Should We Store Personal Files In Cloud

Knowingly or unknowingly, we all are using cloud computing and are storing our personal data & information with the service providers. While the service providers claim that they have strong privacy policies in place and will never let any 'human' look at your data; the fact remains: You're storing 'your' files on 'their' servers!

I'm aware that most of us do not care for or are unaware of privacy related aspects of cloud storage. If you're storing all your important mail in Gmail; you're actually storing your data in the cloud. If you're using Dropbox to store your personal photographs, presentations, salary slips, income statements; then you're using cloud storage and all your important data is in service provider's hand.

In other words, it's similar to storing your personal, important belongings in a neighbor's house who 'promises' never to touch it.

Is there anything wrong with it?

Most of us lock our homes when we go outside. The lock that we use is intended to keep the petty thieves away. In the case someone tries to break in he/she will have to do so noisily. And our hope is that the neighbors will call the police. Now suppose that the CIA wishes to break in your house, they have all the advanced machinery. They can easily deploy spies who will notice when you leave your home. And enter your home surreptitiously to remove some important evidence from it. But the issue here is why will they do so. Most of us simply aren't that important. A CIA agent won't enter our house just for the fun of it , it is way too wasteful .

Similarly , the security system of Gmail is sufficient to keep out those crackers who may be interested in your bank accounts. Of course ,the CIA can direct Google to break into your account . But again as in real life this is wasteful. Most of us are not that important like I said before.

Of course the Prime Minister of a country can't afford to think like this.

It is our implicit faith in the fact that we are not very important that we save our information on public servers. Right or wrong is another issue , but there is no escaping modern technology such as netbanking.

I admit my allegories were far fetched in this post. I stand corrected.

is cloud data safe?? its only doubt which constraint the user to move to cloud.
Problem is, user can be sure that data is safe from hackers but, never can be sure on service provider/govt is not reading data.
Google already sued over this controversy.

well here is a example how cloud computing works in The Laugh Out Loud Thread .

you should not even store in your hard disk, lol...
It's difficult to maintain privacy anywhere