Her Story – Celebrating the Women at Soteria Cloud

Meet Santie Jooste

Regional Account Manager – Partner Services and Relationship Management, Soteria Cloud

Women are making big strides in SA’s tech industry, changing perceptions in an industry that has been long overdue for gender transformation. As we celebrate women in tech this month, we’d love to introduce our readers to Santie Jooste, our superstar Regional Account Manager.

Santie combines her strong background in customer service and relationship management with a passion for helping our clients safeguard their data.

Let’s get to know Santie better and find out what drives her passion for data protection.

A passion for people and protecting their data

As a valued member of our team, Santie works with organisations across the country to match them with cloud backup and recovery solutions that are secure, reliable, and tailored to their needs.

With mounting experience in the fast-paced tech industry, Santie has embraced the challenges and opportunities of working in data protection.
What sets her apart is her curiosity and eagerness to learn. These qualities allow her to adapt quickly in a field that is constantly evolving.

For Santie, protecting data goes beyond business requirements: it’s her personal mission.

She views her role as not just protecting information, but also safeguarding the livelihoods and trust of the clients she serves.
Her philosophy is simple: stay curious, learn every day, and never shy away from asking questions, no matter how big or small.

This mindset has enabled her to excellent meaningful client relationships and to deliver cyber protection solutions powered by Acronis that balance technical strength with practical application.

Another dynamic woman transforming cybersecurity in SA

Along with her passion for client relationships, Santie also takes pride in being part of an industry where women are increasingly making their mark in IT and cybersecurity.

For professions like her, Women’s Month is a reminder that diverse voices strengthen the sector and open up new ways of solving problems at a time when data is the new gold and security solutions are critically important.

A positive approach to life and work

Outside of work, Santie brings the same energy and warmth to her personal life. She enjoys perfecting her coffee skills, has a knack for turning “just checking emails” into an hour-long project, and is always ready to laugh, even if it’s at her own expense and her own jokes.

By blending professionalism with approachability, Santie continues to make a difference for our clients and the broader tech community in South Africa.

Ready to protect your data? Let our team guide you

If you’re searching for a comprehensive backup or data protection solution for your business, we’d love to connect with you. Contact us using the button below and our dedicated team members will guide you at every step of the process.

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Celebrating the Women at Soteria Cloud

Meet Leigh Naudé: Driving Relationships and Resilience

At Soteria Cloud, we pride ourselves on providing world-class secure cloud storage, advanced backup solutions, and managed data protection services. But behind every great solution is a team of passionate people dedicated to making it work for our customers.

This women’s month, we’re spotlighting one of the key forces behind our sales and customer relationships, Leigh Naudé, whose energy and drive have made her an indispensable part of our mission.

Two decades of industry excellence

Leigh’s journey in technology started at just 18, when she joined BCX as an intern. It was there that her career truly took off, guided by the mentorship of industry professionals who recognised her potential early on.

Among them was Christine Bergmann, a Microsoft Licensing Specialist who helped shape Leigh’s skills and mindset for success. “She took me under her wing and taught me not only the technical knowledge but the confidence to grow in this industry,” Leigh fondly recalls.

Other influential figures include her mother, Elaine Meyer, an IT trailblazer in her own right, and Seshni Gafoor, Distribution Account Manager for Africa at Acronis, whose passion for empowering women in tech continues to inspire Leigh today.

Over 21 years later, Leigh has built an impressive track record in managing strategic accounts and nurturing long-term client partnerships.
Her philosophy is simple yet powerful: people buy from people.

In a fast-moving, high-stakes field such as women in cybersecurity, Leigh understands that trust is just as vital as technology: “I don’t enjoy working in silos. Collaboration and relationship-building are what get results”.

It’s an approach that has earned her not just clients, but fans and advocates, many of whom have stayed with us for years.

A professional with cutting edge knowledge to protect your business

Leigh is deeply aware of the urgency of cybersecurity in today’s business environment.

