When the Cloud Starts Burning

Have you checked your device's cloud settings? 📱💻🖥️❓

Are your data always being synced, or are they fully offloaded to the cloud when running out of storage?

💬 Storage shortage? Not with me!

🤔 Do you know what your apps are doing on your devices? What happens when music albums, playlists, and Netflix series are downloaded for offline use, or memories are captured as videos? The quality of the latest smartphones is stunning; so is the storage usage: 1 minute of video in 4K quality takes up nearly 40GB. When space is needed, devices may delete data already synced with the cloud, often without warning!

☑️ It's worth checking: for example, Microsoft's "Files on Demand" option, Apple's "Optimize Mac Storage" feature, or the "device-optimized quality" option in photo apps on smartphones, which simultaneously offload full-resolution versions to the cloud.

☑️ Regular data backups protect you not only in case the cloud disappears but also from other risks, including the recent ransomware attacks.

Background: In early March 2021, Europe’s data treasure burned
A significant fire broke out at OVH, a leading cloud provider’s data center in Strasbourg. The five-story building, which housed 12,000 servers, was completely destroyed, while another building was partially damaged. This data center hosted sensitive data, including the "Hosted Private Cloud" of major companies. OVH was forced to shut down all four data center buildings, resulting in millions of websites going offline, including government portals, banks, and news channels.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but it was emphasized that data could be stored elsewhere and retrieved from other data centers. However, some customers had opted out of such security measures to cut costs, as OVH charged extra for these services. As a result of the fire, significant amounts of data have been irretrievably lost, with the exact amount still being determined. Major law firm Leroi & Associés and game developer Facepunch were among the first to report irreversible data loss.

Further Reading:

Backup as a Part of IT and Cybersecurity

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