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Computers and Software => Computers and Software - General => Topic started by: TCT on May 22, 2013, 11:48:56 PM

Title: Cloud storage
Post by: TCT on May 22, 2013, 11:48:56 PM
What are some places people are using for cloud storage?
We back everything up in 2 places, but I am thinking more and more about backing up artwork and our database in "the cloud". I know Dropbox has like 5 gigs free but we would blow through that in no time. So, what are people using and what are you paying?
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ZooCity on May 23, 2013, 12:14:33 AM
I'm using dropbox for active orders and commonly used files, archiving invoices, mockups and work orders in Google Drive (super affordable storage and it's all tied in to google docs, you can also search very quickly) and then I'm still leaving the actual .ai and .psd files on my workstation which is backed up by time machine. I do need to figure out where to put the art files for off site backup.
Title: Cloud storage
Post by: noiseloops on May 23, 2013, 08:22:14 AM
We're quite comfortable with google drive for storage n collaboration on documents. But we are just starting up. Might get messy after a while.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: TCT on May 28, 2013, 11:27:15 PM
I looked into a bunch of these over the long weekend, and it looks like google has a pretty good deal going on with their "drive" storage. They even ave a discounted one if you are ok with the possibility of some down time. I assume they just back your stuff up in fewer locations.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: mk162 on May 29, 2013, 08:57:01 AM
I am still not 100% on cloud storage.  I love the idea for backups or for a mirror drive, but to store everything there and not have access to it on your local network is a poor choice I think.

It's the same as having everything on your local machine with no offsite backup.

The reason I say this is because in the past year I've lost internet connection for about 3-4 hours, that I know of.  During that time I could still process existing orders, work in QB or t-quoter and access all of our files...I just couldn't send emails or order product(online).  But we weren't totally dead.

I can access my files from anywhere with backblaze if I need to, but I still prefer having a raid array here for my files as well.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: GraphicDisorder on May 29, 2013, 09:13:47 AM
I am still not 100% on cloud storage.  I love the idea for backups or for a mirror drive, but to store everything there and not have access to it on your local network is a poor choice I think.

It's the same as having everything on your local machine with no offsite backup.

The reason I say this is because in the past year I've lost internet connection for about 3-4 hours, that I know of.  During that time I could still process existing orders, work in QB or t-quoter and access all of our files...I just couldn't send emails or order product(online).  But we weren't totally dead.

I can access my files from anywhere with backblaze if I need to, but I still prefer having a raid array here for my files as well.

Exactly, plus with slower internet connections and/or super large files, good lord it could take you forever to get back up and going if you had to go fetch all of your files online in the event of a computer failure in your shop. 

A secondary internal or external HD copying the data would be far more useful.  Then just do another external for like monthly back ups and take it home.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Gilligan on May 29, 2013, 09:31:32 AM
I assumed no one was talking about abandoning local storage all together.

I know my buddy runs Dropbox at his shop so it's synced across all machines.  He had problems with Mac <-> PC sharing and got tired of fighting it.  I haven't asked him in a long time but last I talked to him he was happy.

We are living on the edge, but need to fix that ASAP!
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ScreenFoo on May 29, 2013, 09:33:33 AM
I assumed no one was talking about abandoning local storage all together.

I know my buddy runs Dropbox at his shop so it's synced across all machines.  He had problems with Mac <-> PC sharing and got tired of fighting it.  I haven't asked him in a long time but last I talked to him he was happy.

We are living on the edge, but need to fix that ASAP!

The question I'm always asking is, cutting edge or bleeding edge?   ;)
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: blue moon on May 29, 2013, 09:48:35 AM
this is all I have to say about the cloud:
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords (http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords)

pierre
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Gilligan on May 29, 2013, 10:02:10 AM
I assumed no one was talking about abandoning local storage all together.

I know my buddy runs Dropbox at his shop so it's synced across all machines.  He had problems with Mac <-> PC sharing and got tired of fighting it.  I haven't asked him in a long time but last I talked to him he was happy.

We are living on the edge, but need to fix that ASAP!

The question I'm always asking is, cutting edge or bleeding edge?   ;)

Hmm... edge of reason or sanity is more like it. :)  Actually the wife just informed me that she did actually make a back up recently.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Frog on May 29, 2013, 12:48:56 PM
I have also always wondered about the privacy issues of letting someone else hold your data.

There's bound to be a case eventually over discovered child pornography, or national security threats discovered, or even illegal downloads by electronic snoops in the storage service.
Title: Cloud storage
Post by: BorisB on May 30, 2013, 02:58:14 PM
this is all I have to say about the cloud:
[url]http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords[/url] ([url]http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords[/url])

pierre

Did I get it correctly: If you passwords has 12+ carefully chosen characters you are most likely safe?

Boris
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: blue moon on May 30, 2013, 03:04:09 PM
this is all I have to say about the cloud:
[url]http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords[/url] ([url]http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/05/how-crackers-make-minced-meat-out-of-your-passwords[/url])

pierre

Did I get it correctly: If you passwords has 12+ carefully chosen characters you are most likely safe?

