Cloud Storage... free access by US Authorities

StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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British internet users' personal information on major 'cloud' storage services can be spied upon routinely by US authorities

All documents uploaded onto cloud systems based in the US or falling under Washington’s jurisdiction can be accessed and analysed without a warrant by American security agencies.

http://www.independent.co...-authorities-8471819.html
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  • BrokenArrowBrokenArrow Posts: 21,665
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    Don't use cloud storage....problem fixed.

    Anyone who posts personal information on the internet deserves what they get.
  • paulj48paulj48 Posts: 1,122
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    Don't use cloud storage....problem fixed.

    just encrypt the data before you send it to the cloud, simple really.
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    Safer to keep your files on your hard drive.
  • John146John146 Posts: 12,926
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    Hope this doesn't sound like to much of a daft question, but how do you get rid of the files stored in cloud storage, if I just delete the software i.e. GoogleDrive, and SkyDrive, presume the files will still be there for anyone to access.

    I am going to do what cnbcwatcher suggests and keep them at home on an external drive.
  • Sue_CSue_C Posts: 1,459
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    I hope that they enjoy browsing through my boring holiday snaps, listening to my uninspired choice of music, and reading my ever increasing selection of Kindle bargain books!

    If they fancy making sense of my tangled family tree data for me that would come in quite handy.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    paulj48 wrote: »
    just encrypt the data before you send it to the cloud, simple really.
    Though that might attract interest and may be decrypted.
    Don't use cloud storage....problem fixed.
    If you use the amazon store for books or music, then it can't be avoided. Then there's all the things people agree to without realising eg apple product data stored remotely or bookmarks.
  • BrokenArrowBrokenArrow Posts: 21,665
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    tealady wrote: »
    Though that might attract interest and may be decrypted.

    If you use the amazon store for books or music, then it can't be avoided. Then there's all the things people agree to without realising eg apple product data stored remotely or bookmarks.

    None of those things need any remote storage:confused:
  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,538
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    John146 wrote: »
    Hope this doesn't sound like to much of a daft question, but how do you get rid of the files stored in cloud storage, if I just delete the software i.e. GoogleDrive, and SkyDrive, presume the files will still be there for anyone to access.

    I am going to do what cnbcwatcher suggests and keep them at home on an external drive.

    You need to delete the files from the provider, not just the software on your PC.

    And online storage is fine, as mentioned if you have anything sensitive then encrypt it. Nobody is decrypting random stuff on mass, it takes too much computing power even for the authorities.

    And you should be using online storage along side some sort of removable storage.
  • StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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    John146 wrote: »
    Hope this doesn't sound like to much of a daft question, but how do you get rid of the files stored in cloud storage

    Go to your cloud storage website, and delete the cloud files & folders from there.
  • christwochristwo Posts: 534
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    Can I please ask for suggestions for encryption software used, ease of use, free, paid for etc

    Thanks
  • paulj48paulj48 Posts: 1,122
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    tealady wrote: »
    Then there's all the things people agree to without realising eg apple product data stored remotely or bookmarks.

    But are people really bothered about that? should I get my tin hat?

    I use iCloud and I'm not bothered that my photo stream or browser tabs could be 'hacked' into by an Apple employee or that the CIA may want to hack me randomly. I have nothing to hide and nothing of interest to the authorities.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    None of those things need any remote storage:confused:
    Amazon kindly store all your purchased music from them in the cloud. Obviously your kindle books are in the cloud. You can take a photo on a your iphone and view seamlessly on your mac.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    paulj48 wrote: »
    I have nothing to hide and nothing of interest to the authorities.
    As long as the authorities are benign. As long as what you are interested in isn't declared illegal. As long as you aren't associated with a person the authorities are interested in.
  • paulj48paulj48 Posts: 1,122
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    christwo wrote: »
    Can I please ask for suggestions for encryption software used, ease of use, free, paid for etc

    Thanks

    https://www.boxcryptor.com/
  • paulj48paulj48 Posts: 1,122
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    tealady wrote: »
    As long as the authorities are benign. As long as what you are interested in isn't declared illegal. As long as you aren't associated with a person the authorities are interested in.