With threats evolving daily and even AI now enabling Ransomware as a Service on the dark web, she’s firmly against a reactive approach.
Leigh’s favourite cybersecurity analogy is drawn from the daily commute: “It’s like driving without a seatbelt and no insurance. You might be fine for a while, but when disaster strikes, it’s too late to protect yourself,”.

This belief in proactive protection drives her conversations with customers, where she helps them understand the importance of not just backing up data, but securing it against every possible risk.

A passionate leader who champions work-life balance

Outside of work, Leigh brings the same enthusiasm to family life, often singing (a hidden talent from her younger days) to her children and husband.

Whether she’s closing a deal, sharing a laugh over coffee and chocolate, or strategising with colleagues, Leigh embodies the energy, commitment, and human connection that set Soteria Cloud apart.

Ready to secure your data? let our team guide you

If Leigh’s story has inspired you – and we know it has – we’d love you to experience our warmth, motivation, and professionalism first hand.
Contact our team today or click the button below to view our range of backups solutions.

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Secure Cloud Storage | Soteria Cloud Online

Why Secure Cloud Storage is an Essential Business Service

As information shapes every aspect of modern business, data is being called the new gold. At Soteria we wholeheartedly agree with this assessment and would add that gold needs to be protected at all costs.

Cloud storage has become the industry standard for data protection, giving companies a line of defence against hackers and data loss, with sensitive files backed up and encrypted in the cloud.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways secure cloud storage is essential for your business.

Enhanced Data Security

The fundamental value of any cybersecurity solution is simple: it helps to keep your valuable business files out of the wrong hands, even in the event of a cyberattack.

A quick glance at any news site will reveal that South Africa is in the midst of a cybercrime storm with an estimated R2.2 billion in annual losses expected going forward.

Like other countries on the African continent and our peers in the developed world, our businesses are fighting a daily battle against criminals who are constantly innovating in their quest to steal data and hold it for ransom.

Several publicised cybersecurity incidents over the past few months, including the recent Adidas data breach and similar incidents at Absa, Experian, and the SABS have been making headlines this year.

These incidents demonstrate that even large organisations with cybersecurity budgets to match can be caught unawares by attackers. The good news for business owners is that many of the attacks that make headlines could have been prevented if every single box on the company’s cybersecurity readiness plan had been ticked.

Secure cloud storage allows companies of any size to obtain high-quality protection for their data.

At Soteria, we take that a step further by partnering with Acronis to offer our clients game-changing protection with a range of cutting-edge cyber defence solutions.

Beyond Backup

Modern cloud backup solutions offer more than just a place to store files. They provide automated, continuous backups with advanced encryption and version control, so you’re always protected: even when your team forgets to hit “save.”

Because these systems are designed to be scalable, you can easily adjust your storage as your business grows, without the need for costly infrastructure.
Secure cloud backup plays a central role in any disaster recovery plan. Whether you’re dealing with a ransomware attack, accidental deletion, or a major outage, having encrypted, offsite copies of your data ensures quick restoration and minimal downtime.

These features of secure backup can help keep your business up and running in the wake of a major data breach or cyberattack. This is a major efficiency boost and could prevent excessive reputational damage in the event of a data loss incident.

Stress-free Compliance

With South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) now fully in effect, businesses are required to take appropriate steps to protect the personal data of customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Cloud backup services support POPIA compliance by offering secure, traceable storage and fast recovery capabilities. This is something that’s not only practical but essential in the case of an incident.

Safeguard Your Data with Soteria

Data loss doesn’t announce itself until it’s too late. Whether it’s a targeted cyberattack or a power failure, the financial consequences of compromised files can be huge.

To prevent a similar outcome in your business, we’d love to guide you to the perfect secure backup solution to suit your needs precisely.

Our natively integrated cyber protection package is the ideal peace of mind and cyber readiness booster for businesses of all sizes.

Acronis Partnership Solutions – Cloud Backup

5 Ways Acronis Integration Supercharges Your Cloud Backup Experience

At Soteria, one thing that’s always on our minds is keeping your data safe in the cloud using the latest technology to ensure a seamless user experience.

