Tag Archive for: small business

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Cybersecurity Fatigue: Is Your Business at Risk?

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Security fatigue is real. You’ve felt it, and so have we. Cyber criminals know this, and they are waiting to capitalize on it. When we let security fatigue guide our decisions and allow our guard to drop, we become much more likely to fall victim to a cyberattack.

Over the past few weeks, we have assisted multiple companies that fell victim to such attacks. These events reflect a recent surge in cyberattacks, serving as a harsh reminder that we must remain vigilant.

Common Elements

Each of these recent cases shared three common elements:

  1. An employee clicked on a malicious link and shared account information.
  2. The company opted not to deploy recommended security measures.
  3. Neither the business or IT leaders had a plan for how to respond to an emergency.

These elements demonstrate critical failures at every phase of a cybersecurity event.

Prior to The Event

Even as small businesses, we are more vulnerable to cyberattacks than we may expect. A basic suite of cybersecurity services is no longer optional, it is essential for defending and protecting against attacks.

In each of the cases we recently handled, simple and effective baseline tools were not in place. Decisions made to avoid the incremental cost of added protections left these businesses exposed.

Consequently, each company is now paying a much larger price, ranging from several days of downtime and lost productivity to potential fines and litigation.Connect with a Cloud Advisor

The Event

Human action triggered all three of these recent events. While it is easy to claim that the individuals involved should have known better, the reality is that even knowledgeable people succumb to these tricks when they are tired or distracted.

How many times have you replied to or acted on an email that you skimmed or quickly read without focusing on the content? We are all busy, and an email often feels like just another task to check off.

When you combine a false sense of security with a momentary lack of attention, it is very easy to click the wrong link, enter credentials into a fake site, or share private information.

Technology is vital for protection, but your people must also understand the risks. They should be able to identify suspect interactions and know exactly what to do when faced with a suspicious email, text, call, or web page.

After The Event

In every recent event we have handled, the business and IT leaders were unsure how to proceed. Given the urgency and stress of the moment, none of them referred to an existing Information Security Plan because they did not have an incident response checklist or strategy in place.

We tend to focus on recovery, such as getting systems back online and restoring data. While this is an urgent and tangible response, it is only one part of the equation.

Your cyber insurance carrier may need to verify your security measures, conduct a forensics analysis, or direct your recovery efforts. You likely have legal, industry, or contractual reporting requirements, and you may even need law enforcement to investigate.

Response and recovery from a cyberattack requires having the technology in place to get your systems, apps, and data back in operation as well as having resources in place to get you through the legal, regulatory, contractual, marketing, and customer relationship challenges you will face.

How We Help: Security CPRⓇ

Your security profile should match your business. The nature of your company, its size, your industry and markets, and your locations should all dictate your security requirements. Your leadership team should guide your security strategy and spending.

Our Security CPRⓇ model and services provide the framework for creating the right security profile for your business:

  • Communicate and Educate: Ensure you and your team are knowledgeable, aware, and prepared, and that you have appropriate policies and procedures in place.
  • Prevent and Protect: Implement the right mix of security solutions to stop cyberattacks and defend against active threats.
  • Recover and Respond: Build the necessary services for business continuity, resilience, and a quick return to operations, including resources to assist with the insurance, regulatory, legal, and communication aspects of a response to an incident.
About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Cumulus Global Receives CRN’s 2026 MSP 500 Honors

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2026 CRN MSP 500Innovative Services Drive Productive, Secure, and Affordable IT Solutions

Westborough, MA, February 18, 2026 – Cumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) proudly announces that its recognition by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, to the 2026 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250. This is the 7th year CRN has recognized the company for its innovative cloud and IT services and solutions for small and midsize businesses, local governments, and K-12 school systems.

“We are proud to again receive this recognition of our unique value proposition,” noted Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon. “Our team focuses on ensuring our clients’ IT infrastructure, cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) services are productive, secure, and affordable.” 

Connect with a Cloud AdvisorCumulus Global is being recognized for its innovative Managed Cloud Services and its Security CPR® managed security services. With four tiered offerings, Cumulus Global’s Managed Cloud Services scale to the specific needs of small and midsize organizations. The service packages include security, co-management, remote administration, and support. The company’s Security CPR® services provide policies, procedures, technologies, and a culture of awareness. These services help prevent and protect against attacks and help clients effectively respond and recover, if needed.

