WHY I LOVE T HE C L O U D

I GET IT. We’re trusting opaque mega-companies to guard our financial records and pet videos from theft, hoping that their employees aren’t reading our diary entries aloud at the holiday party. Committing to the Cloud, as with most modern technology, means conceding certainty of privacy for convenience.

And my God, is the Cloud convenient. You could mix my Macbook in cement and before I can find a lawyer to take you to small-claims court, I’m on a different device, resuming my Netflix series to the second that I left off while pulling up the photo from the time I met Will Smith. Everything important to me is a few logins away.

Of course, there’s still that pesky issue of privacy. After asking dozens of engineers, academics and impartial industry veterans, I’ve concluded that no law-abiding citizen need fear the curious and gossipy Google employee. It’s usually algorithms that analyse the content. That makes the argument for not only using the Cloud, but never deleting anything, ever, rather compelling. There’s no consequence for saving every photo to a free and unlimited Cloud service like Google Photos, especially when that app’s evolving artificial intelligence makes it spookily easy to use vague search terms to find a specific photo – “dog beach” impressed me the most.

Recently, while scrolling aimlessly through past entries in my Day One app, a Cloudbased journal, I found one from right after an acrimonious breakup. It led to intense recall, the kind that leaves you glad to have those memories and glad to have some distance from them. Difference is, on the Cloud, it’s Day One’s clutter, not mine. And with the thumbprint verification turned on, I don’t have to worry about anyone else reading it.

THE CLOUD HANDLER of machines, grab what they need from our pharmacy of spare parts and start working. The hum from the fans is constant, and we run the data-centre floor hotter than you’d expect, at about 27 degrees. I can’t tell you exactly how big it is, but big enough that some of us zip around on Amish or Razor scooters. Breakfast and lunch are free and there are prepared meals for anyone here overnight. At lunchtime, some people go off and play video games in one of the lounge spaces before getting back to work in the afternoon. We have about 250 employees and there are always people physically present, usually folks responsible for critical power, cooling infrastructure and security. Hardware Operations – we’re the nerds. The technology is not something we get to talk about outside here, but you do get to say, “I’m touching the infrastructure that runs the Internet.” That’s pretty cool.

Q: If I use the Cloud, is someone reading my emails and ogling my photos? A: Generally, no. Computer programs, not humans, are analysing your stuff. It’s the same way spam filters and antivirus scans work- functions that exist because we let Google algorithms see our Gmail.

Q: Can someone rob a data centre? A: If, somehow, an unmarked van full of hackers physically or remotely accessed Cloud servers, your information would be ENCRYPTED, illegible without authentication.

Q: Can hackers get my stuff? A: In the years since embarrassing breaches (Dropbox in 2012, icloud in 2014), Cloud companies have become much more secure. Hacks you hear about at places such as big retailers or election databases are usually the result of imperfect in-house-built storage systems. Dedicated Cloud companies with huge corporate clients spend millions to stay ahead of criminals.

Q: What about unreasonable search and seizure? A: Criminals use the Cloud, and Cloud companies have protocols for giving user information to law enforcement. “We require search warrants, and publish the requests we get,” says Greg Demichillie, director of product management for Google’s Cloud division. “The same laws apply for something stored on your hard drive.” Yes, it’s easier for the FBI to access a Cloud account than seize an unplugged hard drive. But unless you’re trading pirated movies, no one’s interested in your Cloud activity.

Q: What can I do to protect myself even more? A: Some breaches come from a thief exploiting a weak Forgot Your Password? process. But generally, keeping your Cloud secure comes down to boring, predictable advice: use an annoyingly complex password (sentences instead of single words, for one), change it every few months, don’t use the same one for multiple sites, and turn on TWO-STEP VERIFICATION. As cybersecurity veteran Mark Seiden says, “The weakest point is likely you.”