshow directly from Google Docs. Among all of the upcoming solutions, Google's ability to stream directly within its Chrome browser may position it to be the best solution for enterprises interested in using it for presentations.

Benefits to the Enterprise

Among the many benefits streaming sticks can bring to the enterprise is portability. Professionals can easily tuck it into a coat or briefcase pocket to have handy whenever it's needed. Since the device never has to be charged, no maintenance is required. But because Chromecast requires a wi-fi connection and a TV with an HDMI port, professionals may find themselves limited in where they can use it.

Another issue that has been reported with Chromecast is that there can be a slight delay, which can be a problem for those trying to present a concept to a group of people. For enterprises, another challenge may be the required use of Google Chrome, which still has limited adoption in many businesses. For a more reliable option, professionals could experiment with saving the presentation as a YouTube video and Chromecasting from there.

The Roku Solution

Until Google decides to widen its attention to the business market, business users have a more customized option. Those who regularly conduct presentations could invest in a 3M Streaming Projector, which retails for just under $200. Using Roku will require saving PowerPoints as YouTube videos for now, and Roku is far less likely to consider a business use for its projectors than Google, who has the ulterior motive of encouraging businesses to use Google Chrome as a browser over its still more popular competitor, Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Cloud-based streaming is likely to change the way businesses operate, but the demand may be greater for a projector that connects directly to the cloud to access presentations. With these projectors, presenters can  use a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and mouse to input a username and password and access network files without the use of a computer or mobile device.

About Author:

Kirill Bensonoff is a founding partner at ComputerSupport.com, helping small business executives get the most out of their technology investment.

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