Services, such as, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox are a few examples of cloud-based storage services. With these services, you can store and access your Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Google Sheets, etc. files from anywhere with an internet connection and from any device. These devices include smart phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and devices running Microsoft Windows 10 and 11. Alternatively, files stored on your computer can only be accessed from your computer.

Mobile workers who wish to access their data files while outside of the office could certainly use cloud-based storage. Also, users with multiple devices, such as a home desktop and a work desktop, could use cloud-based storage. They can access the same files from both desktops. Not everyone, however, needs cloud-based storage. For example, if you only use one computer, there is no advantage to storing your data in the cloud. A user with only one tablet or smartphone, however, will need cloud-based storage to hold their data.

Obviously to access data from any device, you must have the associated application installed on the device or access its cloud-based equivalent application. For example, Microsoft 365 licenses allow you to either install the applications on your device or to access them only from a web browser.

To ensure only you have access to your data, you must employ multifactor authentication security. A username and password represent one-factor authentication (1FA). Anyone who can guess your credentials or obtain them from the Dark Web, can access your data. With multifactor authentication (2FA, MFA, or AMFA), accessing your data also requires something you have, such as a smartphone, or your personal identification, such as facial recognition or your fingerprint.

As is true with all data, cloud-based data must also be protected from malware and from data loss. Even though cloud-based vendors do not provide this protection, Yellcom Computer Services does provide it.

Contact us if you wish to discuss your possibilities.