Over the years, we’ve invested in loadshedding-proof data centres, scalable backup solutions culminating in total data protection, and immutable storage to ensure that your vital information remains encrypted and accessible only to you.

Through our partnership with Acronis, a leader in data backup and protection, our team is fully certified and benefits from continuous training in order to assist our clients to harness the power of one of the best cloud storage systems available internationally – with access to top-tier solutions.

Acronis remains at the forefront of innovation, investing in research and development to anticipate technological trends. Their cutting-edge solutions include blockchain-based data validation, AI-driven ransomware protection, and integrated disaster recovery which means that you have access to the best practices and insights in the industry.

Market leader

Acronis stands out in the data protection and backup industry thanks to its comprehensive solutions, from backups and disaster recovery to cybersecurity and secure file sharing.

With a strong global presence and trusted brand, it partners with major players like Microsoft and VMware for seamless integrations. Its focus on cybersecurity, including anti-ransomware features enhances its appeal, while user-friendly interfaces make it accessible to all skill levels.

The Gold Standard in data protection

With cyberattacks on the rise, your business can’t afford to have anything but the best data protection.

Some of the features we offer through our valued partnerships with Acronis include backup and recovery solutions that help to make sure your data is securely backed up and can be easily restored. This helps to reduce downtime and data loss to a minimum in the event of a cyberattack.

Smooth cloud integration

Off site storage is key when it comes to avoiding data corruption and physical theft of backup drives.

Cloud integration ensures that your valuable data is stored in an encrypted format and remains accessible 24/7 from anywhere on earth using trusted credentials.

Easy to use interface

You shouldn’t need to be an IT expert to back up and manage your data. We’ve partnered with Acronis to bring you one of the best designed UXs in the cloud storage industry.

This will help to avoid operational errors and make data backup accessible to all members of your team.

Advanced security even with cross-platform integration

Staying a step ahead of the hackers on various operating systems and devices means you need the most technically advanced cybersecurity available today with enhanced operational efficiency.

Our offering includes built-in security measures like ransomware protection and immutable encryption, which add an extra defensive shield of security to your sensitive data.

Secure your data with our cutting edge packages

If you’re ready to experience the effortless convenience of our highly secure cloud storage packages, visit our services page today. You’re sure to find a solution that suits the needs and scale of your business.

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Ultimate Cloud Checklist – Online Backup

How to Choose The Best Cloud Backup Provider – The Ultimate Checklist

Most of us would never board an oceangoing vessel without a reliable life jacket, even though the chances of needing it may not be high. But if disaster were to strike, the life jacket would be critical and you’d want it to work effectively the first time – just like your secure cloud storage backup plan.

With cybercriminals lurking like unseen rip currents, businesses around the world are facing an ever growing challenge to their data security yet as these criminals continue their relentless attacks to sink the ship. Considering the huge cost that data loss can cause, it has never been more important to choose the right cloud backup provider to keep your crucial information safe.

To help you choose an effective cloud storage solution that will secure your data, we’ve put together a checklist for business owners and managers. Here are the most important factors to consider when making your decision.

Security & Compliance: Keeping Your Data Safe

It’s not only important to have secure backups but also to check that your provider offers the latest technology to stay a step ahead of cybercriminals. Here are a few things to check when you vet a potential supplier:

End-to-End Encryption – Ensure data is encrypted during transfer and storage.
Compliance & Certifications – Check for adherence to data protection laws.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Adds an extra layer of security.
Zero-Knowledge Encryption – Only the customer should have access to their data.

You’ll find military-grade encryption technology, secure multi-factor authentication, and immutable storage as standard features in our packages. That’s part of our commitment to keeping your data safe.

Reliability & Performance: Ensuring Consistent Backups

A secure cloud storage system is only as good as its uptime.

A system that delivers the essential features you need to keep your data safe and is always online will help you rest easy in the knowledge that your data is in the right hands. Here are some features to look out for when it comes to performance:

99.9% Uptime Guarantee – No downtime means no risk of data loss.
Automated & Scheduled Backups – Avoid human error by ensuring backups happen automatically.
Fast Recovery Speeds – Quick restoration options for minimal disruption.
Versioning & Retention Policies – Keep multiple versions of files to prevent accidental deletions.

