How Small Businesses Are Unlocking Growth With Generative AI

Moving to the cloud offers incredible flexibility and speed, but it also introduces new responsibilities for your team. Cloud security is not a “set it and forget it” type task, small mistakes can quickly become serious vulnerabilities if ignored. You don’t need to dedicate hours each day to this. In most cases, a consistent, brief review is enough to catch issues before they escalate. Establishing a routine is the most effective way to defend against cyber threats, keeping your environment organised and secure. Think of a daily cloud security check as a morning hygiene routine for your infrastructure. Just fifteen minutes a day can help prevent major disasters. A proactive approach is essential for modern business continuity and should include the following best practices: 1. Review Identity and Access Logs The first step in your routine involves looking at who logged in and verifying that all access attempts are legitimate. Look for logins from unusual locations or at strange times since these are often the first signs of a compromised account. Pay attention to failed login attempts as well, since a spike in failures might indicate a brute-force or dictionary attack. Investigate these anomalies immediately, as swift action stops intruders from gaining a foothold. Finally, effective cloud access management depends on careful oversight of user identities. Make sure former employees no longer have active accounts by promptly removing access for anyone who has left. Maintaining a clean user list is a core security practice. 2. Check for Storage Permissions Data leaks often happen because someone accidentally exposes a folder or file. Weak file-sharing permissions make it easy to click the wrong button and make a file public. Review the permission settings on your storage buckets daily, and ensure that your private data remains private. Look for any storage containers that have “public” access enabled. If a file does not need to be public, lock it down. This simple scan prevents sensitive customer information from leaking and protects both your reputation and legal standing. Misconfigured cloud settings remain a top cause of data breaches. While vendors offer tools to automatically scan for open permissions, an extra manual review by skilled cloud administrators is advisable to stay fully aware of your data environment. 3. Monitor for Unusual Resource Spikes Sudden changes in usage can indicate a security issue. A compromised server might be used for cryptocurrency mining or as part of a botnet network attacking other cloud or internet systems. One common warning sign is CPU usage hitting 100%, often followed by unexpected spikes in your cloud bill. Check your cloud dashboard for any unexpected spikes in computing power and compare each day’s metrics with your average baseline. If something looks off, investigate the specific instance or container, and track the root cause since it could mean bigger problems. Resource spikes can also indicate a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Identifying a DDOS attack early allows you to mitigate the traffic and helps you keep your services online for your customers. 4. Examine Security Alerts and Notifications Your cloud provider likely sends security notifications, but many administrators ignore them or let them end up in spam. Make it a point to review these alerts daily, as they often contain critical information about vulnerabilities. These alerts can notify you about outdated operating systems or databases that aren’t encrypted. Addressing them promptly helps prevent data leaks, as ignoring them leaves vulnerabilities open to attackers. Make the following maintenance and security checks part of your daily routine: Review high-priority alerts in your cloud security centre Check for any new compliance violations Verify that all backup jobs have completed successfully. Confirm that antivirus definitions are up to date on servers Addressing these notifications not only strengthens your security posture but also shows due diligence in safeguarding company assets. 5. Verify Backup Integrity Backups are your safety net when things go wrong, but they’re only useful if they’re complete and intact. Check the status of your overnight backup jobs every morning. A green checkmark gives peace of mind, but if a job fails, restart it immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled run. Losing a day of data can be costly, so maintaining consistent backups is key to business resilience. Once in a while, test a backup restoration to ensure that it works and restores as required, and always ensure to check the logs daily. Knowing your data is safe allows you to focus on other tasks since it eliminates the fear of ransomware and other malware disrupting your business. 6. Keep Software Patched and Updated Cloud servers require updates just like physical ones, so your daily check should include a review of patch management status. Make sure automated patching schedules are running correctly, as unpatched servers are prime targets for attackers. Since new vulnerabilities are discovered daily by both researchers and attackers, minimising the window of opportunity is critical. Applying security updates is essential to keeping your infrastructure secure. When a critical patch is released, address it immediately rather than waiting for the standard maintenance window, being agile with patching can prevent serious problems down the line. Build a Habit for Safety Security does not require heroic efforts every single day. It requires consistency, attention to detail, and a solid routine. The daily 15-minute cloud security check is a small investment with a massive return, since it keeps your data safe and your systems running smoothly. Spending just fifteen minutes a day shifts your approach from reactive to proactive, significantly reducing risk. This not only strengthens confidence in your IT operations but also simplifies cloud maintenance. Need help establishing a strong cloud security routine? Our managed cloud services handle the heavy lifting, monitoring your systems 24/7 so you don’t have to. Contact us today to protect your cloud infrastructure.