Can someone school me on Cloud Storage

[todpod]

Wasn't sure were to post this, so if it needs to be moved please do.

I work in child welfare, we are currently moving our current management system to a web based system. In addition we have a sub program that works with youth 16-21. We are required to have certain documentation in there files, such as birth certificates and court orders. Our program is becoming more mobile and we are looking to make these records electronic and accessible from remote locations.

My question is how to start the process, how do you figure storage space and bandwidth needs. My director says ok, the state has been pushing tech so money shouldn't be a big issue, security is a concern.

I am looking at having the records of 30-50 kids available with maybe 2 or 3 people accessing them on a regular basis. As documents are obtained or created they would be scanned and uploaded.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Honestly, Google Drive would work fine for this. You can use the email and calendaring system too, probably save some bucks.

http://www.google.com/nonprofits/

I'm assuming, of course, that you're a nonprofit.

If you're just using it as a file repository for a bunch of PDFs, bandwidth use isn't going to be a big issue.

Storage might be - how many pages of data, on average, does each kid generate before they age out? Figure if you're scanning 300dpi Monochrome, you're looking at 50-100kB per page. (10-20 pages per MB.) Say, 1,000 pages of records, 100-200MBs per kid, 50 kids, 10GB needed. Hypothetically, of course.

I'd probably just get the 100GB storage tier and call it done.

Google Drive is trustworthy enough - plenty of schools and govt. agencies use it, and trust fairly important data to it. I'd worry more about your individual computers (HDD encryption, password discipline, that sort of thing.)

 

[todpod]

We are local government

 

[JackMDS]

Almost all cloud services have the capacity to assign Folders to be public ,or and restricted to specific user that must log on with secure password.

Most of them have a free service limited to the amount of space given to you, which can be always expand by moving to the modestly paid service.

Try Sky Drive, Google Drive, Box.net, Drop box. etc.

Pay attention to the apps provided Sky Drive will go with MS Office. Google has their own apps, Box.net works nicely on mobile and across Win-OSX-Android.

It will not take you long and you can be the judge of which one fits your specific demands.

 

[todpod]

Thanks Jack

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you have any mac users, Skydrive is mostly a nonstarter. (It works... sorta...)

 

[todpod]

Its going to be a Windows (8) shop, for good or bad. Most of the ones I look at don't really talk about security features. I need to be able lock this down. There will be alot of personal information on here so that is probably the biggest concern.

 

[NetGuySC]

I wonder if you would need to comply with the banking industry Red Flag Laws, concerning identify theft prevention, being that you appear to working at a government organization that is dealing with such personal information.

 

[JackMDS]

Its going to be a Windows (8) shop, for good or bad. Most of the ones I look at don't really talk about security features. I need to be able lock this down. There will be alot of personal information on here so that is probably the biggest concern.

It might that this situation falls under HIPPA rules and you should get a consultant to help you with these aspects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/

 

[todpod]

Yeah, Hippa for sure. My director is checking with her contacts about how this is being implemented elsewhere in the state. There is so little good information out there, most of it is pick me I'm better but don't give any reasons why.

That's the problem at a place like ours. I am the most knowledgeable but am really lacking on the more in depth things. Our IT dept mange 4 buildings and consist of 2 people so they don't have alot of time and don't really understand our business and how it operates. I have threw out maybe we need our own IT person but that will take time if it happens. So i am trying to get some baseline so I sorta know what I am talking able.

Thanks so far you have been helpful.