For example when sending an email, at no time does the email itself actually take up data on your personal hard storage, it is held in a server in a remote location that is owned by the email provider being used. This is a very common, basic form of cloud computing. These places that your files get sent to are called ˜server farms'. Server farms are essentially massive warehouses filled with servers that have 24/7 up times 365 days a year. An average user of a cloud storage or cloud computing service doesn't know where these files are actually being stored and in some cases will never know. Many cloud storage providers do not disclose the location of their server farms. This could be due to the fear many companies and individuals have with the security of their files. If not backed up at another remote location, all it could take is one terrorist act of a bombing or explosion for all the files stored in a server farm to be gone forever. However there are infact safety precautions to ensure file security called safeguards. "in addition, you should also find out about the safeguards which are in place to keep your data secure and always accessible. Most reputable cloud storage providers will replicate your data several times on different servers to ensure that in the event of a catastrophe, your files are safe. This is not to say that your data will ever be 100% safe: natural disasters, fires and malicious damage (for example) are all events which can be planned for, but not necessarily avoided. " (Vasconcelos).
Many apps and services are switching to the cloud although many are still in the first steps to becoming a cloud based operation. "Cloud-based storage use has increased by 90 percent and memory by 100 percent since January 2012, according to the report, which draws upon Verizon data collected between January 2012 and June 2013 from cloud users in finance and banking, healthcare, government and technology.
