Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are becoming more reliant on data. Making reservations, keeping customers’ records, managing inventory, and keeping tabs on accounting are all much easier to manage on computers than on paper.

In this regard, cloud computing has been and continues to be a boon to SMBs. Instead of buying expensive lifetime licenses for productivity apps such as Microsoft Word or Excel, business owners can subscribe to cloud-based services such as Office 365. And instead of storing and serving data in-house (which requires full-time IT technicians, systems managers, and cybersecurity specialists), businesses can rely on cloud service providers to take care of servers in their stead.

However, the time and cost savings initially came with a price: reduced cybersecurity control. Indeed, in years past, cloud services such as Apple’s iCloud have been breached, which notably led to the release of compromising photos of celebrities to the public. But, since those sobering incidents, cloud services have strengthened their security protocols, restoring user confidence once again. Here are but some of the many tools that cloud providers implement to keep clients’ data safe.

24/7/365 Monitoring and security

Unwavering vigilance is key to keeping the cloud secure, and cloud service providers use the latest and most effective monitoring and cybersecurity tools throughout its network. Beyond implementing knowledge-based breach prevention measures such as antimalware software, more advanced providers complement those methods with behavior-based monitoring tools. These tools can recognize network access attempts that are out of sync with day-to-day patterns (e.g., someone from the day shift suddenly taps into archives at night) or are anomalous with regards to the role of the person accessing data and the type of data (e.g., someone from Research & Development looks into HR files).

Dedicated staff

As patches or releases are launched, cloud technicians immediately update and upgrade systems to keep them as secure as possible.

Furthermore, top-notch cloud providers are just a call away for any and all cloud security concerns clients may have. So, say goodbye to sleepless nights worrying about how to deal with external attacks or data leaks caused by errant employees.

Data storage and backup

More than just keeping cyberthreats at bay, data security is also about making sure that data is there when it is needed. Storing and backing up data in the cloud is the most cost-effective way to retrieve files and keep data archives.   It also ensures that relevant data is available despite major data loss events such as floods and large-scale cyberattacks.

Regulations compliance

Reliable cloud providers always keep themselves up to date with the latest data regulations, be they industry- or location-specific. To illustrate, healthcare providers are required by law to ensure that patient information is accessible to caregivers, kept safe from unauthorized disclosure or contamination, and recoverable after calamitous events. Cloud providers are so excellent at fulfilling regulations requirements that shifting your entire data service framework to the cloud means you don't have to work so hard to achieve complete compliance.

Note that when using cloud services, the responsibility for keeping data safe is shared between cloud providers and their respective clients. However, also keep in mind that premiere cloud providers like SimplyClouds also offer services that help their clients keep their end safe as well. Contact us to learn more about how our experts can help you with all your cloud-related needs.