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Physical hard disk or the cloud: the match!

Physical hard disk or the cloud: the match!

Tuesday 16 february 2021

With dematerialization in favor of digital, losing data has become more frequent. As a result, finding a reliable and durable medium for storing it in complete security is a major concern. Between the physical hard disk and the cloud, we will provide you with concrete elements to guide your choice of storage.

Storage on physical hard disk

There are both advantages and disadvantages to keeping your data safe on a physical medium such as a hard drive. To find out more, you can reassure yourself by taking a look at www.chronodisk-recuperation-de-donnees.fr.

As far as its advantages are concerned, the hard disk allows for fast data transfers. Indeed, for this type of media, there is no need for an internet connection for storage. Thus, it is easy to store hundreds of gigabytes of data in record time. Moreover, the hard disk does not require a subscription. It is a definite investment for permanent storage.

However, with an external hard drive, the risk of crashing is also permanent. This exposes more to the loss of data at any time without forgetting the computer viruses that can corrupt it. This does not help the user, who, in addition, is forced to drain it for his outings. This is certainly its biggest weakness compared to online storage. You have to carry it with you at all times when you want to access your files. Which is not very practical.

Cloud storage

The only difference between the cloud and the physical hard drive is the Internet access it requires. Indeed, it is nothing more than a set of storage servers gathered in data centers (buildings built in the four corners of the world).

The advantages of online storage are numerous in terms of convenience. The data in this type of storage is accessible from anywhere, at any time without any restrictions. Whether it is with your smartphone, your tablet or your computer, access to your data is guaranteed. There is therefore no limit and the cost is much lower than that of a physical hard drive. With the cloud, you can synchronize all your files on all your devices. Also, the level of security is more important, because the storage is multiplied on various servers. So you don't risk losing everything at every moment.

The biggest weakness of online storage lies in the qualitative availability of the internet connection. A good connection is absolutely necessary to put the files online on the Cloud. The corollary of this disadvantage is the length of time needed for storage. It naturally takes more time to put a file in the cloud than to put it on a hard disk by connecting it directly to a computer. In addition, above a certain storage threshold (usually 15 gigabytes) you need to take out a subscription to be able to store more data. Finally, there is no such thing as zero risk when it comes to IT security. The development of the cloud has also given rise to cyber attacks in this direction.

So, which storage method should you choose for your data?

Cloud storage has a bright future ahead of it. But it is not going to completely replace physical hard disks, because if they are still on the shelves of computer hardware, it's because they are still essential.

Nevertheless, a combined use of both modes of data storage can be recommended. It is therefore advisable to only back up in the cloud what you need permanently and to keep the hard disk for total backup and archiving.

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