Where does my data go?
An inside look at virtual networks
GIVEN THE global scandals on data misuse, information and communication technologies experts are urging Internet users to be more conscious about where and how their data is being stored.
Cloud storage is becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and Dyllon Chambers, systems administrator at MC Systems, describes it as “a computing model in which data is stored on remote servers and can then be accessed over the Internet. These remote servers are usually spread out over several locations around the world and are built using virtualisation technology”.
Further simplifying the term, Henry Osborne, technical services manager at Contax 360 BPO Solutions, said, “In general, the cloud is simply a collection of servers housed in massive, acre-filling complexes and owned by some of the world’s largest corporations. That, essentially, means that your data sits on computers which you do not have access to.”
Both Chambers and Osborne underscored the importance for Internet users to be more vigilant in protecting their data.
“If you have any doubts about your data hosts’ security set-up, keep your confidential data off their servers,” warned Osborne.
Osborne noted that while the user owns the data, the cloud service provider has ultimate control over it. However, Chambers explains that different cloud platforms have different user policies, and there are also laws governing storage in countries where these cloud service providers set up base.
He said Office 365, one of the cloud storage platforms, sets the right example. Its policy states: “You own your data and retain all rights, title, and interest in the data you store with Office 365. You can download a copy of all of your data at any time and for any reason, without any assistance from Microsoft.” But Chambers cautioned that there are US laws, such as the Stored Communications Act (SCA), which give the government the right to seize data stored by an American company, even if the data is hosted elsewhere.
He stated that the enactment of the SCA resulted in Microsoft and other technology giants taking the government to court, claiming that it was illegal to use the act to obtain a search warrant, to peruse and seize data stored beyond the territorial boundaries of the United States. However, a district judge in New York ruled that the US government’s search powers extended to data stored in foreign servers.
“In the end, truthfully, data ownership in the cloud is a complicated issue. Determined by both government and company policies, data ownership in the cloud is not always retained,” he said.