Is It Safe To Use Cloud Based Purchase Order Software?

By Author: vikram kumar
Total Articles: 7959

You’ve heard it on the news: millions of passwords were stolen from cloud services such as Dropbox. Even very large IT websites such as LinkedIn and Gmail were not spared. Perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself. For some reason you can no longer log in to your own account, yet friends have reported that you’ve been sending e-mails the past few days during those times when you weren’t able to access your account.

Your concern about security risks for anything related to the Internet including cloud based purchase order software is not completely baseless. In fact, in a 2008 report about security threats, one website is hacked every 5 seconds.

Worse, there is no guarantee that your account in purchase order software will remain safe forever. Thus, you can’t help but ask, “Is it really wise to invest in a cloud-based solution?”

Understanding the Risks

All decisions have risks; everything from investing in stocks to driving a car to work to getting cloud based purchase order software. Like anything with risk, understanding what risks you face can enable you to create a plan to minimize or eliminate risks.

Phishing: phishing is a process wherein you’re compelled to log in to a similar-looking website. Normally, you’ll receive an e-mail saying that your account is under an attack or is hacked and that you have to change your password immediately using the e-mail’s provided link. By clicking the link your data such as your login details are captured. It’s always better to navigate directly to the site instead of clicking the link if there is any question as to the legitimacy of the request. Or simply call the business and ask if they sent the email.

Hacking: hacking is an attempt to penetrate your private account, phone, or computer with the goal to simply show you can access secure information, replace a website with a joke or hacking signature or something more serious such as placing a virus or stealing data.

Viruses and malware: malware and viruses can take advantage of security gaps so that every time you use the purchase order software it runs a set action that may cause problems within the software, the purchase process, or engage in outgoing messages.

Going Beyond the Fear

All these vulnerabilities, however, should not stop you from investing in cloud based purchase order software.

One, as long as you’re getting the program from a reputable vendor, you know that they will do their best to secure your data. They spend thousands of dollars a year to make sure that their IT infrastructure is impenetrable. Their business and reputation depend on their success in this area so they are as vested in continual security upgrades as you are.

Two, most of the security breaches are actually committed by people inside your business. For example, if you’ve accessed the purchase order software through an insecure network it makes your data vulnerable to attack. Changing passwords regularly and monitoring your accounts for any suspicious activity can help stop any breaches due to employee carelessness.

Although nothing ever guarantees your data’s safety, there are many ways to significantly reduce the likelihood and procedures in place to quickly resolve and protect data if something like that should happen.

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