No Privacy on Amazon’s Cloud Drive

No Privacy on Amazon’s Cloud Drive - ZDNet

 

Welcome to the cloud..and it's exactly why this fascination with "the cloud" needs to be toned down (in my opinion, it should just stop.) The security and privacy issues are just too numerous. But, just as it is with the social craze, once people get attached to these new toys, you might as well talk to a brick wall.

 

This type of policy is not unique to cloud computing, nor Amazon per se. Basically, any hosting company that's hosting your data has the right to access your files, since that data resides on their server(s). The only practical way to alleviate such privacy concerns would be to operate your own web server which you have physical control over, or find a way to purchase and administer your third-party hosting account anonymously.

 

Or encrypt your data using a secure algorithm and password before uploading online.

 

Bingo. I am amazed at how many people don't understand that this is the solution.

 

IMHO the only reason I would use the Cloud Drive is for storing music and frankly I couldn't care less if they know what music I listen too. On that note I agree that the cloud is insecure. It reminds of the Web 2.0 Craze a few years back and will no doubtingly fail just as badly. I am sorry but NO ONE is going to move all their stuff to the cloud. We need HDD's or SSD's for programs and no web based Photoshop or Virtual Studio will cut it! Just like Chrome OS, it's just for kiddies who have to have the latest and greatest.
/rant

 

I have a lot of my personal stuff in the cloud. But of course, I encrypt it with a 4096 bit RSA key. Good luck to anyone who wants to try to read any of it.

 

Sorry I should have clarified a bit more: The cloud works fine for backing up and I do the same as you back up data to DropBox in my case and encrypt it with a 4096Bit RSA Key using GPG. However I cannot see certain things moving to the cloud. For example applications; there are so many applications that could not run properly this way not to mention no internet means no access to it. Applications will never completely move to the cloud. The other thing is I don't want to upload EVERYTHING. Somethings are better left on a harddrive or SSD. Maybe just my opinion but I don't want my Tax information online even if it is encrypted. I do upload encrypted versions of photos, emails, documents, etc. but nothing as potentially compromising as legal documents.