The concept and use of Cloud Computing is becoming more and more popular as the internet is growing, but users of this new technology, such as users of Apple’s iCloud, need to be aware of the privacy issues that they could be dealing with. Cloud Computing makes any information accessible and stored on the internet. This makes it so that anyone can access information from a mobile device at any time.
Apple’s iCloud is an example of software as a service, using many applications that can be accessed from any mobile device (1). in Apple’s case, applications can be accessed from any iOS device that someone owns. This is one of the main features of iCloud. The cloud transfers all of your information stored on one iOS device to any others that you own automatically. iCloud also automatically backs up any information stored (2), virtually as soon as the information is put into the device. Businesses are now using iCloud as a way to access any document or information at any time on a mobile device. iCloud also allows for the ability to design and make presentations through the use of a device (2), such as an iPad. Although the iCloud seems like a great use for conducting businesses, there has been controversy of privacy issues in this sense.
iCloud may be facing, in the near future, some blame for exposure of private information. One app that can be stored in the iCloud is the “Find My Friends” app. This app allows for people to see where someone is by tracking their iOS device. iCloud could face blame for the incident of someone being tracked down for the wrong reasons (3). Privacy issues could stir up simply from photos on iCloud. Embarrassing pictures could be kept and stored on iCloud, when others do not want them there (3).
The privacy issues listed above are more personal, but these issues are also seen as a threat in the business field. “Companies must decide if they want their intellectual property being linked to iCloud” (4). The main threat with conducting business with iCloud is that if a hacker is able to break into iCloud at all, ALL information on iCloud would be accessible to them. Once broken into iCloud itself, there are no extra passwords needed to access any specific information; it would all be right there. Businesses keeping information in iCloud would be exposing everything, meaning that they could lose everything. Hackers look to attack and break into Apple, not just individual devices (4). This way, as stated before, they will have access to all data stored on iCloud.
Although Cloud Computing, including the use of Apple’s iCloud, may seem like a great “Software as a Service” use for conducting business, there are privacy issues that need to be addressed and that businesses need to be warned about.
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
2.http://www.apple.com/icloud/features/
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