As cloud computing has become a ubiquitous part of our personal and professional lives, businesses are rethinking how they store and protect their trade secrets. Over the past 30 years, trade secrets have moved from locked file cabinets and desk drawers, to floppy disks and PCs, to Dropbox and Google Docs. While the many benefits of cloud services are driving the current explosion in popularity, there are a host of related issues that businesses should consider when storing sensitive and valuable information in the cloud. This article provides a brief introduction to cloud computing and trade-secret law, before identifying challenges and practical tips for maintaining and protecting trade-secret information in the cloud. This article also discusses ways to preserve trade-secret status in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure, and during the course of litigation.

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