“Small and midsize organizations face unique challenges and use technology – from Apps to AI – differently than larger organizations,” noted Falcon. “Our model, services, and team all focus on helping clients affordably leverage IT – especially cloud and AI services – to thrive and grow.”

CRN’s MSP 500 list is an annual, comprehensive guide to the leading MSPs in North America. The MSP 500 recognizes companies whose services enhance business efficiency, simplify IT, and optimize return on technology investments. The Pioneer 250 category recognizes MSPs service small and midsize clients.

“The companies on our 2026 MSP 500 list are redefining what exceptional managed services look like—helping organizations of every size stay agile, maximize their IT investments and scale with confidence,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, The Channel Company. “These are the innovators who stay ahead of customer needs and deliver transformative services that free businesses to focus on what they do best and accelerate their success.”

The 2026 MSP 500 list is featured online at crn.com/msp500.

About The Channel Company 

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit: thechannelco.com.

About Cumulus Global

Nationally recognized as a leader, Cumulus Global delivers productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services to small and midsize businesses, governments, and K-12 schools. Translating business objectives into technology needs and priorities, we design, deploy, manage, and support services that help our clients thrive and grow.

Prevent AI Data Leaks with the Right Tools

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As leaders of small and midsize organizations, we need to operate efficiently and effectively within a range of security constraints. Laws, regulations, industry standards, and contractual obligations set expectations and, in most cases, impose requirements on how we manage and run our business and IT. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) adds a new layer of security challenges.

AI is most effective when it has access to a broad range of relevant information. However, that access must be carefully limited to authorized users, creating a delicate balancing act.

AI data leaks occur when AI tools and systems expose information to unauthorized users or share it inappropriately. These leaks can happen internally or externally, and may be accidental or intentional.

Preventing AI data leaks requires actively governing permissions and access, along with choosing AI tools that align with your security and privacy requirements.

Setup AI Data Governance

The days of “set and forget” permissions are over. At the macro level, AI data governance requires actively managing access controls and permissions settings.

Begin by reviewing and auditing your current access controls and permissions settings. It is common for users to rely on default sharing settings or to adjust permissions for convenience, often extending access inappropriately. While people may not actively search for and find private information, AI will.

Running an audit tool and resetting permissions can help close these gaps and provide a fresh starting point. Once permissions are properly configured, advanced security tools enable ongoing monitoring to identify new threats as they emerge. These tools can notify users and administrators of potential issues and modify permission changes to reduce risk.

Pick Secure AI Tools

With data access controls and permissions properly secured, the next step is ensuring that the AI tools and systems you use do not put your data at risk.

When selecting AI tools, look for the following attributes:Connect with a Cloud Advisor

1. Adheres to Security Standards

Include security as a critical criteria when selecting your AI tools and systems. Verify that the AI tools you pick adhere to industry and regulatory security standards.

2. Does NOT Train Models Without Permission

Never use an AI tool that trains their models without your permission. These tools effectively absorb anything you input and incorporate it into their models, potentially exposing your data to other users.

3. Does NOT Allow Human Data Review Outside Your Domain

Avoid AI tools and systems that allow humans outside of your organization to see or use data you have entered into the system. Even if these systems are not using your data to train their models, if others can see it, then it is not secure.

4. Does NOT Sell or Use Data for Other Purposes

Choose AI tools and systems that do not sell or use your data for purposes beyond providing the service. Outside of training, some AI tools mine data for sale to others for research, marketing, and other purposes.

The general rule of thumb is: If you pay, your data is private. If the tool is free, so is your data.

However, some paid AI tools still include terms and conditions that allow data collection and usage. Before moving forward with any AI tool or system, always check the fine print.

How We Help

Schedule an intro meeting with one of our Cloud Advisors. Our team can discuss how you can assess your risk, create effective policies, and select tools that deliver productive, secure, and affordable AI solutions. The meeting is free and without obligation.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Which Workspace Business Subscription is Right for You?

