Data storage is one of the primary issues of our time. Computers are the way in which we all mediate the world constantly: almost no daily task is completed without the assistance of a computing device of some kind. Servers use iPads at restaurants, and children play on laptops after school. Mechanics book time slots using their smartphone calendars and our garbage gets taken out based on a complex city-wide schedule run via the internet.
However, one of the major problems with the ubiquity of computing these days is the way in which computers can, and do, hold our data. None of what we accomplish on our devices every day can be done without using data, and though it may not take up that much space, it does take up some space. So, where does it go? How safely is it stored? What’s more, how much control can you take over what happens with your data, specifically?
Below are some very brief answers to those questions, and tips on how to store your data safely.
Choose Cloud with Care
The use of the cloud – internet-based storage for computer data so that it doesn’t clog up personal or company hard drives – has become so commonplace that we often forget to think about what it is. The cloud is essentially a collection of privately owned internet servers where information is kept.
While, for the most part, this information is safe thanks to international business laws, companies can still go bankrupt, go rogue, or simply sell your data without telling you. While the cloud can be useful now and again for inconsequential information, be mindful of what you choose to store in private internet servers.
Have Plenty of Computer Storage
All the discussion of the safety of the cloud has in many ways overshadowed the original and best way to store your data: on your own computer. Though personal computing devices with plenty of their own storage went somewhat out of fashion in the 2010s, the need for a machine with lots of memory is back in a big way.
Equipping yourself with the right technology for storage – 32GB RAM laptops, for example – is a great way to keep direct tabs on your own data and information.
Check the Appropriate Cookies
Thanks to many regional and international internet safety and protection laws, we are now often required to consent to websites taking our data in the form of cookies. It can be extremely annoying to be asked to give this consent when you simply want a piece of information from a site, but rather than clicking through as quickly as possible and ignoring your options, make a habit of selecting the cookies you share more carefully.
Not only does this prevent the site in question from storing data from your computer that you wouldn’t necessarily want stored, but it also prevents them from selling it on to companies that could use it to send you even more annoying pop up ads on other sites! Learning to select cookies wisely is an all-around win.
