Tips for safe cloud storage

So far, it appears that keeping data in the clouds is a safe bet and may be no riskier than putting it in a proprietary storage platform in your own data center. But PCWorld asked some experts for advice on steps you should take to prevent problems. They include:

* Before you sign on, do a clear assessment of how difficult it is to get your data out.
* Find out if there are proprietary tools required to move your data.
* Ask for a provision that says you can get your data put on a removable hard drive and sent to you at the end of the contract.
* Don't outsource primary storage.
* Ask the same questions about your cloud provider's data center as you would about your own: Backup routine? Generator?
* Try to use open file formats if possible.
* Go through regular exercises to make sure you can retrieve your data.

For more on cloud storage:
 - see this PCWorld article