Cloud Storage

Is Your Cloud Setup Still The Right Fit for Your Business?

May 19, 2025

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

A lot has changed in the way small businesses use technology. Ten years ago, you might have had a server humming away in a back closet and a basic email system hosted on your web provider. Today, most businesses have moved parts of their operations to the cloud – email, file storage, accounting, maybe even their phone system.

The cloud has made work more mobile, more collaborative, and in many ways, more efficient. But it’s not always as simple or secure as it seems, especially as your needs change and new risks emerge.

Recent research shows that more than 90% of businesses plan to update or rethink their cloud usage in the next two years. Interestingly, a growing number of those companies aren’t just adding more cloud – they’re also pulling some systems out of the public cloud and moving them to more secure, private, or in-house environments.

So why the shift?

Public cloud isn’t one-size-fits-all

When most people talk about “the cloud,” they’re referring to the public cloud – services like Microsoft 365, Amazon AWS, and others. These platforms are affordable, flexible, and easy to scale, which makes them a great fit for a lot of business functions.

But not every system or type of data belongs in a shared environment. Businesses that handle sensitive customer information, financial data, or medical records are realizing they may need more control and oversight than the public cloud can provide.

That’s where hybrid cloud comes in – a mix of public and private solutions that gives you the flexibility of cloud services with the added control of on-premise systems.

Is it time to reevaluate your cloud strategy?

Here are a few questions that might help you decide:

What type of data do you store? If you’re dealing with regulated, confidential, or business-critical data, a hybrid or private solution might be worth considering.

Are all your systems cloud-compatible? Some legacy software simply isn’t built for cloud environments. Rather than replace it all at once, a hybrid setup allows for a gradual, controlled transition.

How confident are you in your security measures? Regardless of where your data lives, you still need to protect it. That means strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, regular security reviews, and most importantly, backups.

Many businesses set up their cloud systems years ago and haven’t looked back. But as your business grows, your tech should evolve with it – and so should your approach to risk, compliance, and performance.

We can help you build a smarter setup

At Tech Experts, we help small businesses design cloud strategies that actually fit their needs – not some generic one-size-fits-all setup. Whether that means optimizing what you already have, moving part of your systems to a more secure environment, or just getting a better understanding of where your data lives and how it’s protected, we’re here to help.

If it’s been more than a year since you’ve reviewed your cloud infrastructure – or if you’ve never had a cloud strategy at all – it’s time. Let’s make sure your technology is working for your business, not creating hidden risks behind the scenes.

Don’t Trust The Cloud Alone: Backup Your Cloud Data

May 19, 2025

Many small business owners breathe a sigh of relief once they move their email, documents, or applications to the cloud. It feels like someone else is finally in charge of the heavy lifting: fewer in-house servers, less hardware to maintain, fewer headaches.

It’s a smart move in many ways. Cloud platforms like Microsoft 365, Dropbox, and others offer convenience, flexibility, and a degree of built-in protection that’s far beyond what most businesses could manage on their own.

But there’s a blind spot most people don’t realize until it’s too late: cloud providers don’t back up your data the way you think they do.

Don’t they have it handled?

When you store files or emails in the cloud, it’s easy to assume those providers are keeping everything perfectly safe. And to be fair, they are – from their side. If their servers crash or there’s a natural disaster, they can recover your data because they run redundant systems and have their own internal backups.

A common assumption is that if you’re using Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), your data is automatically backed up and protected. After all, it’s in the cloud, right?

Yes – but not in the way you might think.

Microsoft does offer some redundancy and short-term retention, but they’re not in the business of providing long-term, restorable backups for your business. In their own documentation, they recommend using third-party tools for that.

Here’s what’s at risk if you don’t have your own backup:

Emails permanently deleted (even by accident) are unrecoverable after a short time.
OneDrive and SharePoint files overwritten or removed may be gone forever.
If an employee leaves and you close their account, so goes all their data.
Ransomware or internal sabotage can lock or destroy cloud data just like local data.

Without a true backup solution, you’re one mistake – or one bad day – away from losing information your business depends on.

A smarter solution: Managed cloud backup for Office 365

The right approach is to use a managed backup platform designed specifically for Microsoft 365, delivered and maintained by your IT partner (that’s us).

This kind of backup works in the background, quietly capturing all your email, inboxes, folders, and attachments; contacts, calendars, and shared mailboxes; OneDrive and SharePoint files; and, Microsoft Teams conversations and shared files.

Cloud backup solutions are fully automated – no one on your team needs to click a button or remember to save anything. Backups run automatically, several times per day.

