What is the cloud?

In everyday life we come into contact, often without realising, with cloud services. Clouds can essentially be thought of as (large) data centres that are connected to the internet. These data centres enable cloud providers to offer services to private users and companies. The cloud provider operates these data centres in a highly automated manner so that they can offer services to lots of different users at the same time and cope with very high demands. This way of operating is also possible because providers offer standardised services that are the same for everyone.

Use of cloud services

By using a cloud service, we are outsourcing the storage of private and sensitive data to the cloud provider. In doing so, we hand over control and responsibility and trust that our data will be protected sufficiently.

Important information for BEFORE you use a cloud service:

If you want to use cloud service, you should be aware of the dangers and risks involved, as you are trusting a third party to store private or business data.

However, most cloud providers take information security very seriously and often have experience in securely operating IT- infrastructures. Despite this, there have also been incidents with well-known cloud providers in which confidential customer data was exposed to unauthorised third parties or even lost.

In the private sector, it is important to think carefully about cloud use and then make a well-informed decision. Answering the following questions can help you make this decision:

• What data does the cloud service process? What would the consequences be if this data fell into the hands of third parties?
• What functionality does the cloud service provide? Do I actually need all the functionality?
• What is the financing model of the cloud service, i.e. does the operator possibly earn money by using my data?
• What is the nature of the contractual relationship? What are the terms and conditions?
• What impact would service failure have on me?

The different cloud services available

Online storage: this service provides storage space where files (e.g. text documents, photos, etc.) are stored online. You can also access the online storage from different end devices. For example, if a text document is written on a PC and moved to the online storage, it can then be accessed from another device at another location, e.g. from a smartphone on the train.

Files can also be shared with other people to work on them together (collaboration). Photos on a smartphone are often stored in the cloud to free up storage space on the device or to back up files in case the smartphone is lost.

E-mail: a good example of a cloud is an e-mail service, which is usually based on cloud computing. In this instance, a provider supplies an e-mail address, storage space and a way to access and send the e-mails (an interface). The e-mails can be processed with different end devices, e.g. a PC or a smartphone, via programs ("apps") installed on them. In many cases, providers also offer the option of processing the e-mails directly via an internet browser (webmail). If configured properly, the various end devices are synchronised, i.e. if an e-mail is sent on the smartphone, you will also be able to see it in the "Sent" folder on the PC.

Smart watches/fitness trackers: lots of these devices record movement, pulse and other data and synchronise it (depending on the settings) with online services. When transmitting sensitive data that can be used to create movement profiles or health prognoses, users show increased interest in ensuring that this data is protected from misuse.

Streaming platforms: these services often offer lots of flexibility, as this service type also allows different end devices to consume media simultaneously. Most streaming providers charge for the service on a monthly basis and let you cancel it at any time within the billing period. Streaming service providers can perform evaluations by analysing user behaviour and thus display targeted advertising, for example.

Online text processing: a major advantage of online text processing is the wide range of possibilities for collaboration. Usually several people can work on a document simultaneously and, for example, exchange information via chat (or another medium).

How do I use the cloud?

These examples demonstrate that we frequently come into contact with cloud services in our everyday lives. The common theme between the examples is that a provider offers us a service with a functionality in each instance (e-mail, streaming, online storage, etc.). However, exactly how the service is technically implemented and the location from which the service is provided are not known at first. Cloud services are delivered via a standardised interface. This allows the services to be accessed via different devices.

The majority of cloud services offer flexible payment models, and you can usually increase the resources you need (e.g. storage space) quickly. In professional settings, cloud services are often charged for actual use only with no monthly subscription fee, which can be an attractive option for fast-growing and dynamic companies, for example.

However, it should be noted that a suitable network connection (internet connection) is always needed to access cloud services. If this connection is not available for whatever reason, the services can't usually be accessed. In addition, data, some of which is personal, is transmitted to a third party (the cloud provider). The end user usually does not know how the cloud provider protects this data from being accessed by third parties or if and how the cloud provider uses the data.

Find out what private users should consider when using cloud services and what threats exist in our article on the risks associated with using clouds.