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Pick the right Google Workspace Business SubscriptionFor small businesses, generally those with fewer than 300 employees, Google offers three subscription options. The right choice for your business depends on your needs, priorities, and budget. While we offer a comprehensive feature comparison, the highlights below are designed to help guide your decision.

Business Starter

Cost: 
  • $7 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: N/A
Key Features:
  • Custom domain with 30 GB of storage for email and documents
  • Basic security controls
  • Email filtering, virus blocking, and phishing/malware protections
  • Groups for email lists, content sharing, calendar invites
  • Drive for Desktop
  • Shared Drive membership
  • Basic Chat and Meet features
  • Gemini AI for Gmail
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Starter:

Business Starter delivers a low-cost entry for small businesses looking for reliable email services with occasional needs for editing, document sharing, and other collaboration tools.

Business Standard

Cost: 
  • $14 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: Available
Key Features:
  • 2 TB storage per user, aggregated across subscription
  • Enhanced security controls
  • Attachment scanning / sandboxing
  • Document eSigning, approvals, custom templates
  • Advanced Shared Drive sharing and storage
  • Meet Features: Noise cancellation, breakout rooms, recording, polls, Q&A, and more
  • Gemini AI for Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, and Meet
  • Full NotebookLM Access
  • Secure Data Regions
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Standard:

Business Standard is an affordable, secure platform for business productivity that is the best entry point for most small businesses. Businesses love the useful, integrated AI features and capabilities, as well as the admin-managed storage (shared drive) with secure external sharing.

Business Plus

Cost: 
  • $22 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: Available
Key Features:
  • 5 TB storage per user, aggregated across subscription
  • Advanced security controls
  • Archive / eDiscovery Services for Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, and Chat
  • Organizational branding, including default templates and themes
  • Chat file sharing management and document controls
  • Meet recording, transcripts, and notes
  • Security advisor data protection
  • Advanced endpoint and device management and controls
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Plus:

Business Plus is a secure, affordable, productive platform with features that help meet regulatory and industry compliance requirements. Businesses that chose this subscription need or want the advanced security with compliant archiving and e-discovery, expanded storage capacity, and advanced controls for Chat, Meet, and Devices.

How We Help

Our Cloud Advisors are here to help you plan, execute, and succeed. We can help you evaluate and select the right Google Workspace Business (or Enterprise) subscription for your business. Book some time and start your journey.

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

3 IT Scams for Small Businesses to Avoid (in Inc.)

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3 IT Scams for Small Businesses to Avoid Small businesses often fall prey to low-tech IT scams.

While simple, these low-tech scams can, and often do, create high levels of damage.

Our CEO, Allen Falcon, writes about 3 IT Scams for Small Businesses to Avoid over at Inc.  You can read it here.

How We Can Help

Connect with a cloud advisorOur Cloud Advisors and Service Team can help you create and implement policies and procedures.  Our Security CPR® Managed Security Service and our Managed Cloud Services provide you with co-managed security and cloud services that ensure your IT environment is productive, secure, and affordable.

Your Strategy for Business Resilience

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Cyber incidents, system failures, and unexpected disruptions are no longer rare events. For small and mid-size businesses (SMBs), even a short outage or minor breach can interrupt operations, expose sensitive data, and damage customer trust.

Business resilience means preparing your organization to absorb disruptions and keep moving forward. You cannot, however, achieve resilience with a single tool or policy. 

Business Resilience requires a layered security strategy that reduces risk, limits impact, and supports fast recovery. 

Why Business Resilience is Your Priority

Technology plays a critical role in nearly every part of your business. When systems are disrupted, the impact extends beyond IT to revenue, reputation, and customer confidence. 

A resilient security strategy helps you maintain operations even when things do not go as planned. 

Connect with a Cloud Advisor4 Strategic Pillars for Resilient Cybersecurity

An effective approach to security addresses risk across four key areas:

  1. Awareness: Your employees recognize common threats, follow security best practices, and understand their role in protecting the organization.
  2. Prevention: Updates, controls, and monitoring reduce exposure by closing common attack paths.
  3. Protection: Safeguards such as encryption, access controls, and multi-factor authentication limit damage when incidents occur.
  4. Recovery: Backups and response plans enable you to restore systems, data, and workflows quickly.

