The technology that is the basis of cloud computing is complex, but the concept is basically simple: to be used, data and programs today no longer have to be present for strength on a physical device (a PC, a tablet, a smartphone), but can be located on an external computer (server), maybe thousands of kilometers away.

This is because now the ADSL and especially fiber optic connections are so advanced as to make, ironically, faster download a file from the network than from a hard disk connected with an old USB cable, and also with regard to the applications now exchanging information needed to work is immediate. In particular, besides the download speed (ie the one with which we receive the data from the network) have done a lot of improvements upload speed (ie the one with which we are sending our data).

This new possibility for dialogue has become a real salvation in our digital ecosystem, increasingly diverse and multi-device. At one time he worked to your personal computer; Now you start your PC and then continue on the tablet, then you switch to another computer, then still the tablet or smartphone ... also only modify a simple Word document would mean having to have Office installed on all devices and be obliged to sent the document changed every time, to avoid big synchronization problems.

Thanks to cloud computing, everything is much simpler. Instead of downloading a program, you can subscribe to a service and have it available on all devices at the same time, just as happens with our mobile apps. In addition also documents may be in the cloud and sync with any changes, regardless of the device where this is done.

Cloud computing has many facets, but one of the most familiar one is definitely the cloud storage. It is in fact possible to use services such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, onedrive and many others as a kind of virtual hard drive, where you can store all the documents that can serve us and access it from any device, such as a public computer, via the web. In this way we can be sure that the thesis or presentation for the office are always accessible, even if you forget the computer or the USB stick at home: all you need is any terminal with Internet access.

Cloud storage is a very useful tool because you can delete the original files from the device and thus recover space: the most immediate example is constituted by smartphones now capable of taking high definition photographs and record several minutes of video, but that the long run end up clogging the internal memory of a smartphone or a tablet. Just the cache or Facebook photos and videos sent via WhatsApp to make the situation unmanageable. With cloud storage, you can put all your media content in the cloud and delete the documents without fear of losing them. If riservissero, simply re-download them after viewing a preview of a few kb.

Perhaps some of the concerns related to cloud computing is that the same word cloud, cloud, seems to suggest intangibility and volatility. In short, if we entrust our most important data to a remote server, it is not enough that a server failure to lose them forever? Other concerns are also linked to privacy: we now hear daily reports in which sensitive information and private photos are taken away from their own cloud by hackers particularly adept, can also violate the security systems of the largest companies.

Regarding the first question, do not worry: the probability that the data on the cloud are lost, even after a hardware problem, its nothing, because the backup system is so sophisticated that each individual user data is saved multiple times and in different locations. Privacy, may be actually some more problems, but remember that in most cases the data theft (which can never be read by the cloud service provider, which shall encode them) are derived from an imprudent behavior of users.

Thats why, you need to choose strong passwords and change them regularly, taking care, where possible, to use two-factor authentication (for example by sending codes to be always sure that your data does not fall into the wrong hands, the mobile phone via SMS to be included along with the strong password for access). Perhaps uncomfortable, but necessary to be really quiet.