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the business world by storm, pushing organisations of all sizes to adopt new tools that boost efficiency and sharpen their competitive edge. Among these tools, Microsoft 365 Copilot rises to the top, offering powerful productivity support through its seamless integration with the familiar Office 365 environment. In the push to adopt new technologies and boost productivity, many businesses buy licenses for every employee without much consideration. That enthusiasm often leads to “shelfware”, AI tools and software that go unused while the company continues to pay for them. Given the high cost of these solutions, it’s essential to invest in a way that actually delivers a return on investment. Because you can’t improve what you don’t measure, a Microsoft 365 Copilot audit is essential for assessing and quantifying your adoption rates. A thorough review shows who is truly benefiting from and actively using the technology. It also guides smarter licensing decisions that reduce costs and improve overall efficiency. The Reality of AI Licensing Waste Implementing automated access revocation for contractors is not just about better security; it's a critical component of financial risk management and regulatory compliance. The biggest risk in contractor management is relying on human memory to manually delete accounts and revoke permissions after a project ends. Forgotten accounts with lingering access, often referred to as “dormant” or “ghost” accounts, are a prime target for cyber-attackers. If an attacker compromises a dormant account, they can operate inside your network without detection, as no one is monitoring an "inactive" user. For example, many security reports cite the Target data breach in 2013 as a stark illustration. Attackers gained initial entry into Target's network by compromising the credentials of a third-party HVAC contractor that had legitimate, yet overly permissive, access to the network for billing purposes. If Target had enforced the principle of least privilege, limiting the vendor's access only to the necessary billing system, the lateral movement that compromised millions of customer records could have been contained or prevented entirely. By leveraging Microsoft Entra Conditional Access to set a sign-in frequency and instantly revoke access when a contractor is removed from the security group, you eliminate the chance of lingering permissions. This automation ensures that you are consistently applying the principle of least privilege, significantly reducing your attack surface and demonstrating due diligence for auditors under regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. It turns a high-risk, manual task into a reliable, self-managing syAt first, buying licenses in bulk may seem like a convenient strategy since it simplifies the procurement process for your IT department. However, this collective approach often ignores actual user behaviour, since not every role needs the advanced features offered by Copilot. AI licensing waste occurs when tools sit unused on employee dashboards. For example, a receptionist may have no need for advanced data-analysis capabilities, while a field technician might never open the desktop application at all. Paying for unused licenses drains your budget, so identifying and closing these gaps is essential to protecting your bottom line. The savings can then be redirected to higher-value initiatives where they’ll make the greatest impact. Analysing User Activity Reports Fortunately, Microsoft includes built-in tools that make it easy to view your AI usage data. The Microsoft 365 admin centre is the best place to start. From there, you can generate reports that track active usage over specific time periods and give you a clear view of engagement. From this dashboard, you can track various metrics such as enabled users, active users, adoption rates, trends, and so on. This makes it easy to identify employees who have never used AI features, or those whose limited usage may not justify the licensing cost. This kind of software usage tracking allows you to make data-driven decisions and distinguish between power users and those who ignore the tool. This clarity not only allows for making efficient license purchases, but also sets the stage for having conversations with department heads to determine why certain teams do not engage with AI tools. Strategies for IT Budget Optimisation Once you identify the waste, the next step is taking action. Start by reclaiming licenses from inactive users and reallocating them to employees who actually need them. This simple shift, making sure licenses go to those who use them, can significantly reduce your subscription costs. Establish a formal request process for Copilot licenses. This ensures employees must justify their need for the tool, granting access only to those who truly require it and adding accountability to your spending. IT budget optimisation isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement. Regularly reviewing these metrics, whether monthly or quarterly, helps keep your software spending efficient and under control. Boosting Adoption Through Training Low AI tool usage isn’t always about lack of interest. Sometimes, employees simply don’t need the tool, while other times they avoid it because they don’t know how to use it, insufficient training can lead to frustration and poor adoption. This means that cutting licenses alone isn’t enough; investing in user training is equally important. The most effective approach is to survey staff and assess their comfort level with Copilot. For employees who find it confusing, provide self-paced tutorials or conduct training workshops that demonstrate practical use cases relevant to their daily tasks. When employees see clear value and convenience, they are much more likely to adopt the tool. Consider the following steps to improve adoption: Host lunch-and-learn sessions to demonstrate key features Share success stories from power users within the company Create a library of quick tip videos for common tasks Appoint “Copilot Champions” in each department to help others Investing in training often transforms low usage into high value, turning what was once a wasted expense into a productivity-enhancing asset. Establishing a Governance Policy Another way to minimise Copilot license waste involves setting rules for how your company handles AI tools. A governance policy effectively brings order to your software management by outlining who qualifies for a license and setting expectations for usage and review cycles. The policy should also define criteria based on job roles and responsibilities. For instance, content creators and data analysts get automatic access, while other roles might require manager approval, thus preventing the “free-for-all” mentality that leads to waste. The policy should be clearly communicated to all employees to ensure transparency regarding how decisions are being made. This way, a culture of responsibility regarding company resources is established. Preparing for Renewal Season The worst time to check your Copilot AI usage is the day before renewal. Instead, schedule audits at least 90 days in advance to allow ample time to adjust your contract and license counts. This also gives you leverage during negotiations with vendors. By presenting data showing your actual needs, you put yourself in a strong position to right-size your contract and avoid getting locked into another year of paying for shelfware. Smart Management Matters Managing modern software costs demands both vigilance and data, particularly as most vendors move to subscription-based models for AI and software tools. With recurring expenses, letting subscriptions run unchecked is no longer an option. Regular Microsoft 365 Copilot audits safeguard your budget and ensure efficiency by aligning technology purchases with actual usage. Take control of your licensing strategy today. Look at the numbers, ask the hard questions, and ensure every dollar you spend contributes to your business’ growth. Smart management leads to a leaner and more productive organisation. Are you ready to get a handle on your AI tool spending? Reach out to our team for help with comprehensive Microsoft 365 Copilot audits, and eliminate waste from your IT budget. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.