For some computer owners, finding enough storage space to hold all the data they've acquired is a real challenge. Some people invest in larger hard drives. Others prefer external storage devices that plug into your computer. Most people are now choosing to back up their data to the Cloud. But what does that mean?

'The Cloud' is the term used to refer to saving data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party. Instead of storing information to your computer's hard drive or other local storage device, you save it to a remote database. The Internet provides the connection between your computer and the database.

Cloud storage (sometimes also called cloud backup) has several advantages over traditional data storage. For example, if you store your data on a cloud storage system, you're able to get to that data from any location that has Internet access. You don't need to carry around a physical storage device or use the same computer to save and retrieve the information. With the right storage system, you could even allow other people to access the data. That means you don’t have to email documents to each other or remember to save the latest version if you are working collaboratively on something.

Cloud storage is very convenient as you only pay for the space you use. It can be set up in such a way that you choose which files you want to save. It could be that you just want to save all your photos or videos to make sure nothing happens to them. If for any reason your computer failed, you’d connect to the cloud and download your files again with a simple click of the mouse.