With an impressive uptime record, regular scheduled backups, and comprehensive disaster recovery features, Soteria’s Total Data Protection solution is ideal for businesses that cannot afford to lose any important information—and that’s every business today.

Storage & Scalability: Growing with Your Needs

A flexible cloud storage solution that grows with your business every year is essential to balance affordable costs with essential protection. A good cloud storage provider will always offer the following:

Flexible Storage Plans – A plan that can be scaled as your business grows or changes.
Unlimited File Size & Type Support – No restrictions on what you can back up.
Redundant Storage Locations – Multiple data centres for added safety.

Our scalable plans with redundant cloud storage for enhanced data protection allow businesses of all sizes to benefit from advanced data protection and increase the total size of the backup as their needs expand.

Customer Support & Service: Help When You Need It

When you’re having trouble with your cloud storage or suspect that a cyber-attack is taking place, there’s no time to waste.

Customer support is essential for every cloud storage customer, and your provider should offer the following:

24/7 Support Availability – 24/7 expert help when disaster strikes.
Multiple Support Channels – Live chat, email, and phone options.
Knowledge Base & Resources – Guides, FAQs, and tutorials for self-help.

Soteria’s packages feature 24/7 expert support with extensive self-service resources. Call us or create a customer support ticket to get the help you need.

Get the Ultimate Data Protection

As you run down this list you might have noticed that our range of essential cloud storage solutions ticks almost every box. Our range of products, including Total Data Protection, offer turnkey solutions for businesses of all sizes that wish to keep their data safe.

Click the button below to learn more about our flagship Total Data Protection offering.

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Essential Cloud Storage – Cybersecurity

Why Cloud Storage Is Essential for Your Business

Businesses generate and store more data each year, and the recent wave of cyberattacks gripping the country highlights how valuable this information is—not only to businesses but also to cybercriminals.

As businesses scramble to avoid becoming the next victim of a data breach, leak, or ransomware attack, owners and managers are weighing their options for data storage.

With traditional physical storage, conventional cloud apps, and secure cloud storage emerging as the three main options, we’d like to make the case for encrypted cloud data protection.

Here are some reasons why secure cloud storage offers the gold standard in data protection and how it can benefit any business.

Protection of sensitive information

Businesses handle a variety of sensitive information, from company financial records and new product designs to sensitive client data that could result in serious privacy breaches if it falls into the wrong hands.

In light of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which places an obligation on companies to protect client data to the best of their ability, obtaining the most powerful encrypted storage available has become a necessity.

Financial risk reduction

The monetary cost of a cyberattack can range from tens of thousands to millions of rands, depending on the scale and circumstances of the incident. The reputational damage could be even greater.

Secure cloud storage helps keep your business out of the high-risk landscape that comes with exposure to ransomware and phishing attacks. For a small monthly investment, you could pre-empt losses ranging from five to six figures.

Insider threat mitigation

According to research by Stanford University, 88% of data breaches involve internal actors like staff members. It’s also an unfortunate reality that many data leaks and breaches are the work of disgruntled employees—and it could be the person you least suspect.

Zero-trust architecture, which requires full credential verification before file access is granted, coupled with encrypted backups, removes personal trust from the equation.
Having a full backup of your valuable files ensures organisational control over your company data, regardless of what actions—good or bad—your team may take.

Customer trust

With news of data breaches being reported daily by the media, customers have developed heightened awareness and concern about how companies safeguard their data.

Having comprehensive and reliable data security in place inspires confidence in your clients as they trust you with their valuable and sensitive personal information. From a practical point of view, secure cloud storage also helps reduce the risk of losing client data in the event of a data breach or cyberattack.

To learn more about Soteria’s Total Data Protection package and how it can secure your business files, visit our product page today or click the button below.

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Cloud Storage Costs – Online Backup

Breaking Down Cloud Storage Costs for SMBs and Entrepreneurs

As a small business owner, security will be high on your list of priorities. Ensure that you have access to the best encrypted cloud storage to keep your data safe without incurring unnecessary expenses. It’s essential to understand the structure of cloud storage pricing and plan your expenditures accordingly.