These pillars help you defend against both cyber threats and everyday mistakes and align with our Security CPR™ managed security model. 

Plan for Impact, Not Just Prevention

No environment is immune to risk. 

Even with strong preventive measures, incidents will still happen. Ongoing training, layered defenses, and clearly defined response plans will help you manage disruptions efficiently and reduce downtime. 

Preparation ensures that a security event becomes a manageable incident rather than a prolonged crisis.

Resilient cybersecurity is the foundation for business resilience. 

Resilience is a Strategic Commitment

Building resilience is an ongoing effort that evolves as threats, technologies, and business needs change. With the right strategy and experienced partners, you can stay prepared, protect critical systems, and maintain stability when disruptions occur.

Managed Cloud Services Support Business Resilience

Managed cloud and managed security services play a critical role in helping you improve security and business resilience without overwhelming internal teams. At Cumulus Global, we support resilience through:

  • Comprehensive IT and security management
  • Secure collaboration and productivity solutions
  • Cloud infrastructure monitoring, optimization, and protection

By aligning cloud technology with your business objectives, our managed cloud services and our Security CPR™ Managed Security Services improve reliability, reduce risk, and support long-term continuity.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Cumulus Global Changes the Managed Network Model for SMBs

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New Partnership Lowers Small Businesses Costs for Enterprise-Grade Local Area Networks

Westborough, MA, January 22, 2026 – Cumulus Global proudly announces its new strategic partnership with Meter to bring affordable enterprise-grade local area network (LAN) solutions to small and midsize businesses and local governments. Partnering with Meter, Cumulus Global brings a new model for Internet, wired, WiFi, and cellular networks. A single, simple monthly fee replaces multiple vendors and separate costs for design, installation, hardware, software, support, and upgrades.

“We are excited to bring this solution to our clients and other small and midsize enterprises,” stated Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon. “With Meter, we can offer best-in-class networking infrastructure with a solution focused on performance and security rather than on how many devices the client needs installed.”

Connect with a Cloud AdvisorMeter offers a unique approach to networking that prioritizes performance and reliability over minimizing hardware and recurring costs. Clients pay a single, predictable monthly fee that covers analysis and design, networking equipment, service plans, and ongoing management and support. Pricing is based on the size of the space, measured in square feet, instead of on a per-device basis. This approach ensures clients receive the network they need and can adjust it as requirements change, all for a predictable cost.

“Meter is a premium networking solution that includes local area, WiFi, and in-building cellular networking,” noted Falcon. “Organizations with multiple locations, lean or outsourced IT teams, and cost-conscious growth plans are ideal candidates for Meter’s technology, solutions, and pricing model.”

Beyond delivering a technologically advanced network, Meter’s service and pricing model allows businesses to manage networking costs as either an operating expense or a capital expenditure.

Businesses, local governments, and K-12 schools looking to improve their networking infrastructure can contact Cumulus Global to book a free, no obligation meeting with a Cloud Advisor.

About Cumulus Global

Nationally recognized as a leader, Cumulus Global delivers productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services to small and midsize businesses, governments, and K-12 schools. Translating business objectives into technology needs and priorities, we design, deploy, manage, and support services that help our clients thrive and grow.

Leadership Thoughts: Noteworthy Blog Posts – Jan ’26

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Leadership Thoughts

As small business owners and leaders, you carry the responsibility for the direction and success of your business.  And while Cumulus Global provides Managed Cloud Services and Cloud Forward IT service and support that help you thrive and grow, we understand your responsibilities are broader than just IT.  Here is a curated list of blog posts from trusted experts and thought leaders that we hope will inform and inspire.

