1. Apparatus for providing data storage services for a client, in accordance with a cloud computing model wherein a client platform is operably connected to a cloud storage broker and a plurality of remote cloud storage platforms, the apparatus comprising: a user interface at the cloud storage broker; a cloud storage interface at the cloud storage broker; a memory at the cloud storage broker; and at least one processor operably coupled to the user interface, cloud storage interface and memory and configured to: receive a first client request for cloud storage services associated with a data item; in response to the first client request, determine a first rule of a plurality of first rules used to divide the data item of the client request into a plurality of data item portions and determine a second rule of a plurality of second rules used to allocate the plurality of the data item portions among the plurality of remote cloud storage platforms; generate at least one random number; communicate indicia of the first rule and the second rule and the at least one random number to the client to: divide the data item into a plurality of data item portions in accordance with the determined first rule of the plurality of first rules, wherein dividing the data item varies independently from other data items and, the at least one random number is used to determine a size of the plurality of the data item portions based on the determined first rule; and allocate the respective portions among a number of the plurality of remote cloud storage platforms in accordance with the determined second rule of the plurality of second rules, wherein the number of the plurality of remote cloud storage platforms being based on the determined second rule, which defines that the plurality of the data item portions are stored in the at least one random number of the plurality of remote cloud storage platforms, wherein responsive to a second client request for data retrieval services, an inverse of the determined first rule and the determined second rule facilitates retrieval and reassembly of the data item.