Cloud services can help SMEs avoid costly data breaches

Security is a serious issue for virtually every company, no matter its size, age, or industry. Whether you concern yourself with the most valuable of personal information (like Social Insurance Numbers), or more mundane data specific to your company, any data breach can pose serious risks. In fact, a recent study found that the average cost of a lost or stolen record is $278

In an effort to avoid these losses, many companies take precautions to protect against the possibility of a breach. Although some attacks certainly come from outside hackers, companies need to realize that the greatest threat lies within.

The Risk of Employee Error

Even the most security-conscious people in the world make mistakes now and then. Most mistakes are small, like a typo on a report or an email sent to the wrong recipient, but others are far more significant. Late last year, 3 million British Columbia and Yukon student records were breached after an employee misplaced an unencrypted drive.

Most employee errors are innocent, but the ones that are intentionally damaging can put your business in a world of hurt. From deletion of data vital for daily operations to unauthorized sharing with inappropriate individuals, all it takes is a few clicks to put the entire well-being of your business at risk. And that’s not all. Poorly chosen passwords, mismanagement of proprietary data, and weak security measures are enough to put companies under legal, financial, and reputational jeopardy.

Some try to reduce these risks by providing IT-related employee training. Unfortunately, in most cases these efforts don’t guarantee full system security.

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How Cloud Services Can Help

With the risk of data breaches on the rise, small businesses with limited resources may find themselves frightened at the prospect of installing seemingly complicated network security systems. But as the old saying goes, “Better safe than sorry.” For those seeking simple, efficient solutions that can prevent against employee mistakes, cloud services are a crucial part of the equation.

Increased Security

A cloud-based system has many advantages, but increased security is certainly a large factor to consider. In general, cloud services have more stringent firewalls and access credentials, leading to a safer approach to data management. Additionally, cloud services are encrypted, preventing any hacker or unauthorized personnel from intercepting company-sensitive information.

Automatic Backups

Worried about inadvertently destroying files? Don’t be. Cloud systems create automatic backups consistently, leading to an easy way to recover anything lost. As cloud services aren’t restricted to your in-house IT infrastructure, major challenges like crashes, deletions, and memory shortages aren’t an issue.

Centralized Management

On a standard network, management is variable. System administration is limited to on-site resources, putting strict restrictions on what your IT team can accomplish. Cloud infrastructures provide a centralized management resource, giving your technology teams remote access from anywhere. With the ability to access data and monitor threats more efficiently, your network can detect any unusual issues and rectify them quickly, keeping your data secure wherever your employees are.

Taking Strategic Steps Forward

Sadly, a cloud system can’t keep your employees from making mistakes — after all, to err is human — but it can limit the effects of what would otherwise be a devastating scenario. From offering guaranteed backups to utilizing access-controlled firewalls, cloud-based storage can be the countermeasure your small business needs against costly data breaches.

Data safety and protection is an ever-evolving field. If you want to ensure compliance with the latest measures or defend your business against preventable data breaches, we can provide you the solution. Get in touch with us today, and see what our expertise and our cloud security services can do for you.