3 key features of the cloud that protect businesses from cyber attacks

Whether it's cybercriminals engaged in making money through fraud, competitors interested in gaining an economic advantage, or employees misusing the sensitive data they have access to, the threat to a business's data security can arise from several sources.

And this threat is on the rise. In fact, in Australia, reported incidents of cyber attacks or data breaches on businesses have increased by more than 700% since February 2018. This has collectively cost the nation more than $7 billion.

For organisations that hold the sensitive personal data of their customers and suppliers, a successful breach could result in a loss of trust and significant reputational damage within the marketplace.

So, with the ever-increasing threat to data security, and the damaging impact that a breach can have, the question is, what can you do to protect your business?

One of the first things you should look at is implementing cloud-based technology into your business due to its abundance of features that help to keep data secure. We’ve picked out three of the key features below.

3 key features of the cloud that protect businesses from cyber attacks:

Two-factor authentication:

Hacking techniques are becoming more effective every day, so a simple combination of a unique login ID and password is no longer enough to guarantee the safety of your data.

Two-factor authentication acts as an extra layer of security. As well as using their usual login ID and password credentials, the user will also be prompted to enter a unique verification code (usually sent to their phone) to access their account. Without the unique verification code, an imposter won’t be able to illegitimately access the account even if they do have the users password and login ID.

simPRO users can take advantage of this added layer of security by downloading Google Authenticator on their Android or iOS devices to enable two-factor authentication and prevent unauthorised access to their accounts.

Access rights:

The ability to set up access rights is another benefit of cloud-based technology. Data owners can provide or restrict access to sets of data dependant upon a users role within the organisation.

With simPRO, security groups can be set up to limit access to various functions within the system, so only relevant data is accessible to the user. This reduces the risk of data misuse and mishandling and can be great for organisations who have different departments. For example, technicians are only able to access relevant customer information for their allocated jobs and are blocked from performing actions that fall outside of their remit (e.g. creating customer quotes).

In the event of an employee having their mobile device or laptop lost or stolen, their login details to access simPRO can be removed or changed immediately minimising the risk of your business data falling into the wrong hands.

Data storage:

As opposed to storing data on a local hard drive, cloud-based software stores data on internet-connected servers that are managed by data centres.

Certified cloud data centres are monitored 24/7, have a range of private networks and firewalls so that data is inaccessible from public networks, and are SSAE 16 accredited. SSAE 16 accredited data centres stipulate no public access to the data centre floor at any time, making it near impossible for anyone to access the data.

These are just some of the clever features designed to help businesses secure their data and risk of cyberattacks

Click here for more information on the robust data security features that simPRO has to offer, and the benefits of the simPRO Cloud.

For more information on how you can protect your business from cyber attacks, visit the government's National Cyber Security Centre website.