Welp, someone has gone and done it again. They have hacked “The Cloud” and exposed a ton of A-List celebrities. It seems as no one’s personal information is safe. From the Edward Snowden chronicles to this most recent incident, it is a little unsettling to most people — more than likely some of you fall into this category.

You may be sitting at home or at your desk wondering, “If they can get ahold of celebrities’ data (i.e. people who have a ton of money and resources to safeguard their images), then it probably would not be hard for them to get my data, or even worse, our company’s financials!” Well, let’s talk about that for a moment.

This “cloud” (that no one seems to really be able to get a grasp of, on its concept) is rather confusing, and in this case it can have multiple platforms. When they are talking about these celebrities’ “cloud” accounts getting hacked, they are referring to personal, Apple® iCloud® accounts. This is where individuals store a backup of their mobile devices and computer’s information (i.e. pictures, contacts, etc.).

In the business world, the cloud has the same concept, but it is a lot more secure. When we refer to the cloud, we mean that your data that is being stored there is actually getting stored on a physical server(s) in a secure data center of the company providing the service. These companies pride themselves on providing - and are required to provide — multilevel security platforms to safeguard your company’s data and providing the redundancy that cannot be established by a physical server in your office.

Okay, so now that we have a little better understanding of what the “cloud” is and the two different uses in this case, let me put it all into perspective. People, including these recently exposed celebrities, who are using Apple’s version of the cloud called iCloud® are using a FREE service that is highly targeted because of its pinholes and lack of security. You, as a business, are using a paid service that is prideful of its security and which has certain federal regulations that it has to meet, security-wise, to ensure the safety of your data.

This alone is a great example as to why we here at Everon push and push for people to utilize profession PAID services for storing data. We cannot make people pay for a service and prevent them from using a free service, but as you may be able to tell, you get exactly what you pay for. I know for me, personally, I would rather have a guarantee that my information is safe. What do you choose? If you have any questions about the cloud and secure storage, please contact Everon at 888-244-1748 and we would be happy to have a discussion with you.