You can keep data for as long as your business needs it – 90 days, one year, or forever. Not just Microsoft’s very short default window.

Need a file or email as it existed last Tuesday at 3 p.m.? This is called “point in time recovery.” We can restore it exactly as it was, instantly.

Even if an employee is terminated, leaves the company, or an account is deactivated, their data is still backed up and recoverable. Once an account is deleted in Microsoft 365, you only have a short amount of time to recover the data.

And the best part? We manage it for you. We monitor it daily, fix problems before they become issues, and make sure your critical cloud data is always protected.

Peace of mind without lifting a finger

Small businesses are moving more and more of their operations to the cloud – which makes protecting that cloud data more important than ever. Just because it’s stored online doesn’t mean it’s safe from deletion, cyberattacks, or even billing errors that can deactivate accounts.

When you work with Tech Experts, we handle the whole backup process for you. You don’t have to buy software, assign someone to monitor it, or wonder whether you’ll be able to get a deleted file back. It’s covered – securely, automatically, and professionally.

If you’d like to make sure your Microsoft 365 data is being backed up the right way – or if you’re not sure at all – let’s talk. We’ll review your current setup and show you how we can protect your cloud data before it becomes a problem.

Guide To Secure File Storage And Transfers

March 18, 2025

File storage and transferring hold a very dear place in most people’s lives.

However, the safety of files is really tough to maintain. In this guide, we are going to help you protect your files. We will explore ways to store and send files securely.

What is secure file storage?

Secure file storage protects your files. It prevents others from accessing your files or altering them in any way. Good storage grants protection to your files using locks. You alone can unlock such files.

Types of secure storage

Files can be stored securely in various ways, as listed below.

Cloud
External hard drives
Encrypted USB drives

Cloud storage saves files on the internet. External drives save files on a device you can hold. Encrypted drives use special codes to lock files.

Why is secure file storage important?

Secure storage keeps your information private. It stops thieves from stealing your data. It also helps you follow laws about data protection.

Risks of unsecured storage

Unsecured files can lead to huge troubles, including but not limited to the following:

Identity theft
Financial loss
Privacy breaches

These risks give a reason why secure storage is important. You need to protect your personal and work files.

How can I make my file storage safer?

You can do so many things to make your storage safer, such as:

Using strong passwords
Enabling MFA
Encrypting your files
Keeping your software up to date frequently

Strong passwords are hard to guess. Two-factor authentication adds an extra step to log in. Encryption scrambles your files so others can’t read them. Updates fix security problems in your software.

Best practices for passwords

Good passwords are important in keeping your files safer. Here are some tips:

Use long passwords
Mix letters, numbers, and symbols
Don’t use personal info in passwords
Use different passwords for each account

What is secure file transfer?

Secure file transfer is a way of sending files safely between individuals or devices. It prevents unauthorized access to files and prohibits modification of files in transit. The better methods of transfer protect the files with encryption.

Common secure transfer methods

Here are several ways to securely transfer files:

Secure FTP (SFTP)
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Encrypted email attachments
Secure file-sharing services

How to transfer files safely?

These steps will keep your files safer while in transit:

Select a secure method of transfer
Encrypt the file before you send it
Give strong passwords for file access
Authenticate the recipient
Send the access details separately

How to email attachments safely

Encrypt important attachments
Use a secure email service
Avoid writing sensitive information in the body of an email
Double-check the recipient’s email address

Ready to secure your files?

Protect your data from thieves and snoopers. Use strong passwords, encryption, and safe methods of transfer.

Feel free to reach out today and let us walk you through setting up safe systems for your files to take the next step in protecting critical data.

Helpful Tips For Keeping Your Cloud Storage Organized

September 30, 2022

Cloud file storage revolutionized the way we handle documents. No more having to email files back and forth. No more wondering which person in the office has the most recent copy of a document.

But just like the storage on your computer’s hard drive, cloud storage can also get messy. Files get saved in the wrong place and duplicate folders get created.

When employees are sharing the same cloud space it’s hard to keep things organized. Storage can be difficult to keep efficient.

Disorganized cloud storage systems lead to problems. This includes having a hard time finding files. As well as spending a lot of extra time finding needed documents.

Has your office been suffering from messy cloud storage? Does it seem to get harder and harder to find what you need?

Use a Universal Folder Naming Structure

When people use different naming structures for folders, it’s harder for everyone.

They often can’t find what they need. It also leads to the creation of duplicate folders for the same thing.

