NAS versus Cloud Storage

In today’s digital world, storage space is always something to think about whether at home or for commercial purposes. Transaction records, portfolio and media are among the main reasons why everyone is looking for a suitable method to store their data. With the increasing need to share this data over a network, it is becoming more and more important to get storage methods that support the same. The main contenders proposed by your IT service team are usually Network Attached Storage and Cloud Storage. These two systems allow for data access from multiple computers and devices over a network. Below we will highlight the strengths of both options head to head.

Initial costs

To make use of an NAS system, you will incur the cost of acquisition of the device and any extra hard disk drives required. You will also need to come up with the necessary space in your home or office to store the unit. On the other hand to make use of cloud storage, all you need is an internet connection and then purchase a suitable package depending on your storage needs.   

Storage space

Data storage space on the NAS is determined by the number of hard disks that can be fitted on the device in use. For instance for a two slot unit you can store up to 4TB of data. If you need more space you will need to swap out one hard disk for a new and empty one. This means you remove the data in that unit from the network.

On the other hand, cloud storage does not require any data to be taken offline as all you need to do to access more storage space is to upgrade your package. This means as your storage needs grow all that is needed is a simple package upgrade while maintaining the availability of previously stored data.

Security

The security of your data should always be of great concern to you. The NAS system allows you to set up user access rights to ensure that access to the data is restricted. However, your data may be lost in the event of a local disaster such as fire or flood, since the unit is stored in-house.

This risk is eliminated by the use of cloud storage. Cloud storage service providers normally backup your data in multiple servers at different locations to eliminate the risk of loss due to natural disasters. However that fact that many people use the same service can expose your data to hacking. This is however mitigated by the use of state of the art encryption and data security tools.