By enabling us to access our data safely from anywhere, cloud storage has undeniably made our lives much easier and more convenient. Cloud storage has also revolutionized data backup, making it possible to backup information at the click of a button.
This article looks at some tips to help you make better use of your cloud storage.
1. Activate two-factor authentication
With two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on your account, you can add an extra level of security. 2FA requires that you provide more information than just your account’s username and password to log in. Generally, this third piece of information is a code sent to your registered mobile number or email when you attempt to log in.
With 2FA enabled on your cloud storage account, you’ll be making it tremendously secure. Almost all cloud storage providers offer this option. However, keep in mind that once you enable 2FA for an Apple iCloud account, you can’t disable it.
2. Encrypt your data before uploading it
When you upload your files to the cloud, the storage provider automatically encrypts the files for added security. Encryption is the process of converting data into a specific format that can be read only after it’s decoded, making the files quite secure on the cloud.
When uploading crucial data, you could take extra steps to bolster security from your end. By encrypting the files from your end and then uploading it to the cloud, you’ll make the files significantly more secure. The file encryption process requires you to set a password that’ll be the decryption key for you to unlock the file. You will find many encryption tools in the market, like 7-Zip or BitLocker, that can encrypt your files for you swiftly.
3. Have all your clouds in one place
Different cloud storage providers offer different amounts of cloud storage space, and that’s why it’s not uncommon for people to rely on more than one cloud storage provider. But with your files stored in various cloud accounts, accessing them separately could waste too much of your time. And that’s why you need an application that unifies your storage, so that you find it more convenient to access and manage your files from one place.
A great application to link all your cloud storage systems is Odrive. It lets you directly back up folders on your computer to any one of the cloud storage providers that you’ve linked with Odrive. Not just that, you can even set up folder encryption through the app.
4. Sync your desktop folder to the cloud
Cloud storage providers allow you to sync your desktop folders to the cloud, making it convenient to access the data on your desktop folder from anywhere (as long as it’s synced and backed up). This process also makes it easy to back up the data to the cloud since all you have to do is move the files to the synced folder; there won’t be a need for you to use a web browser to upload files and documents.
When you sync a folder to the cloud, any changes that are made to the folder from other devices and logins will show up on the original device as well. That’s why when sharing your cloud storage with other people, ensure that you only sync those folders that other people need to access as well.
5. Organise your folders
Cloud storage providers allow users to create folders in order to organize all the data accurately. Setting up these folders makes it relatively easy to find all the information you require, and this is especially the case when you’ve been uploading data to the cloud for a while and it’s packed with your documents.
To organize everything properly, you could have a standardized title format. This will make it a lot easier for you when you’re searching for files, and it will also be easy for other people with who you’re sharing the cloud.
6. Signing out of connected devices
Generally, cloud storage providers enable users to sync their files across multiple devices, like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This makes it quite convenient to access files from anywhere, but it also puts your account at greater risk because of the additional number of devices. If you’re not using a device actively, it’s best that you log out of it when not using it to access your cloud storage. This is especially important if the device is not near you and sits elsewhere.
Bottom line
Thanks to cloud storage, data backup and data access have become incredibly convenient. By setting the right security measures in place, you can ensure your data remains safe and doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And by organizing your data and your various cloud accounts properly, you’ll be able to find all your important information easily when you need it.