This week a reader wrote: “I have a question about iCloud and OneDrive security."

I currently backup my computer to several USB drives. However, I was thinking about storing my backup information on iCloud or OneDrive. Some of the data I backup may contain personal data such as medical records, bank account and credit card information, investment information, home records, tax information, documents containing my Social Security number, or passwords. I do keep my passwords in a password manager, but there may be some documents I back up that still contain a password. I want to be sure this type of data is secure on iCloud or OneDrive before I start storing it there. What are your thoughts.”

I think it’s OK to store your personal data in the cloud if you take a few precautions. I’m also aware that many readers will tell me I’m putting my information at risk. We all have our comfort levels, and individual decisions are up to you.

If you do decide to use iCloud or OneDrive or DropBox or Google Drive, you should make your documents as secure as possible.

Set up your cloud account with a very strong password. There are plenty of websites that can give you tips on setting up a password that will take a hacker years to crack.

When you set up your cloud account, be sure to turn on two-factor authentication. This is another level of sign-in security where you are texted or emailed a code after you enter your login and password. This code comes to a trusted device or email address and must be entered on the website before you gain access.

Make sure you have alternate contact information set up in case you lose access to your account. Most have an area to set up a second email address and/or cell phone number you can use if you forget your password or lose email access to the address you used to sign up for the account.

When you set up accounts on your phone or computer, don’t opt to stay logged in. This means you’ll have to enter your credentials every time you want access.

Finally, you should encrypt the files and folders before you save them to the cloud. How you encrypt will depend on what operating system you use. I can’t cover all the options here, but MacOS has encryption as an option as do some versions of Windows. Do a search for instructions for your specific operating system.

 - TNS