Ah, the Cloud: The Risks of Subscription Software
October 9, 2019
DarkCyber is amused when articles about the wonder of cloud-provided subscription software is presented as a real benefit to users. The team was intrigued with the information in “Adobe to Deactivate Accounts for All Venezuelan Users Due to US Sanctions.”
The write up reported:
US software giant Adobe is canceling all subscriptions and deactivating all accounts for Venezuelan users as part of its efforts to become compliant with sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over the summer.
The accounts go dead which means Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe app users in Venezuela have to find alternatives.
ZDNet states: “Because of the White House’s sanctions, users aren’t eligible for refunds either.”
Developers of software which can be installed on a user’s computer may find this announcement heartening.
DarkCyber wants to point out:
- The cloud based service is a variation on old school time sharing. Users have limited control under certain circumstances.
- Government actions can have more impact when centralized services comply with mandates.
- Subscriptions’ benefits may not be tilted toward users.
The cloud has other attributes as well; for example, monitoring and control.
DarkCyber’s view is that the modern computing environment is becoming increasingly interesting. Those dependent on cloud based solutions may want to consider having a Plan B.
Stephen E Arnold, October 9, 2019
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