Balancing security and simplicity is one of life’s eternal struggles, transcending history and indeed humanity. If you’ve got something that others want, the less scrupulous will simply take it, so you need a way to protect it without making life too difficult for yourself, and that applies whether securing your accountancy files or protecting your nest while being described by David Attenborough.

If you’re in the former category - and we’re going to be bold enough to assume you are - then the balancing act has become only more complicated in recent years. The level of risk has increased, as hacking groups increasingly target a wide range of organisations, and the legislative burden has stepped up too. All businesses have to consider GDPR and ECCTA, and depending on your industry you’ll have to include HIPAA, GLBA and other dread acronyms too. Backing up your files to protect them from both attack and accidental loss, and keeping them accessible to staff, clients and auditors, has become an increasingly demanding process.

All the while, you have to keep things simple, because complex systems slow down staff and customers, and will inevitably be exploited as people find workarounds to help them get through the day. The most secure database is one you encrypt with a one-time password and throw in the ocean, and while that can be an increasingly alluring prospect when you’re enduring another compliance audit, it does not support efficient working processes. 

Backup to and from the cloud (rather than the ocean) promises to make things simpler and much cheaper than old-fashioned on-site backup, and is increasingly embraced by all sizes of business, but there are choices to navigate here too. This page will run through the main options for businesses looking for backup from the cloud, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

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1. Conventional cloud storage platforms

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Plus: Simple backup, sharing and collaboration

Plus: Free for basic use

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Minus: Don’t have advanced security features

Minus: Difficult to maintain compliance

Minus: Limited storage space

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We’ll start with the obvious. Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive are the literal household names, thanks to a focus on general consumers which makes them hard to avoid for domestic use. They’re quick to set up, easy to use, and (at least to begin with) free means of storing and backing up from the cloud.

The point at which they stop being free is the point at which they stop being suitable for your business. One of the many problems with free cloud storage for business use is that you quickly run out of space, either in terms of total storage or individual file sizes. It’s easy enough to pay for an upgrade, but that usage will keep creeping up, and an escalating storage cost does not compare favourably to platforms like Workiro which offer unlimited cloud document storage for businesses. 

There are also security issues. While the platforms are perfectly secure in themselves, they’re designed for easy sharing rather than easy compliance. They don’t make it easy to control access via groups, review who has access, or see view history for files, which are key compliance requirements for handling financial data. It is worryingly easy for access to be granted and forgotten about - in 2023, security firm Metomic turned up 22M Google Drive files that were shared with people who no longer needed access (PDF) and 357,000 business files shared publicly. 

The ease with which staff can make confidential data public is a huge compliance risk, and the security implications are a major problem with using free cloud storage. It’s a useful first step for small and startup businesses, but quickly outgrown.

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2. Business-focused cloud backup services

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Plus: Advanced security features

Plus: Full compliance support

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Minus: Little/no collaboration tools

Minus: Costs can increase significantly

Minus: Difficult to administer and maintain

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For more established enterprises, business-focused backup services like Backblaze, Acronis, LiveDrive and Carbonite offer the security and compliance features not included in consumer cloud storage - chiefly the all-important access tracking. They can also get you automatic backups; higher storage capacities; enhanced encryption, and disaster recovery options, all backed by a better standard of customer service than the regular punters get. 

The catch, if you can call it that, is that they’re pure backup tools. They work by backing up entire computers to the cloud, which means they simply duplicate whatever passes for a filing system on each user’s machine. The security is much more rigorous, but it comes at the expense of easy sharing and oversight - requiring IT support to create and monitor access logs, rather than wrapping everything up into a convenient user interface.

While that’s (hopefully) a rare occurrence, for the everyday user files still need to be managed manually, which is a routinely skipped task. While pro backup tools mean you can be sure you aren’t going to lose anything in the sense of never seeing it again, you are still perfectly capable of losing something in the sense that it’s not clear where it is. Knowing that a file is out there, somewhere, is small comfort when your boss, audit team or customer is demanding it right now.

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3. Document management systems

Plus: Advanced security features

Plus: Simple to use

Plus: Free storage available

Plus: Advanced collaboration tools

Plus: Capable of integration 

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Minus: Can require full workflow shift for best results

A document management system (DMS) is a much more powerful way to handle backup from the cloud. It skips past worrying about individual computers in favour of placing files in online storage within a file management system that plugs into your other tools.

There’s no need to regularly backup from the cloud, because the file lives there already, and everybody who needs to access it - internal or external - can reach it there. The best document management systems work across multiple devices, even mobile, and incorporate version tracking and secure access control. You can be sure that each file is permanently backed up, and every edit is tracked, in a way that’s compliant. 

Using a DMS gives you the best combination of security and simplicity. It places everything in a secure location that’s compliant with regulations like GDPR, SOC and HIPAA, and enables easy collaboration across your entire team. The best DMSs, like Workiro, enhance this by integrating directly with other business productivity platforms like NetSuite and TaxCalc, further improving security by removing the need for copying files between platforms and users. 

If you’re looking for more information on whether a document management system is right for your business, you can read our guide hub. Alternatively you can set up a call with one of our specialists.