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Benefits of Using Cloud Solutions Software for Small Businesses

by with No Comment Cyber SecurityTechnology

Most small business owners tend to shy away from the use of too much technology. Their immediate thought being that the scale of their business does not quantify the costs towards the investment in contemporary IT. The Cloud and its many solutions are also similarly looked at in the same light. However, technology is for everyone to use and in most cases will have a positive effect on even a smaller business. It is also imperative to have a business backed with Cloud technology if scaling and progressing is in the forefront of your ambitions. Growth and progress comes with its own challenges however with the correct technology on your side you always have a chance. Here are some major advantages of cloud computing services for smaller businesses.

 

Increases flexibility

 

Cloud-based services are ideal for businesses with growing or fluctuating bandwidth demands. If your needs increase, it’s easy to scale up your cloud capacity, drawing on the service’s remote servers. Likewise, if you need to scale down, the flexibility is baked into the service.

 

Back-up and disaster recovery is taken care of

 

Businesses of all sizes should be investing in robust disaster recovery, but for smaller businesses that lack the required capital, Cloud is now helping to buck that trend.

 

Automatic Software updates

 

Cloud computing servers are off-premise, out of sight and out of your space. Suppliers take care of them for you and roll out regular software updates so you don’t have to worry about wasting time maintaining the system yourself.

 

No large capital expenditure required

 

The greatest of all the advantages possibly, Cloud computing does not require capital stagnating investments. Cloud computing in fact cuts out the high cost of hardware. You simply pay-as-you-go and enjoy a subscription-based model that’s kind to your cash flow.

 

Facilitates a wider reach

 

When your teams can access, edit and share documents anytime, from anywhere, they’re able to do more together, and do it better. Cloud-based workflow and file sharing apps help teams make updates in real time and gives them full visibility of their collaborations. And our research tells us, collaboration increases productivity within a business some say by more than 40%.

 

Employees can work remotely

 

With cloud computing, if you’ve got an internet connection you can be at work. And with most serious cloud services offering mobile apps, you’re not restricted by which device you’ve got on hand. Businesses can offer more flexible working perks to employees so they can enjoy the work-life balance that suits them without affecting productivity.

 

Improves document and version control

 

The more employees and partners collaborate on documents, the greater the need for watertight document control. Before the cloud, workers had to send files back and forth as email attachments to be worked on by one user at a time. As even the smallest companies become more spread out geographically, the scope for complication rises. In cloud computing, all files are stored centrally and everyone has one central source. Greater visibility means improved collaboration, which ultimately means better work and a healthier bottom line.

 

Better IT security

 

Cloud computing gives you greater security because your data is stored in the cloud and you can access it no matter what happens to your machine. You can even remotely wipe data from lost laptops so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

 

Achieve a competitive advantage

 

Wish there was a simple step you could take to become more competitive? What about enterprise-class technology, for everyone? Moving to the cloud gives you access, and allows smaller businesses to act faster than big, established competitors.

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Potential Growth of Cyber Security in Middle East Market

by with No Comment Cyber SecurityTechnology

Cyber Security is more than just a buzz word today. For businesses with a global ambition and geography it is all about protecting its data, information and strategies from prying eyes. The days of human fronted espionage are over and now can be probably enjoyed in super spy heist themed movies. The new way to cause harm is through a simple and effective hack. Once your system is breached you are open to attacks which can transactional and intrinsic in nature. This is where cyber security plays a roll. And that is why it is one of the functions that show the most potential growth in the Middle Eastern market today.

 

The Middle East cyber security market is valued at USD 14.48 billion in 2017, expected to scale a further value of USD 34.6 billion estimated by 2023 at a staggering CAGR of 15.62%. The Middle East is moving rapidly while it adopts transformative digital technologies, thanks to the ever increasing penetration caused by the internet, an eagerness shown towards the adoption of IoT, and cloud, that helps enable economic diversification. The region witnesses a spike in the adoption of cyber security solutions especially across digital platforms to avoid what has become an increasingly complex battery of threat perceptions.

 

Network Security will hold largest market share

 

Middle Eastern society ambitiously adopts new age technology, modern online entertainment, growing digital media trends, and social media platforms. Jordan, especially, has developed into a regional tech start-up hub, due to an ICT focused education system, low start-up costs, and the business-friendly government.

 

Its growing reputation attracts international capital which helps to tap into the region’s underserved growing online market. Many other countries also recognize the potential of applying ICT to improve both their social and economic development. Kuwait, has taken steps to develop a digital economy, with the development of national-level policies for e-health and e-government. In 2013, Saudi Arabia received recognition from the World Bank, acknowledging the country’s efforts in executing business reforms, which include electronic filing and new payment systems.

 

By recognizing the sheer potential of ICT in improving economic and social development, Iran is also taking steps to develop a digital economy. This is why, with the increase in attack frequency and the size and scale and nature of the attacks, there is now a high demand for secure networks in order to cope with anything, and to avoid facing constant disruptions and downtime which can be diabolical for this nature and line of industry. Thus, various organizations in the region have adopted network security measures, in order to overcome any disturbances to their infrastructure and to keep their all-important and very precious data safe.

 

Key Developments in the Market

 
  • Cisco in August 2017 acquired Observable Networks. The idea was to diversify Cisco’s security portfolio to enable cloud security capabilities while also providing security support and compliance for applications deployed on a public cloud platform, such as Amazon Web Services (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) Azure.
  • IBM acquired Agile 3 Solutions, a San Francisco-based company November 2017. The company specialises in developing software used by C-Suite and senior executives to better visualize, understand, and manage risks associated with the protection of sensitive data. The acquisition was aimed at complementing the company’s security solutions across platforms.

In November 2017 Saudi Arabia set up a new cyber authority, which is linked to the National Cyber Security Commission. This was done specifically to protect information technology networks, systems, and data, and improve online security for organizations.

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UAE working on Cyber Security policy for cloud-based future

by with One Comment Cyber SecurityTechnology

The UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is working on cybersecurity policy for a cloud-based future, according to Eng Abdulrahman Almarzouqi, Director of Cybersecurity, TRA.

“Everything will be moving to the cloud, and so the security of the cloud is very important,” said Almarzouqi, speaking at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Dubai.

Almarzouqi said that the TRA is working on a comprehensive policy for cloud security, including for public and private use. Organisations are likely to implement their cloud strategies gradually, and Almarzouqi said private companies could classify their data and begin migrating to the cloud by moving their least critical data first. As they gain in cloud confidence, they could then move more of their data to the cloud.

Almarzouqi also confirmed that the TRA is looking at the cybersecurity aspects of other fast developing technologies including IoT, AI and Big Data. The TRA is actively working with other organisations including international bodies such as the International Telecommunications Union to ensure that its policies are in line with international standards and practices.

In terms of preventing cyberbreaches, Almarzouqi said that user awareness is a key priority. Social engineering is ‘the number-1 way’ that cybercriminals penetrate user information and assets. Awareness of the need to have multi-factor authentication and strong passwords is vital to preventing cyberattacks, according to Almarzouqi.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) enterprise information security and risk management spending will total US$1.7 billion in 2020, an increase of 10.7% from 2019, according to a recent forecast by Gartner, Inc.

“The double-digit growth is a reflection of how organisations in MENA region are coming up to speed with their global counterparts in adopting information security and risk management solutions,” said Sam Olyaei, Research Director at Gartner. “More importantly, an evolving threat landscape and the advent of Digital Transformation is forcing local security and risk leaders to re-evaluate their spending priorities.”