3 tips for staying secure in the Microsoft Cloud

If you’re looking to upgrade your on-premise CRM solution you’ve probably asked yourself the question, how secure in the Microsoft Cloud? Security concerns are perhaps the biggest factor preventing businesses from upgrading to Cloud computing. However, much of those concerns are based on misconceptions. The reality is cybersecurity in The Cloud is stronger than you’d find in an On-Premise solution.  

That’s why we encourage our customers to upgrade to The Microsoft Cloud. The benefit of increased cybersecurity in The Cloud along with the other improvements associated with moving to The Cloud should make for an easy choice.

However, to alleviate your concerns about cybersecurity in The Cloud here are some tips to make sure that you don’t fall victim to hackers. 

First off, you’re right to be concerned about cybersecurity. A study by a cybersecurity firm Shape Security uncovered some alarming figures.  It revealed that in the United States in 2017, more than 2.3 Billion usernames and passwords were hacked in from 51 organizations. Additionally, the US consumer banking industry has a potential loss of $50-million per day from hacking attacks and on average it takes 15-months for companies to become aware that they’ve been a hacking victim.  

Scary stuff.  And, a clear call to action for any business. It is vital to do all that you can to fend off hackers.  

That costs money. Huge money, in fact. Resources that are simply beyond the ability of most businesses.  

Microsoft is not most businesses. There are advantages to being among the largest technology companies in the world. Among those advantages is the ability to dedicate a great deal of resources to cybersecurity. 

The Microsoft Azure platform is among the most secure in the world. The servers are next to impossible to hack.  

No system is hack-proof, of course, but Microsoft’s comes close. In fact, the most common way companies in The Cloud get hacked is through human error. Staff don’t work hard enough (or know better) to protect their passwords.  

That’s fixable though. Simply take the time to teach your users about the importance of cybersecurity in The Cloud and make sure your managers stay on top of their staff in this regard.

Here are 3 simple strategies to stay safe in the Microsoft Cloud. 

1) Require your passwords to have both capitals and lower-case letters as well as symbols

Don’t allow for the same passwords to be kept for a long period of time or to be used for more than one system you use. This will require a little extra effort by your staff, but the alternative is far too expensive to not make it worthwhile.  

2) Remember that hackers and scammers are always trying to figure out a way in

The days of Nigerian princes asking you to transfer them money in exchange for a very generous amount of gold are over. The scams are far more sophisticated and even the computer savvy can fall victim to them, if not vigilant.   

3) Stay on top of what new scams are circulating

Send your staff info about the scams regularly. Including this topic in weekly meetings isn’t a bad idea either. Don’t assume a scam that is obvious to you will be obvious to everyone.  

If you take these simple steps to can eliminate much of the human error risk and then Microsoft will do the rest.  

When you’re ready to take advantage of the increased cybersecurity in The Cloud, send us a message.

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