The Advantages of Cloud Computing

The Advantages of Cloud Computing

Gaining a competitive advantage is a top priority for business owners and executives. No matter what industry your brand is a part of, direct competitors are always looking for ways to attract your customers to their services. Any business operation or strategy that can prevent this from happening is beneficial.

In the age of computers, the internet, and increasing accessibility, one technology stands out as an important resource for businesses; cloud computing. While the concept has been around for several decades, the capabilities of this innovation have accelerated in recent years, making it a viable option for companies to adopt for a competitive advantage.

Whether you own a small business or are making decisions for a large corporation, the power of cloud computing is something that needs to be considered for your brand’s operations. Let’s talk about some of the advantages offered by cloud computing that could vastly improve how your company functions.

Paying For What You Need

Maintaining on-site servers can be expensive and unnecessary in today’s business world. Paying for this infrastructure is complicated because it may need constant updating if your business grows. Plus, the computing capacity may be more than you need to run efficient operations. All this results in a waste of resources and the added stress of server maintenance if issues arise. Cloud computing allows you to pay only for the computing power you need and it is managed by a third party. Therefore, if your company scales, you can simply pay for an upgraded package for access to more power. This helps you save money on server maintenance and unnecessary computing capabilities.

Stronger Security Measures

Online security is a major concern in the modern business world. As technologies improve, so too do the methods of hackers and data thieves. Hosting your own servers means paying for security for all the data that is processed by this infrastructure. Since it can be expensive to maintain this computing network, it may be difficult to justify expenditures on server security. However, taking advantage of cloud networks hosted by third parties often results in stronger security protocols for your data, since these hosts have greater resources dedicated to server maintenance and protection. Responding to an online security breach can be incredibly challenging for companies both large and small, but cloud computing reduces the chance of facing these breaches.

Integrating Various Tools

One of the greatest benefits of using cloud platforms is the ability to integrate various tools and software programs in one location. Often, these platforms allow for cross-functioning of many types of applications, making it easier to share and access data that is relevant to multiple departments in your company. While it may seem confusing to navigate these changes when migrating your operations to a cloud service, companies like GSI can serve a consulting role to make the transition much easier. By integrating more tools, your internal operations can achieve maximum efficiency, improving the capabilities of the company.

Greater Accessibility

The term “remote” applies to many aspects of business in 2023. It could refer to the type of workforce at a company or the nature of cloud computing. The cloud allows for greater accessibility to the tools your company uses as well as crucial data that employees need to do their jobs. The best part? They can access these tools from anywhere. Since they do not have to be connected to the local network on your servers, they can gain access to everything they need with a simple internet connection. This makes it far easier to integrate remote workers and onboard new employees.

No Maintenance Burden

Do you worry about the condition of your servers and the cost of paying for on-site technicians? Cloud computing takes away both of these concerns. Off-site servers that are hosted by a third party are also maintained by them. That means you don’t have to think about potential server crashes or other issues that can affect your day-to-day operations. Typically, cloud platforms have greater resources at their disposal to prevent server issues and they have more failsafes in place to protect clients in the event of a crash or downtime. When you don’t have to worry about server maintenance, running your company becomes much simpler.

Is it Time For Cloud Migration?

The process of moving your operations to the cloud is often referred to as cloud migration. Gaining access to the benefits listed above can propel your brand to the next level and give you a better chance of remaining competitive in your industry. Consider the advantage that saving money on computing power, having stronger online security, being able to integrate various programs, creating greater accessibility, and reducing maintenance concerns will grant to your brand. Find out how cloud migration could change your business and take advantage of this crucial innovation.

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

The Advantages of Cloud Computing