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Rethinking Risks and Responses

Malware, Ransomware, Natural Disasters and More Keep Hitting SMBs Hard

Never have we had a greater ability to work together to get things done than we do right now. As our cloud and hybrid environments expand, the ease-of-use encourages us to share ideas and information and to collaborate in new and exciting ways.

Never have we been under attack from so many directions. Changing weather patterns and aging infrastructure leave businesses without power for days instead of hours. Fading employee loyalty means more chances for information to walk out the door. The same features that let us easily share information also let us accidentally share information we shouldn’t. Malware and viruses have evolved from a nuisance to potentially existential threats with the increase in ransomware and advanced persistent threats.

Our Businesses, Employees, and Customers Need and Expect Protection

With the risks and impacts on the rise, we as small and midsize business owners and technologists should rethink how we both prepare and respond. Since the dawn of business computing, large enterprises have built expensive solutions to ensure that their businesses keep running “no matter what”.  Now that we are in the cloud, and solutions are incredibly affordable, we need to adopt the same approach.

Business continuity is no longer just being able to keep your business running after a disaster.

Business continuity means that you are able to prevent business disruptions and distractions, regardless of the cause. Business continuity means …

  • You actively work to minimize the chance of a ransomware attack, and that you can respond and recover quickly should it happen.
  • You have systems and procedures in place to prevent data loss and privacy breaches, and that you can detect and mitigate issues quickly and effectively.
  • You and your team are no longer tethered to the hardware, Internet access, and electricity in your offices.

For SMBs, now is the time to consider the tangible and intangible costs of business interruptions of all types and to see the value in solutions to prevent and recovery. Understand the value proposition of that goes beyond dollars and cents to include the customer relationship impact and the toll that business disruption has on your team.

Food for Thought:

Resource Center Helps Small and Mid-Size Businesses Make Better Cloud Decisions

Westborough, MA – The volume of information about cloud computing can be overwhelming for small and mid-size enterprises as owners, executives, and IT professionals look for the best solutions.  To ease their burden, Cumulus Global launched a new online resource center to help SMEs learn and make better decisions.

“Much of the discussion about cloud computing focuses on the infrastructure and platform services used by larger enterprises,” note Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon. “Our Resource Center focuses on information most useful for small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, and government entities.”

The resource center (http://www.cumulusglobal.com/resources/) includes access to a library of whitepapers and eBooks, upcoming webcasts and live events, blogs, and recordings of past webcasts and events.  In addition, visitors can subscribe to daily and weekly online newspapers that deliver cloud computing ideas, innovations, and news stories to your inbox.

“Our goal is to provide decision makers with perspective and knowledge,” stated Falcon. “If we can help small and mid-size businesses see past the hype, they will make better decisions and will be happier with the results.”

Launch Alert: Cloud Solutions Weekly

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As part of our commitment to provide information about cloud computing for small and mid-size enterprises, we are pleased to announce The Cloud Solutions Weekly.

Published every Friday at 10:00 am ET, The Cloud Solutions Weekly covers cloud computing and its potential role and value for your business.  We aggregate news, stories, and videos from more than two dozen reputable sources to ensure a broad range of coverage. And we don’t accept advertising to keep it clean and easy to read.

Subscribe to The Cloud Solutions Weekly to receive a weekly headlines summary in your inbox.