When I talk to small businesses—especially offices with five people or less—I often hear the same line:
“We don’t store anything sensitive locally. It’s all in the cloud now.”
And honestly? That’s great news.
Moving away from on-premise servers and locally stored data does reduce a lot of risk. No more worrying about that old server in the back room, or what happens if your computer dies. Web-based tools like Microsoft 365, QuickBooks Online, cloud CRMs, or industry-specific software have made life simpler, more flexible, and yes—safer.
But here’s the part most businesses don’t realize:
You’re not fully in the clear.
The Cloud Can Still Be Compromised
Even if you don’t have a single file stored on your local computer, if someone gets access to your login—your data is wide open.
We’ve seen situations where a hacker gained access to a Microsoft 365 tenant and:
- Deleted entire users from the system
- Wiped OneDrive and SharePoint data
- Encrypted files inside the tenant
- Changed passwords and locked the business out
No servers involved. No physical access. Just a stolen login.
Even businesses using MFA (multi-factor authentication) aren’t immune. With attacks like token jacking, hackers can bypass MFA in certain conditions and take over a session without needing to “log in” again.
And here’s the worst part: OneDrive is not a real backup. If someone deletes your files (or you do it by mistake), there’s no guarantee you’ll get everything back. If you don’t have a third-party backup in place, that data could be gone.
Common Misconceptions That Lead to Trouble
Let’s bust a few myths that small businesses often believe:
- “I’m too small to get hacked.”
Hackers don’t care how big you are—they use automated tools that scan for any open door. - “We’re covered because we use Microsoft.”
Microsoft runs your cloud. You’re still responsible for your security, backups, and settings inside it. - “Cyber insurance will pay for everything.”
Only if you can prove you were following best practices. Many claims get denied. - “We don’t store anything sensitive.”
Think again: Emails, invoices, customer lists, tax documents, banking info, and login credentials all live in your cloud tools. Would you be okay if someone else had them?
You Don’t Need to Panic—But You Should Ask Questions
This isn’t a scare post. If you’ve moved to the cloud, you’re already doing something smart. But thinking the cloud means invincible is a dangerous assumption.
The good news? This is fixable. And it doesn’t have to be a huge project.
Start by asking:
- Do we have third-party backups for our cloud data?
- Do we monitor for unusual login activity or token theft?
- Do we know what happens if someone resets a password or deletes a user?
- Would we know if someone was inside our account right now?
If you don’t know the answers—or your IT person hasn’t brought these things up—it might be worth getting a second opinion.
We’re happy to be that second opinion if you want one.
No pressure. No jargon. Just a quick 15-minute call to help you understand your risk and see if there’s anything worth fixing.
https://calendly.com/guardicloud/strategy
Because the cloud is great—but only if it’s secured properly.