4 Types of Computer Data Storage

4 Types of Computer Data Storage

There are many types of computer data storage systems that have been used and have been created by brilliant minds in the data storage industry. But there are 4 types of computer data storage that literally stand out because of their efficiency and functionality. Listed below are the following:

Computer Data Storage #1: Cloud Storage

Cloud storage is a type of computer data storage that has become popular in recent years. In fact, most people nowadays are using the services of the best cloud storage providers in order to secure their important files, folders, and computer data easily by sending all the information to the cloud. This means that people no longer need to store computer data on a physical storage device in order to retain an extra copy of their files in case the hard disk drive of the local computer itself crashes or whenever a file becomes corrupted due to a lot of possible reasons. 

By sending all of your computer data to the cloud, you allow your files to be stored on multiple servers, data centers and IT infrastructures across geographical locations. This means that you are no longer easily vulnerable to various cyber threats like a computer virus infection as well as computer worm infestation. On top of that, you can be assured that no one can leverage you in case all of your files have been hijacked by ransomware. You don’t need to pay those hackers even a single penny just to recover your computer data that has been restricted and locked by the ransomware attack.

Since all of your files and computer data are stored securely on various servers across multiple locations, you can retrieve your files easily without having to think about the loss of data due to a cyber-attack that happened. Hackers can’t take down all of the servers all at once at the same time.

One prominent aspect of cloud storage as a computer data storage is that the sharing of files to other people is relatively easy. You just have to create a shared link and sent that link over through a text message, e-mail, Skype, Facebook Messenger and any other means of communication that is internet-based. Some of the best cloud storage service providers even allow you to type the e-mail address of the person and the link will automatically be created and sent through an electronic mail.

You don’t have to literally meet with the person and hand over a file or computer data through a physical storage device. That would be ridiculous especially the person who you want to give access to a certain file or computer data is in another country. Or far worse, is if that person is currently living in another continent. It would also be irrational if you send sensitive computer data through regular mail. Any courier service can peek through your files and tamper with it in any possible way it can think of. It is not safe to send sensitive information through a physical courier service. Another thing to consider is that the physical computer data storage device you sent through the regular mail can be lost or destroyed while transporting such device from one location to another.

Another thing that you should know about cloud storage providers is that they have a sync feature wherein all the files that you store in a certain folder connected to the cloud storage service can be synchronized across all devices in which you have an active account. These include multiple computers across various locations, laptops, mobile phones, and even tablets. You can also preview all types of files in a cloud storage service.  On top of that, editing documents directly from the cloud is possible.

Cloud storage companies include pCloud, Sync.com, Icedrive, Tresorit, Mega, Koofr, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SecureSafe, and Box.

Computer Data Storage #2: Cloud Backup

Cloud backup is another form of computer data storage that you should actually try using. In a way, cloud backup is a type of online backup solution that works quite similarly with a cloud storage service. First and foremost, just like a cloud storage provider, your files and computer data are sent securely to the cloud by the cloud backup provider. This means that your files and computer data are stored securely on multiple servers on various data centers across different geographical locations.

You might be thinking that if that is the case, then cloud backup is also a form of cloud storage. But ladies and gentlemen, that is not entirely the case. You will be misinformed if you think that way. Let me clear things up for you. In cloud backup, you don’t need to manually backup a file or folder and put it directly to a synchronized folder. Best online backup solution providers have the capability to back up your entire computer or backup certain local hard drives on your computer with a touch of a button. That is something that is not achievable with a cloud storage service.

You don’t need to manually select a file or folder to the cloud. This is one of the advantages a cloud backup provider can give to its subscribers in terms of computer data storage. So in case the hard disk drive of your local computer crashes, you can restore everything. All of your computer data are retrievable. In the case of the cloud storage service, that is not the case. What you can recover in the cloud storage are only the files and folders that have been manually uploaded to the sync folder of the best cloud storage provider which can be found on your local computer.

Another thing that you should understand is that in general, cloud backup usually offers better data security than most of the best cloud storage providers. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the existing cloud storage services only provide server-side encryption as well as data protection during data transmission. While there are exceptions such as in the case of pCloud, Icedrive, Sync.com, Tresorit, and Mega, the client-side encryption and zero-knowledge data protection are more commonly implemented in the best cloud backup services. 

In the cloud backup, you can’t directly edit documents from the cloud, unlike in the cloud storage. However, online backup providers usually have larger file size limits than cloud storage services when uploading files to the cloud.  You also have the ability to retrieve large volumes of data easily with the courier service of an online backup provider. This option is very helpful especially if you have backed up an entire local hard drive or an entire computer since downloading large amounts of data from the cloud can take a while. This is especially true when your location is far away from the data center of the cloud backup provider.

Computer Data Storage #3: USB Flash Drive

A USB flash drive is one of the most common computer data storage options you can have today. Computer data in a USB flash drive is stored locally on the physical storage device. It is easy to carry and very portable because of its design. In a simple sense, a USB flash drive is actually an embedded flash memory inside a USB interface which is needed in order to be connected to a local computer. Most of the existing USB flash drives weigh only 30 grams. Depending on programmed memory, these USB flash drives can contain data as low as 1 GB and as high as 2 TB. In recent years, the most common types of USB flash drives contain data from 8 GB to 256 GB.

A USB flash drive as a form of computer data storage is removable and rewritable. But the lifespan of the physical storage device can be affected by the write/erase cycles it has undergone in the past. While it is an efficient type of computer data storage, there has also limitations to it. First and foremost, it is an unsecured form of computer data storage. Anyone can access your files, documents and other types of data stored in a USB flash drive if people have physical access to it.

Second, files and folders stored in the USB flash drive can easily be corrupted by a computer virus. Since USB flash drives can be easily inserted into an unlimited number of computers regardless of geographical location, there is a high chance that the USB flash drive can be infected by a computer virus. Another bad thing is that the USB flash drive can become a carrier of the computer virus itself and can infect other computers as well.

Computer Data Storage #4: Optical Media Storage

Optical media storage is one of the most common types of computer data storage that has been previously built. Before USB flash drives have been invented, optical media storage has become the world’s favorite for a very long time in previous years. This form of computer data storage includes the Compact Discs (CDs), the Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) as well as the Blu-Ray Discs (BDs). Traditional Compact Discs are only efficient in storing audio files and audio recordings as this type of disc can only accommodate 700 MB worth of data. DVDs, on the other hand, can hold a larger amount of data than the Compact Discs. DVDs can hold as much as 4.7 GB worth of data. It is primarily used to store video files and movies that are of high-definition. The Blu-Ray disc is the most common type of optical media storage that is still being used today. It can hold as much as 25 GB to 50 GB worth of data.