Leakage of nude images from top celebrities isn’t really
new. Previously, nude images had already been spread by anonymous individuals
which were acquired through hacking into cellphones or computers of these
celebrities (such as Scarlet Johansson and Paris Hilton).
However, in the recent event involving leakage in the web of
nude photos of many major celebrities (my sympathies to those who are affected)
which is said to have been acquired from Apple’s iCould. Furthermore, with the large
number of users using cloud services such as iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox,
etc. The question that remains is ‘How safe is the cloud?’
Can you trust the Cloud?
Technically, when we store files into the cloud, we are storing it into someone else’s (or a company’s) hard drive. Like some controversies that commonly arises in the World Wide Web such as the one’s involving Facebook, we have the issue of privacy. Can we trust these companies providing cloud services to keep our information or files away from thieves? Or can we even trust them not to divulge these stuffs in exchange for money?
Companies providing online storage will often stress their
commitment to security and privacy in order to gain the trust of users. However,
in line with the fast pace of how technology evolves. The security measures
enforced by these companies can easily become obsolete which could render the
user’s files at risk of theft.
What can you do?
If you can’t stay away from these cloud services. The rule of protecting yourself from cloud storage theft could be the same as any other rule being applies to social media sites in protecting yourself from identity theft. Here are a few tips that you probably have encountered before:
- Secure your Password – this is a rule that is often neglected by users. It is suggested that a user should pick a password that isn’t based on a word. As much as possible, it should include random letters and numbers and atleast include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. The longer the password the better.
- Choose what you upload – It is advised to avoid uploading files that include sensitive information/content (in the case of the celebrities, nude photos). This also includes credit card numbers, addresses, etc. Or anything that you wouldn't want others to have.
- Choose your Cloud service provider – This should also be consider if you still intend to avail these services. You should pick a reputable cloud storage service provider which you could trust. If possible, read first reviews about the service provider on how they provide these services especially on how they take security seriously.
I believe that we could all learn a lesson from what had happen to these celebrities. We should know that although the internet has given us a lot of benefits. It also has its disadvantages. What I could only ask is that to please have respect for these women. Please stop spreading the leaked photos. Share responsibly.