Map out the hierarchy of folders and how to name each thing. For example, you might have departments” as an outer folder and nest “projects” inside.

With everyone using the same naming system, it will be easier for everyone to find things. You also reduce the risk of having duplicate folders.

Keep File Structure to 2-3 Folders Deep

When you have too many folders nested, it can take forever to find a file. You feel like you must click down one rabbit hole after another. When people need to click into several folders, it discourages them from saving a file in the right place.

To avoid this issue, keep your file structure only two to three folders deep. This makes files easier to find and keeps your cloud storage more usable.

Use Folder Tags or Colors for Easier Recognition

Many cloud file systems allow you to use color tagging on folders. Using this can make a folder or group of folders instantly recognizable. This reduces the time it takes to find and store files.

Don’t Create Folders for Fewer Than 10 Files

The more folders people have to click into to find a document, the more time it takes. Folders can quickly add up as employees create them, not knowing where a file should go.

Use a rule for your cloud storage that restricts folder creation to 10 files or more.

This avoids having tons of folders with less than a handful of files in them. Have someone that can act as a storage administrator as well.

This can then be the person someone asks if they’re not sure where to store a file.

Promote the Slogan “Take Time to Save it Right”

We’re all guilty from time to time of saving to something general, like the desktop on a PC. We tell ourselves that we’ll go back at some point and move the file where it should be.

This issue multiplies when you have many people sharing the same cloud storage space. Files that aren’t where they belong add up fast.

This makes it harder for everyone to find things.

Promote the slogan “take time to save it right” among the staff. This means that they should take the extra few seconds to navigate where the file should be to save it.

This keeps things from getting unmanageable. If you use a file structure that’s only 2-3 folders deep, then this should be easier for everyone to abide by.

What Exactly Is “The Cloud?”

November 23, 2020

You may have come across people talking about ‘cloud’ storage and software that runs in ‘the cloud.’

But what exactly is ‘the cloud,’ and why should you care about it?

A place for networking
The cloud is a bunch of servers that are connected to each other over the internet.

Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon run huge networks of servers that let their customers (us) log in using different devices.

Can you imagine a situation where all your photos from the last 10 years were only held on your phone and not stored safely elsewhere? How many memories would you lose if your phone went missing?

The high freedom, convenience, and security offered by the cloud has seen a huge shift to cloud computing over the last few years.

It’s powerful stuff
Cloud infrastructure allows you to run apps and access data across multiple devices without needing to have everything installed on your devices.

This opens opportunities for businesses to offload computing and storage resources to cloud service providers, gaining the flexibility to easily boost or reduce resources as their needs change.

A real perk of running software in the cloud is that it means highly sophisticated applications can run from your computer or phone, with the cloud doing all the heavy lifting.

This can significantly reduce the amount you need to spend on your devices and how often they need to be replaced.

The cloud is also a collaborative place to be. Tools like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace make it super easy to share documents and work as a team. You can even work together in real-time and give each other instant feedback as you go.

Ignore its fluffy reputation: The cloud’s a tough cookie
When set up and managed correctly, the cloud is the safest place to keep your data.

Let’s be honest, which is more likely: Colin leaving his laptop in a bar again? Or the might of an Amazon or a Google getting hacked?

If Colin loses that laptop, he’ll get a slap on the wrist. If Google get hacked, it would cost them millions and millions of dollars and cause irreparable damage to their reputation.

Different types of cloud

There are three main types of cloud.

Private cloud
The private cloud is a network of servers that are dedicated to supporting a single business.

The hardware is solely dedicated to this business, and they allow organizations like the CIA and banks to have full control over every aspect of their cloud environment.

Public cloud
The public cloud refers to networks of servers that are wholly controlled by cloud service providers. Clients share resources with other people.

The public cloud costs less than setting up a private cloud, and there is far less maintenance and an extremely high level of reliability.

Hybrid cloud
Some firms like to mix and match private and public clouds for different needs. Hybrid cloud setups let businesses quickly move between the two as their needs change.

We’ll help you to make sense of it all.

When embracing the cloud, it’s best to have an experienced hand guide you to the right solutions.

Working with the right IT support partner early will help make sure that you head in the right direction. And make the most of the opportunities that cloud computing offers. Give us a call at (734) 457-5000 if you’d like more information.

Top Reasons To Jumpstart Your Paperless Initiative

December 10, 2019

Want to “go paperless” with your company? See the many benefits of paperless business and learn how to jumpstart this initiative for effective results.