Vision

AI Strategy

  • A 5-Step Strategy for Responsible AI
    • AI is changing how our businesses operate and compete. As we rely more on AI, having strong governance is essential to ensure our AI tools are used securely, ethically, and responsibly. Our use of AI should align with your company’s values and regulatory standards.
    • Allen Falcon, Cumulus Global Blog

Business and IT Strategy

  • How Financial Benchmarking Can Save Your Business
    • Many businesses with $2M-$50M in annual sales overlook a critical indicator of business health – financial benchmarking. Much like a pilot’s artificial horizon, benchmarking signals when a correction is needed, and sometimes making that adjustment is a matter of survival.
    • James Wheeler, kept.pro
  • Start the New Year with an Effective IT Budget

    • If you do not have an IT budget, there is no such thing as an “in-budget” IT purchase. Every unplanned expense adds costs and introduces uncertainty, putting profit at risk. With a budget in place, you get clarity on current spending and can plan ahead instead of scrambling. Step into the new year with more control by following this simple process that gives you a complete view of your IT.
    • Allen Falcon, Cumulus Global Blog

Leadership

Legal

Marketing

Productivity

  • Boost Your Biz with Smarter PDFs now!
    • The PDF format is preferred because it displays consistently on any device, and it’s reliable for storing important information. But not all PDF software is the same. Use the wrong one and you can have a problem with some of the functionality you’ve come to expect.
    • Mike Grossman, Mike Grossman Consulting, LLC

Cybersecurity

Help us keep the ideas flowing. As a thought leader, if you have any blog posts that you want to share, please let us know.

How to Start the New Year with an Effective IT Budget

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Connect with a Cloud Advisor

UPDATED: January 9, 2026 — Added additional resources (see below).

Many small businesses tend to react to IT expenses instead of planning ahead with a clear budget in place. A subscription renewal arrives, a laptop fails, or a new tool seems useful, and you make a decision in the moment. While this day-to-day approach can work in the short term, it generally leads to fragmented spending and technology that does not fully support your long-term goals. Over time, this lack of planning becomes more than an inconvenience.

If you do not have an IT budget, there is no such thing as an “in-budget” IT purchase. 

Every unplanned expense adds costs and introduces uncertainty, putting profit at risk. With a budget in place, you get clarity on current spending and can plan ahead instead of scrambling.

Step into the new year with more control by following this simple process that gives you a complete view of your IT.

> Document Your Recurring IT Expenses

Review all subscriptions, service agreements, and other recurring IT expenses. Check invoices and scan credit card statements. Look for monthly or annual services that renew quietly in the background.

Create a list of your recurring IT expenses, tracking costs by month. For a full picture, total your monthly and annual IT spending for each item.

> Inventory Your Hardware and Software

Create a list of all your computers, printers, networking gear, and other devices. Do the same for purchased (non-subscription, non-SaaS) software. Note purchase dates, warranty dates, and expected lifespans for each item.

Create a replacement schedule by month for any hardware and software you plan, or need, to replace or upgrade in the coming year.

> Remove What No Longer Serves You

Cleaning up your IT takes thought. Review your recurring services and hardware/software lists to identify duplicate services and items no longer used or needed. Plan when you will remove or retire unnecessary services, equipment, and software.

Decluttering frees up your budget and keeps your team focused. If changes require data migration, equipment disposal, or extra training, schedule these steps in advance to stay prepared.

> Identify Initiatives You Want to Fund

You will likely want or need to add new technology or tools in the coming year. Break down each initiative and estimate upfront and ongoing expenses. Be clear about timing. Some projects require deposits or advance orders, while others only begin billing once services are delivered. Map payments by item and month to project cash flow and avoid unexpected issues.

> Create a Single Cohesive Budget

After tracking recurring expenses, mapping replacements and upgrades, and planning new initiatives, combine everything into one organized view of your IT spending. Add up your expenditures monthly, quarter, and annually, including totals for each line item and category. This provides you with a full view of your budget, cash flow requirements, and project timing.

A single, consolidated budget transforms scattered technology activity into a predictable, manageable plan.

eBook - Smart IT Budgeting Pays OffIT Budget Workbook Template

How We Help

Dive deeper with our recent “Smart IT Budgeting Pays Off” eBook for a deeper dive into the process for building an effective IT Budget.  You can also download our IT Budget Workbook Template to help you get started.

Our Cloud Advisors help you put your IT plans into action. We assess your current technology, identify productivity and security gaps, remove redundant services, identify opportunities, train your team, and help you manage IT projects and your overall IT ecosystem.

