Cloud storage is a convenient way to store a copy of your files so that you can easily access them from any device with an internet connection. It also provides a way for you to share and collaborate with others. The problem arises when what you have stored online is your primary and only copy.

If something happens to the files you have saved in the cloud, you are at the providers mercy to help you recover your data. Cloud service providers do take considerable steps to protect your data with advanced security features and backups across multiple systems, but they are also at risk for data loss, security breaches, hacking, service shutdowns, insufficient data encryption, malicious insider threats, Inadequate security patching, internal lapses or deficiencies, accidental deletion, account lockouts and other problems. Your data is completely in their care and control. Your online data isn’t safe just because it’s in the cloud and remember a cloud service provider can shut down at any time.

For example, Megaupload was shut down due to copyright infringement allegations, leaving millions of users without access to their files. Wuala, another cloud storage provider shut down in 2015 due to the competition in the cloud storage market. Users had to undergo a time-consuming process to migrate all their information to another service within a specified time frame.

It is important to maintain ownership of your own data. The original copies of your files should be completely under your control and stored locally, additionally you want two other copies in separate locations.

If you have problems logging into your account, you may or may not get help from the service provider and that is a frightening scenario considering some people store their only copy of all their data in the cloud. You are also dependent on an internet connection to access your files.

If you currently save everything in the cloud, download all your data to your computer, from there you can sync with the cloud so that it is easily accessible on all your devices, and it acts as a backup to your primary copy.

If you use an online email service, setup your email in a desktop client like Outlook or Thunderbird. Configure the client to download everything so that you always have a local copy of your email, contacts and calendar.