Many businesses toy around with the idea of “going paperless,” but what’s actually in it for the companies who decide to go through with it? To be sure, not all businesses are cut out to go paperless.

Certain documents in certain industries simply must be in paper form. Therefore, depending on your industry and unique company needs, you may end up unnecessarily complicating affairs if you try to do everything digitally.

At the same time, a great many companies will benefit significantly from making this change. Below, we’ll go over the specific reasons why it might be a good idea for your company. First, though, let’s define what going paperless actually means.

What does it really mean to “go paperless?”
The term “going paperless” simply refers to the shift from printed documents to digital documents. For example, instead of printing invoices, order forms, and tax documents, a company would issue all of these documents digitally, sending them via email or storing them as files.

What are the top reasons to “go paperless?”
You’ll save money. Cloud data storage is a lot less expensive than on-premise data storage. Moreover, on-premise data storage forces you to pay for the maximum amount of storage you may need upfront. With cloud storage, you can easily scale your storage capacity up or down, depending on your needs.

You’ll have document access from everywhere
Most businesses who go paperless store their documents in the cloud. When you do this, access to these documents is available wherever you can find an Internet connection.

This makes it easier to hire remote workers, send employees on work trips, and access important information even when you’re away from the office.

You’ll save time
Consider the time it takes to print, scan, copy, collate, organize, and store all of your paper documents. Additionally, remember that when you have a huge number of documents to contend with, protocols and systems must be developed, instituted, and monitored. Lastly, think about how long it takes to find a specific document within your files. All of these tasks are time- consuming, and in any business, time is money.

When you switch to a digital system of document storage, you’ll be saving an immense amount of time. Documents can be digitally created, copied, sent, edited, and stored.

There’s no need to run to the printer or search through endless boxes for the paper file you need. When searching for files, you can simply pop a few keywords into the search bar of your data storage system, and voilà — it will appear!

You’ll save space
Consider how much space you currently use to store paper documents. From old tax returns and invoices to printed data and memos, an accumulation of individual sheets of paper can actually take up quite a lot of room. Digital documents, on the other hand, are virtually invisible. As long as you have enough data storage capacity available, you’ll gain tons of physical space when you make the switch to a paperless system.

The Cloud – Have You Harnessed Its Strategic Advantages?

October 1, 2019

The cloud may still feel like a new technology – but in reality, it’s been around for more than 10 years now. Does that make you feel old?

Let’s be clear about something – the cloud is here to stay. In recent years you may have still heard the occasional “industry insider” suggest that the world may be moving too quickly to an untested and unsure platform in cloud computing, but no more. The cloud is now an integral part of daily life for private consumer and business users alike.

What Is The Cloud?
The cloud is a network of technologies that allows access to computing resources, such as storage, processing power, and more. That’s where the data is – in these data centers all around the world. Which data center your data is in depends on what cloud service provider you’re working with.

The Cloud Isn’t As New As You Might Think
Would you say the cloud is “new”? To some, this may seem like a question with an obvious answer, but it’s not that simple. The way in which we think about technology can lead to something feeling new for a lot longer than would make sense otherwise.

After all, the cloud is more than a decade old, but a lot of people still think of it as a new technology.

You Need To Keep An Eye On Your Cloud
As beneficial as the cloud can be, it’s important to note that it can also pose risks if it isn’t managed properly. It all comes down to the classic binary relationship between convenience and security.

The cloud gives you unparalleled access to your data from anywhere with an Internet connection. That means that external parties (including cybercriminals) can have undue access to your data as well if you don’t take the necessary steps to secure your environment.

That’s why you need to monitor your cloud. No matter who you entrust your data to, you should ensure that you or someone in your organization is given appropriate visibility over your cloud environment. That way, you can guarantee that security and compliance standards are being maintained.

If you don’t have the resources to manage this type of ongoing monitoring, then it would be wise to work with the right third party IT services company.

Doing so will allow you to outsource the migration, management, and monitoring of your cloud.

You’ll get the best of both worlds – security and convenience.

53% Of Businesses Have Publicly Exposed Cloud Services

June 26, 2018

Chris Myers is a field service technician for Tech Experts.

Malware comes in many different forms and is used by hackers in a number of different ways. It can be used to steal information, locate vulnerabilities in your IT systems for a secondary attack, or simply to cause damage.

There are countless hackers out there just waiting for your business to leave your data vulnerable. With the introduction of the cloud, you felt a bit more secure and slept slightly better at night – but now, it seems that was precisely what hackers wanted us to do.

