Why Cloud Security is Crucial for Small Businesses

Cloud-based computing is a crucial part of most modern businesses of all sizes, including small businesses. Although cloud services are proven to boost efficiency and streamline operations in small companies, having a cloud-based system also comes with the downside of security threats. The following will tell you what you need to know about cloud-based security threats, and then we will go over how to protect your business from these threats and why security is necessary overall: 

What Are Some Common Cloud Security Risks for Small Businesses?

The following are some of the most commonly experienced cloud security risks of small businesses:

Compliance Violation

Every industry has its own compliance guidelines and jurisdictions regarding data storage and management. Small businesses must adhere to these guidelines and restrictions or risk potential penalties. A good example are HIPAA guidelines, which regulate how organizations within the healthcare industry handle patient data. Even accidental missteps can result in criminal or civil penalties, so this violation should be protected against.

Data Compromise

Data compromise is one of the most common cloud security issues, and it can be catastrophic for the businesses it impacts. Data compromise is what it sounds like: when user data or proprietary information stored on a cloud is compromised somehow. These attacks, which give access to sensitive data to unauthorized individuals, can lead to consumer threats and negatively affect a business’s reputation. 

Unauthorized Access, Human Error

This security risk occurs when unauthorized employees are given access to sensitive data. When it comes to cloud security failures, 99% of them fall under this category and involve human error of some type. This can include vendors with poor security practices accessing data, former employees retaining their access, or a lack of network monitoring overall. 

Third-Party Risks

Small businesses must rely on third-party cloud providers to oversee their cloud-based computer systems. Consequently, security risks can come about when these providers are not using the proper security protocols and protection.

How to Practice Good Cloud Security as A Small Business

Thankfully, although there are risks for small businesses when it comes to keeping cloud data secure, there are also ways that they can protect themselves from these situations. As a small business owner, the following are some steps to keep in mind to ensure your cloud security is on point.

Evaluate Your Current Cloud Provider

Your cloud solution provider will significantly impact your security. Therefore, having a good team looking out for your best interests is important. Consider reputable IT-managed service providers that understand your unique security needs and then compare options for you. 

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Establish Good Security Policies

Your next step towards protecting your cloud security from those who wish to harm your business is creating good security policies. This involves you communicating the proper guidelines to your team regarding accessing data. Any security policy should also include the following specific items:

Data Management

This would include directions on how your brand will handle, store, backup, and transmit sensitive data within the cloud. A good policy will also include permissions and encryption standards for this data.

User Access Control

Another part of your overall security policy should include outlining who can and cannot access various levels of data. It should also cover situations that could lead to a particular employee or team member losing access to cloud-based data and what violations would constitute that action.

Security Awareness

Did you know that one of the most common security problems within a business is the use of weak passwords? That’s right. Too combat this, be aware of your business’s security needs and ensure that your entire team understands the necessity of a good password. Also, make sure your team understands how to identify, prevent and respond to any potential security threats. 

Response to Threat

Your security policy should also include instructions on how to respond to security incidents. In particular, it should specify which team members dos what, whoreports incidents, and who is in charge of responding and data recovery.

Train Your Employees on Cloud Security

In any security system, humans themselves are the weakest links. For this reason, many cyber attackers use social engineering tactics to do their damage. Therefore, it’s important to train your employees and educate them on how to be your brand’s first line of defense against a security threat. This education can include specialized training for a few employees or include overall strategies like training on how to identify and respond to various types of cyberattacks. 

Complete Regular Audits Regarding Employee Access

Regularly perform security audits to ensure your current policies and strategies are effective.  An audit will show you any potential weaknesses in your current system and highlight ways to improve. Performing regular audits is especially important if your business handles highly sensitive data or you have a great deal of turnover on your team, meaning that former employees might still have access to your system. While it could seem counterintuitive to, in essence, look for a potential security issue, finding them via an audit will help you correct them before they become a real problem.

Use a Password Manager

Another helpful way to protect your security system even more is by using specific tools like a password manager. Again, as outlined above, passwords are often one of the weakest links in a security system. Therefore, a password manager can be a good solution to safeguard your cloud system and ensure that your passwords are not easily cracked. 

Why Is This All So Important?

To ensure that your business does not face any issues outlined above in the security risks section, it’s essential to take the necessary steps towards safeguarding your cloud security for small businesses. One, even seemingly minor, security incident could negatively impact your brand’s reputation and potentially cost you dearly in fines and penalties. This, along with just being a good steward of your customers’ data, should be enough reason to focus on improving your overall cloud security.

Contact us Today for IT Services and Solutions

At Communications Technology Associates Inc,. we proudly provide your small business with IT services and security solutions. Now that you know the importance of keeping your cloud network secure and the steps that should be taken to minimize the risk of threats or breaches, it’s time to call usfort the help you need to do all this and more. Let us help you make your cloud system more secure and protect your modern business from the latest cyber threats. 

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