Where are your photos when you upload them? And those work documents that you consult from anywhere? The short answer is “in the cloud”. But that cloud is not a magical place: it is data centres spread around the world full of servers. We explain it to you in a simple way.
What the cloud exactly is
When we talk about the “cloud” we mean storing data and programmes on other companies’ computers, which you access over the internet. Your phone or laptop does not store everything: an important part lives on those remote servers, available whenever you have a connection.
Why it is called that
The term comes from the first network diagrams, where the internet was drawn as a diffuse cloud. No one needed to know what was inside: only that the service worked mattered. Today that cloud has a full name: Amazon, Google, Microsoft or Apple, among others.
The advantages of not storing everything on the device
The most obvious one is space. You stop deleting photos to free up memory and you can retrieve a document from your phone, laptop or tablet. In addition, if you lose or break the device, your data stays safe in the cloud.
The three big types of cloud
There are public clouds, which millions of people and companies share on large companies’ servers. There are private clouds, which a single organization uses for its most sensitive data. And there are hybrid clouds, which combine both. Each one fits a different need.
Is it safe to store your things there?
The large platforms protect information with encryption and automatic backups. That does not mean you should not use strong passwords and enable two-step verification. The cloud is secure, but the first security barrier is still you.
The less pretty side
Storing everything on the internet has costs: the energy consumption of data centres, dependence on the connection and the question of who controls your data. More and more, technology seeks to balance convenience with privacy and sustainability.
In summary
The cloud is already part of your daily life, even if you do not see it. Every photo you share, every file you sync and every series you watch on demand travels through it. Understanding it helps you get the most out of it and decide wisely what you trust to the internet and what you prefer to keep close.
