The Clouds are not all created equal. Be sure to research the terms of service, license agreement, usage agreement, copyright content ownership and everything else before signing up for a cloud service. Check to see if the University offers a service that will be of use before looking into an outside service. If you intend to use the cloud for University purposes, it is especially important to check with the appropriate data steward for prior approval and be sure it isn’t a use prohibited by University Policy(ies). Remember also that any cloud service that requires a purchase needs to be reviewed through Procurement. And all cloud services with “Information classified as critical or nonpublic (confidential, departmental, or internal) must not be stored on external services without a contract protecting the University’s interests, approved by the ISO.”
For free services, remember that nothing is free – there is a reason a company is offering a cloud service. Whether for personal or business use, look carefully at what the host provider may be getting in return for its monetary investment in this infrastructure. Is the business selling advertising, selling/using/sharing your information (UVM information?) for other purposes, giving you a small portion of its feature set in the hopes that you will purchase the enhanced version? Be sure to do your research and reach out to the appropriate people if you have questions.
Data Stewards: Members of the University community who have the operational responsibility for particular collections of information such as student, employee, or alumni records (collection(s)).
Information Security Policy = http://www.uvm.edu/policies/cit/infosecurity.pdf
Information Security Procedures = http://www.uvm.edu/policies/cit/infosecurityprocedures.pdf
Procurement Policy = http://www.uvm.edu/policies/procure/procurement.pdf
Information Security Office = iso@uvm.edu