A recent Cloud Security Trends study found that 53% of businesses using cloud storage accidentally expose their data to the public. This is like securing your whole house, locking all doors and windows, and then going to sleep with the garage wide open.

This doesn’t just point the finger at small businesses either. The study showed that even big-name companies such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) had inadvertently exposed one or more of these services to the public.

The scary thing is that the previous survey showed this was occurring only 40% of the time. Now, this number has grown to 53%.

This study was conducted in 2017 between the months of June to September. Within those two months, they found that businesses are not only exposing their own data but they are also neglecting vulnerabilities in their cloud. When you ignore these things, you put not only your customers at risk but also the livelihood of your company as well.

What Are You Exposing?
The report shows that businesses weren’t solely leaking data such as customer information, but incredibly dangerous information such as access keys and other private data as well.

These cyber-attacks commonly expose data such as personal health information, financial information, passwords and usernames, trade secrets, and intellectual property. With two million new malware attacks launching every day, it’s more important than ever to stay in a constant state of vigilance.

Ignoring Vulnerabilities
A common misconception is that it’s the service provider’s responsibility to keep cloud data safe – this is not true. Most of the damage caused by ignoring vulnerabilities can be prevented by training.

If your staff is trained to recognize weaknesses, then they can be more proactive in fighting against them. More than 80% of businesses are not managing host vulnerabilities in the cloud. Vulnerabilities include insufficient or suspicious credentials, application weaknesses, and inadequate employee security training.

Complex Attacks
Not all the attacks and vulnerabilities are the fault of the business. Some of these attacks are far more complex than most businesses are prepared for, including big-name companies. These sophisticated attacks not only know and bypass the company’s vulnerabilities but also various application weaknesses.

What Can You Do About It?
The first action you can take against attacks is recognizing suspicious IP addresses. Have a policy in place for identifying, flagging, and isolating suspicious IP addresses. Spending a few extra minutes of your time could save months of recovery and downtime.

It’s important to pay attention to mistakes that others have made so you don’t suffer the same consequences. Be sure to train and certify the IT staff you already have. Cyberattacks are guaranteed, but what isn’t guaranteed is how prepared your business is to thwart off those attacks.

Pros And Cons Of Cloud And Physical Backup Solutions

November 24, 2015

Scott Blake is a Senior Network Engineer with Tech Experts.

When it comes to backing up data, you have two choices – you either maintain physical copies of your data or you utilize cloud services to host your data. Before you make a decision, you should look into the pros and cons of each and determine which one is a good fit for you.

Pros of Cloud-Based Services
Utilizing the cloud requires no capital investment for additional hardware or personnel to monitor and maintain your data locally.
Cloud service providers offer scalability to your data needs. No more adding additional drives or servers to maintain your data.
Data stored in the cloud is safe from any disasters that your office may have.
Your data can be accessed from any Internet connection in the world.
No maintenance of data drives. The cloud service provider takes care of everything on their end.
Cloud-based storage for your data will remove any risk of data corruption or hardware fault. This will allow you to reduce overhead by reducing the amount of IT staff personal assigned to manage and maintain your company’s data.

Cons of Cloud-Based Services
Cloud storage requires an Internet connection for uploading and downloading of data. If your connection is slow, you should expect slower uploads of data and increased access time to your data.
While almost every cloud service provider offers plans that come with data encryption, not all do. Make sure your cloud provider is securing your data.

Pros of Physical Backup
No vendors to deal with. You are in complete control of your data. You control how it’s backed up, accessed and maintained.
Data backups tend to take less time. There is no dependency on an Internet connection for backing up or accessing your data.
You are in complete control of the security process that protects your data.

Cons of Physical Backup
Localized data storage does offer the sense of control and knowing where your data is. However, that piece of mind can incur some high costs and overhead.
As the size of your data grows, so does your investment in storage media such as flash drives, external hard drives, internal hard drives and additional servers.
Physical devices will fail. It’s not “if,” but “when.” All mechanical devices will fail at some point in their life cycle. Additional IT staff will need to be put in place to monitor and maintain the physical equipment to ensure data integrity. This increases overhead.
In the event of a disaster in your business, data accessibility and recovery will be dependent on if extra steps were taken to secure physical copies of your data off-site.
Doing this will require the purchase of additional hardware and additional manpower to ensure the data is corruption-free.

Again, before deciding which method to implement, figure out which solution will work best for your business. Not every company’s backup or data storage needs are the same.

For assistance in setting up either cloud-based or local backup solutions, call the experts at Tech Experts: (734) 457-5000.