Boris


my thinking would be yes. that is as long as your "carefully chosen characters" does not include any actual words, even in Slovenian!

pierre
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ZooCity on May 30, 2013, 03:23:53 PM
Try using symbols in place of letters in words and then using the same symbol to represent two or more different letters.  I think that's basic cryptology right?

More importantly, don't put sensitive info in there, ever.  I personally don't give a rip if someone hacks our press data and archived invoices.  Not sure what they're going to even do with that. 

We actually use cloud accounting too.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ScreenFoo on May 30, 2013, 03:28:23 PM
You want to know the easiest way to make a REALLY bad-a$$ password?  (no, it doesn't involve using $ for "S"  ;D )   Pick 12 byte values (i.e. 0-255) at random, use ALT and the keypad to enter each character.

Only proper authentication routines will let you do all the fancy characters though--some password systems will go out of their way to get you to choose poor passwords, i.e. no special characters, 8 character limit, caps are filtered, etc...

Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: blue moon on May 30, 2013, 03:34:25 PM
actually, changing characters does not really matter. There are 95 characters and they cycle through every one.

use a different random password for each site and you should be pretty safe. The gist of the article is that they can crack your password on some sites very easily. If you are using the same password across the multiple sites, they can get access even to places that are secure. It is a long read, but very eye opening and worth the time, even if it is just the first page to get a general idea of how bad the things really are (one site was cracked and something like 14,000,000 passwords were recovered).

pierre
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Gilligan on May 30, 2013, 05:08:38 PM
It was a great read... thanks Pierre!
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Admiral on May 30, 2013, 06:48:42 PM
we use 2x NAS - Synology

one 10TB one in house and a 2TB one that is at my apartment and every night the main Synology backs up to the one in my apartment.  Also both have drive redundancy so technically I have like 3.5 copies of every file.  Right now we are just under 1TB of total storage for all of our files.

We used to use Jungledisk but that thing bogs down computers and isn't good for the amount of people we have now on the network, about 20+.  Also we can remote access the Synology easily and use other goodies on them.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: TCT on May 30, 2013, 07:55:03 PM
You want to know the easiest way to make a REALLY bad-a$$ password?  (no, it doesn't involve using $ for "S"  ;D )   Pick 12 byte values (i.e. 0-255) at random, use ALT and the keypad to enter each character.

Only proper authentication routines will let you do all the fancy characters though--some password systems will go out of their way to get you to choose poor passwords, i.e. no special characters, 8 character limit, caps are filtered, etc...


Whoaaaaaaaaaaa wait a second ABC123 isn't kosher?

Sorry I couldn't resist:
Spaceballs 12345 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6iW-8xPw3k#ws)
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: Northland on May 30, 2013, 09:37:40 PM
You want to know the easiest way to make a REALLY bad-a$$ password?  (no, it doesn't involve using $ for "S"  ;D )   Pick 12 byte values (i.e. 0-255) at random, use ALT and the keypad to enter each character.

Only proper authentication routines will let you do all the fancy characters though--some password systems will go out of their way to get you to choose poor passwords, i.e. no special characters, 8 character limit, caps are filtered, etc...


Whoaaaaaaaaaaa wait a second ABC123 isn't kosher?

Sorry I couldn't resist:
Spaceballs 12345 ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6iW-8xPw3k#ws[/url])


I saw a Mel Brooks interview recently... and he said the revenue stream from Spaceballs was larger than any of his other hit movies.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ScreenFoo on May 31, 2013, 10:57:00 AM
I don't even have to click on it.  "That's the same combination I have on my luggage!"

I believe that password would get cracked--at ludicrous speed.   ;D
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: mk162 on June 06, 2013, 10:53:32 PM
of course if you trust internet companies, it looks like they are allowing the government to mine through emails and the like.  scary crap.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ScreenFoo on June 07, 2013, 09:32:25 AM
I think it's one of those "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kind of things...

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/05/google-guy-who-snooped-wireless-data-was-god-among-engineers/51754/ (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/05/google-guy-who-snooped-wireless-data-was-god-among-engineers/51754/)

FTC investigated--no fine.  They did sternly reprimand the company, however.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: mk162 on June 07, 2013, 10:10:23 AM
Dude, that story's old.  Check out the Prism Program...that is some scary crap.
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: ScreenFoo on June 07, 2013, 10:24:09 AM
That's nothing, check out the "Gyre and Gimble" program.  It's the genesis of all the others.    ;D

No, in all seriousness, what you're talking about is even older news.   Echelon was outed in the nineties...
Title: Re: Cloud storage
Post by: mk162 on June 07, 2013, 10:28:09 AM
Yeah, it's a different now since we have so much online.  People's lives are online, there was no online banking, backups, cloud storage, facebook, gmail back in the 90's...our entire lives are online now.