In today’s digital age, when someone says ‘cloud‘ we typically associate it with iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive. The cloud simply refers to the applications and services that are run on the internet so it also includes movie/TV streaming services that many of us are addicted such as Netflix and HBO Go. Today, cloud services can be accessed through numerous digital platforms and devices, mainly cellphones and laptops. So what is the cloud exactly? Can it really be a mystical entity that grant so us the power to watch Game Of Thrones anywhere we go? Nope, it is actually a collection of giant super hard drives around the world that stores all the data of the billions of cloud service users today.
I know, it is hard to believe.
What many people don’t realize is that cloud users are having most of their personal information and files stored in these super hard drives. But here’s the kicker, these personal files cannot simply be deleted through the devices that they were first procured. These personal things include, but are certainly not limited to, photos, memos, and medical/financial records.
So you’re probably asking yourself the same question that I am. “Is having all of this private information stored in essentially the same space safe?” In a nutshell, it is virtually impossible to keep all that data invulnerable to thieves, crackers, and hackers. Unlike a physical vault, the cloud cannot be guarded with physical force like guns and guardsmen and hackers of any caliber can attempt to break into the cloud at any given moment and at any given location with internet access, which could be at the public library or at the Starbucks down the street. However, companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google have made significant efforts to prevent unauthorized access and in turn serious hacks and break-ins have become rare.
In recent news, provocative, and more importantly private, photos of popular celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton have been leaked by a hacker known as 4chan. These photos are said to have been taken from iCloud even after they were deleted from the celebs’ phones. Talk about invasion of privacy. In a strange turn of events, many are claiming that these leaked photos are bringing us closer to world peace, but that’s probably debatable.