Cloud Promiscuity -- The New Age of Hooking Up

Let's face it, most of us are guilty of hooking up with any cloud service that comes along. Just a click here, a download there, connecting is so easy and we can store our pics for free, share our documents with everyone, and never be out of touch. Our "Mobile First, Cloud First" (Thank you Satya Nadella for one of my favorite catch phrases) world makes it so easy to put all our stuff in the ever-expanding cloud and almost never have to think twice.

Unfortunately, hooking up is easy but there can also be consequences. How do we know which cloud to trust? What happens if a cloud gets hacked or data is lost? How do we even find our stuff when it is scattered all over the virtual landscape? In the cloud, we give away little bits of ourselves every day.

I am as guilty as the next person of loving the cloud and everything it provides, but I am also pragmatic about the morning after. As Chief Evangelist for a cloud backup provider, I know that things can go wrong and a little prevention is far better than having to cure a problem.

Hookup with all the cloud services that make sense? Absolutely!

Backup to prevent a nasty headache if something goes bad? Please!

Here are five simple tips to make sure your cloud connections are safe and fun.

1. Keep a cloud service spreadsheet. Know where your data lives and how to get it.
2. Maintain a backup of your system. Storage does not equal backup -- you need both to be secure.
3. Think before you click! Do you know where your data is going when you connect to a new cloud? Is your data encrypted? Can you get it all back easily? Is this something you really really really need? A brief pause to reflect can prevent hours of misery.
4. Read the fine print. Yes, I am encouraging you to read those Terms of Service (TOS) and End User Licensing Agreements (EULA). Find out exactly what "free" means (usually means YOU are being monetized) and how your information may be used.
5. It's your data! Remember, you own your data (hopefully) and you need to be responsible for it. Before you hand it over to any cloud provider, don't forget the real value and meaning in that data and that you get to make the final call on what happens to it.

The cloud is revolutionizing our world and the fun is just beginning. Let's all practice safe cloud computing and be able to avoid any bad "morning after" incidents.