    I'll get my tin hat then
  • user123456789user123456789 Posts: 16,589
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    christwo wrote: »
    Can I please ask for suggestions for encryption software used, ease of use, free, paid for etc

    Thanks

    Free: 7Zip, Axcrypt, TrueCrypt

    Paid: WinZip
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    It's worth pointing out that for UK users, Microsoft keep our data in their Dublin datacentre so it is in EU jurisdiction and protection rather than in the US.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    paulj48 wrote: »
    I'll get my tin hat then
    You'd be better reading up on false positives.
  • christwochristwo Posts: 534
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    Thanks for the suggestions for encryption methods, will check out later
  • BrokenArrowBrokenArrow Posts: 21,665
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    tealady wrote: »
    Amazon kindly store all your purchased music from them in the cloud. Obviously your kindle books are in the cloud. You can take a photo on a your iphone and view seamlessly on your mac.

    I don't have a kindle but my missus does and her books are stored on her kindle. There is no online storage and if there was she would delete it, as would I.

    Why would anyone store music in a place where you can't play them without an internet connection :confused:

    I have never purchased digital music I buy physicals only.

    The only reason to ever have an non anonymous online presence is when you want to sell something.
  • JeffG1JeffG1 Posts: 15,243
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    tealady wrote: »
    If you use the amazon store for books or music, then it can't be avoided.
    None of those things need any remote storage:confused:
    I don't have a kindle but my missus does and her books are stored on her kindle. There is no online storage and if there was she would delete it, as would I.

    I think you misunderstand how Kindle works. How does Amazon know which books you have bought if that information is not stored remotely? You can delete local copies of books you have bought and redownload them to any number of your devices.

    Also, how can you sync books you have on more than one device unless the information on how far you have read is not stored remotely?

    I have a Kindle and the Kindle app on two tablets (Nexus 7 and Xoom) and my phone. If I am reading a book in bed one evening on my Kindle, I can pick up where I left off on my phone the next day if I'm out and have to kill some time.
  • paulj48paulj48 Posts: 1,122
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    JeffG1 wrote: »
    I think you misunderstand how Kindle works. How does Amazon know which books you have bought if that information is not stored remotely?

    If you use Calibre to sideload books (or just use drag and drop) then books downloaded from sites other that Amazon would not appear in the cloud, maybe BrokenArrow has done this so he is actually quite correct in his statement.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    paulj48 wrote: »
    If you use Calibre to sideload books (or just use drag and drop) then books downloaded from sites other that Amazon would not appear in the cloud, maybe BrokenArrow has done this so he is actually quite correct in his statement.
    Since the statement "None of those things need any remote storage" was in reply to "If you use the amazon store for books or music, then it can't be avoided." Then it's clear they are not understanding how the kindle works or how Amazon have introduced the Cloud for your prior music purchases.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    paulj48 wrote: »
    just encrypt the data before you send it to the cloud, simple really.

    I got a couple of speadsheets on drop box and they are Encrypted, the only reason I got them on drop box is because it is easier to sync between the main computer and my laptop. Saying that if I can find some software to sync it from the NAS, I may do that instead.

    I have said before that using cloud based services is not a great idea.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    tealady wrote: »
    Though that might attract interest and may be decrypted.

    If you use the amazon store for books or music, then it can't be avoided. Then there's all the things people agree to without realising eg apple product data stored remotely or bookmarks.

    Simple thing with amazon is as soon as you downloaded your music, just delete the file from their cloud service. I only got three MP3s from Amazon, I prefer to buy Cds and I have erased all three from their system. i have no idea about their ebooks as I use a Kobo and not a kindle, so never buy books from amazon.

    May also stop buying CDs from amazon as well, I hear they are going rip the music from them and stick it on their cloud.
    Saying that most of the stuff I buy is old.
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