No matter your starting point, book time with us to create your IT plan for 2026 and take control of your technology and spending.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Turn AI Prompts Into Business Outcomes

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, providing you with powerful tools that can transform how your organization operates. By integrating it into your daily workflows, you can make smarter decisions and streamline tasks that once took significant time to complete. Over time, AI will produce measurable results that are easy to track and analyze.

How AI Can Work for You

You get the most value from AI when you apply it to targeted, repeatable processes that address real business needs. For example, regularly analyzing meeting transcripts with AI can uncover actionable insights and identify trends that guide your business strategy.

AI can also assist in creating communications and marketing content that reflect your brand’s voice. Moreover, it can generate structured agendas or talking points for sales conversations, allowing you to emphasize client relationships and highlight your business’s strengths.

By making AI a regular part of your workflows, you can continuously refine outputs and achieve more accurate results over time.

Getting Started with AI

Connect with a Cloud Advisor
For those just starting out with AI, begin with smaller projects. For example, try using AI to automate follow-ups or analyze customer feedback. These use cases will help your team become familiar with AI while still delivering immediate impact. Over time, incorporate AI into more complex processes.

Give your organization the opportunity to explore its full potential without disrupting daily operations.

You should regularly monitor AI outputs to make sure that the technology and uses align with your goals. Tracking data usage also helps you keep information secure and will help maintain trust.

Crafting Effective Prompts

Once you are familiar with AI, you can unlock its full potential by providing clear context and direction. You and your team should know how to craft a prompt that helps AI fully understand your objectives and your voice.

A strong prompt includes the following elements:

  1. Persona: Decide the role you want AI to take on. Defining a persona helps shape the perspective, tone, and level of expertise AI uses in its response.
  2. Backstory: Share context about your business, your customers, and the tone or results you expect.
  3. Task: Be specific about what you want AI to produce. Include your brand voice, target audience, and any formatting preferences.

For example, you might ask AI to take on the persona of a knowledgeable and approachable communications expert. Then, provide it with the backstory of your company and set a confident, friendly tone aimed at small business owners. Finally, be clear about the task, such as writing a professional announcement in your brand voice. Be sure to include any formatting preferences, like short paragraphs for easy readability.

Using AI Responsibly

In order to adopt AI responsibly, pay careful attention to sensitive business and client information. Selecting AI tools that meet strong standards for privacy, security, and compliance helps you protect this information and maintain trust with your clients and stakeholders. Beyond selecting the right tools, establish clear protocols to guide your team’s use of AI.

Your policies should:

  1. Define safe usage: Clearly outline how AI should be used across your organization. Clear safe usage guidelines prevent misuse and ensures your team can confidently rely on AI.
  2. Ensure compliance with regulations: Establish rules that keep your organization aligned with legal, industry standards, and contractual obligations. These rules should address the protection of sensitive client information, along with adherence to data privacy laws and governance policies.
  3. Encourage creative applications: Support your team in exploring innovative approaches to problem-solving. Creative applications and use cases allow your organization to maximize the benefits of AI while generating tangible results.

AI is a powerful tool that can enhance business processes and strengthen client relationships. When it is used properly, your organization can achieve meaningful and lasting results.

How We Help

You can dive deeper into crafting effective prompts by viewing our November 2025 3T@3 Series session, “How To: Better AI Results” and several eBooks and other resources in our Resource Center. Our Cloud Advisors are here to help you plan, execute, and succeed. Book some time and start your journey.

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

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Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report

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Whitepaper | Source: Verizon — The Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, the 17th annual edition, highlights evolving threat scenarios world-wide. From year to year, we see new and innovative attacks as well as variations on tried and-true attacks. The past year has been a busy one for cybercrime.

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Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024

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Whitepaper | Source: Microsoft — In the last year, the cyber threat landscape continued to become more dangerous and complex. Improved defenses will not be enough. However, improved defense will not be enough. The data, insights, and events in this report represent July 2023 through June 2024 (Microsoft fiscal year 2024), unless otherwise noted.

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Google Workspace Security Feature Matrix

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — This eBook provides a summary of the security features across Google Workspace subscriptions. Using the included matrices, you can select the subscription that best meets your needs and compare the detailed capabilities of security features against third party options.

