Secure or Private Cloud Service with Easy Client Access

[Marty Cormack]

We have had more than one request from teachers and staff to have us install the Drop Box or Google Drive client on their school desktop systems so that they can easily sync files.  These free cloud services offer really excellent ease of use interfaces on a variety of platforms.

The problem is that they are so easy to use, that with widespread use by staff, inevitably student private data will get exposed and that makes us extremely uncomfortable.

To me it would make more sense to use a secured private cloud service, either one we control or one we purchase from a third party with the appropriate controls.  We already have a private SharePoint site, and Moodle e-locker.  However, these do not have the simplicity or ease of use of Drop Box or Google Drive.

Is anyone aware of a private cloud service similar to Drop Box or Google Drive with the same ease of use and availability of clients for multiple platforms (e.g Windows, Android, iPad, etc.).

Thanks.

[Bryan Berg]

To be honest, I haven't been allowing the installation of Drive client - or similar cloud sync clients. It's not that they don't provide some easy sync options. The way I view it is that if they use the web interfaces exclusively (staff and students) then no matter where they are or what computer they use, they can access their files with an easy log-off or possible auto-log-off to help preserve security, something that doesn't work as well with the clients and synced folders.

Even without the client are you concerned with security of files? Because I think the same issue with any client-based system - private or not - would have the same problem, wouldn't it? It's all about what a machine is logged into, and how easy it is for the wrong person to access that machine when the "right" person is away from it while certain resources are still available on that machine - cloud based or not.