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Pen Test Primer: Security for Small Businesses

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — This eBook presents an introduction to Penetration Testing and discusses how small and midsize businesses can use Pen Testing effectively and affordably as part of a robust cybersecurity program.

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7 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — For small and midsize businesses like yours, the information technology and services environment continues to change. Here are seven questions, across a range of topics, to ask your current IT provider to ensure they are actively helping you look forward.

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5 Things Your IT Provider Should be Telling You

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Beyond Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, SMBs use cloud services differently than larger organizations. Understanding these differences, we identify strategies to guide your plans and decisions for getting the most value from your current systems and new, managed, cloud services.

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2023 OpenText Cybersecurity Email Threat Report

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eBook | Source: OpenText Security — Attackers persistently adapted their email-based techniques throughout 2022, introducing more nuances into their methods. This eBook shares current information about Phishing, Business Email Compromise, Cryptocurrency Scams; and the Top Malware Threats. The report provides examples of attacks as a learning tool for understanding attacks, how to prevent them, and how to respond.

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Cloud Strategies for Small and Midsize Businesses

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Beyond Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, SMBs use cloud services differently than larger organizations. Understanding these differences, we identify strategies to guide your plans and decisions for getting the most value from your current systems and new, managed, cloud services.

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Understanding Third Party Breach Alerts

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global —
Third party breach alerts inform you of third party data breaches that may pose risks to your business. This eBook looks at the information provided in third party breach alerts
and, using examples, discusses how to interpret and use the information provided.

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A Cyber Insurance Primer (Slide Deck)

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Slide Deck | Source: Cumulus Global —
Cyber Insurance is a tool, not a solution. This deck is from our June 2022 3T@3 Webcast: A Cyber Insurance Primer and discusses the what and why of cyber insurance and how it fits into your cyber security and incident response plans.

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Webcasts

Is Your AI OK?

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(09/15/25) – AI is here. Your business is using AI – officially or not. And with AI comes “AI Data Leaks.” AI has the power to do good and to do damage. Managing your AI services, and security, is the best way to ensure your AI is OK.

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Make IT Decisions with Confidence

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(08/19/25) – As small business owners and leaders, we struggle to make IT decisions. We may trust our advisors, our sources of information and guidance, but is that enough? In order to make IT decisions with confidence, we need to trust ourselves. If not, we struggle with analysis paralysis amid overwhelming information and options.

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Better IT for SMBs

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(06/17/25) – Most IT firms serving small and midsize businesses target companies with more than 20 employees. As a smaller business, your IT needs differ. You want and deserve secure, productive, and affordable IT. This 3T@3 Series event recording dives into how sole practitioners and very small businesses can and should get the productive, secure, and affordable IT solutions and services you need.

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Secure Your Data for Gemini AI

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(05/20/25) – Take steps to ensure that Gemini and other AI tools will not expose sensitive information internally or externally. In this 3T@3 Series online event, Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon is joined by Paul Lees, CEO of Bespin labs to discuss the importance of data governance and security with gen AI in Google Workspace.

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Pick the Right Service Plan

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(04/15/25) – Management, administration, training, and support determine how much value you get from your IT services and systems. In this live 3T@3 Series online event, Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon discusses how to select the right service plan and managed cloud services for your business.

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Managed Cloud Services Update

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(03/18/25) – Cumulus Global is updating our Managed Cloud Services to expand protections against cyber attacks. Cybersecurity Enhancements Add Value to your Managed Cloud Services. Changes to our traditional Service Plans give you even more options.

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Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for SMBs

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(02/18/25) – If your business must comply with government or industry regulations covering disclosure of protected information, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) can be complex and expensive. This session coves affordable, effective DLP solutions for small and midsize businesses, like yours.

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Your 2025 IT Checklist

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(01/21/25) – 2025 will be a year of change.  Expect new economic, political, business, and technology opportunities and challenges. Smart IT spending requires upfront planning. A 2025 IT Checklist for creates a roadmap for cost-effective IT decisions that yield better results.

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A Techy Look at 2025

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(12/17/24) – Technology, the economy, and governmental policies will each impact our businesses in separate and intertwining ways. Consider these 5 technology related Issues as you make your 2025 plans

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