Let’s take a look at the various pricing options available in the cloud storage industry, as well as the benefits and security enhancements that come with each one.

Cloud Storage: A Crucial Expense

Generally speaking, every business’s expenses can be classified into essential and nice-to-have categories. With the risk of cyber attacks increasing each year, secure cloud storage is definitely in the essential category.

How Much Does a Standard Cloud Storage Setup Cost?

Secure cloud storage allows your important files and documents to be kept safe in the cloud using advanced encryption methods that make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for cyber criminals to access your data even if it becomes compromised.

In exchange for the peace of mind and security it offers, secure cloud storage is relatively inexpensive.

Let’s take a look at some of Soteria’s cloud storage packages for businesses (September 2024) as an example.

A small business may simply want a 20Gb storage package at the reasonable price of R99 – the equivalent of a few coffees to go.
Doubling this storage quota to 40Gb will cost just R160 – a significant saving per Gb.
A business with data-intensive processes and large storage requirements would still only need 100 – 500gb of monthly storage, ranging from R249 to R999 in pricing.

How to keep your cloud storage cost effective

Since cloud storage packages are usually quoted per Gb or Tb, the ideal approach is to back up your essential files and avoid filling up your storage quota with redundant files. This will also reduce the amount of internet bandwidth you use to upload and backup your files.

Clear out your storage regularly. Carrying out a digital spring cleaning is one of the best ways to eliminate files that are occupying space in your storage.
Compress then upload. Smaller file sizes mean smaller data quotas in your online storage.
Track your usage. Keeping an eye on your storage quota will help you avoid unnecessary charges.

To help your business gain the benefits of enhanced data security, we invite you to visit our product page today and discover a package that suits your organization’s needs.

Future Proof your business | Real-time Cloud Backup

Future proofing your business with cloud storage

With the rate of change in technology, including data management, every business with an ambitious growth plan needs to be a step ahead of the changes taking place in the digital realm.

As bandwidth continues to increase and companies’ data requirements reach new heights, the need to protect sensitive information has never been more acute.

With South Africa facing a wave of cybercrime that has caught many companies unawares, it’s essential to look ahead at what the future may hold and ensure that your business is ready to survive and thrive in the unpredictable years to come.

Bandwidth creates opportunities for real-time cloud backup

While 5G networks roll out around the world and high-speed internet becomes a minimum expectation for businesses, a raft of new productivity features are now within reach of every enterprise.

From video conferencing and cloud-based productivity software across all industries to the latest card storage solutions, increased bandwidth comes with increased opportunities.

As uncapped bandwidth and upload speeds soar, companies no longer have a reason not to back up their data.
It’s essential to use today’s high-speed internet to sync and backup files in real time so that your organisation’s information is stored securely in the event of a cyberattack.

Address privacy concerns and regulatory compliance

Data security and privacy have become rights that citizens and businesses around the world are demanding as our lives- both personal and professional – increasingly play out online.

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) places a strong burden on companies to ensure that their clients’ confidential information is kept safe.
This doesn’t mean that information could never be lost in the event of a cyberattack or data leak but it does mean that companies will have to prove that they’ve taken all reasonable measures to ensure data security.

POPI non-compliance could result in fines of up to R10 million and possible criminal prosecution, making it crucial to implement high level data security with a reliable backup provider.

Real-time cloud backup collaboration and data sharing

The days when teams would wait for a weekly report before moving forward with a project or making decisions are long over. As companies embrace real time collaboration, their data requirements are increasing exponentially – and so are the number of files that could be targeted by hackers.

Before you share a file internally, you need to know that it’s safe from prying eyes and won’t fall into the hands of cybercriminals.

Secure cloud storage has become an essential part of every company’s IT requirements, and it will only increase in the future.

Stay ahead of the game with secure cloud storage

Maintaining your competitive edge in a fast changing world is a lot easier when you can rely on the safety of your data. To learn more about our data storage packages and how they can help your business, visit our product page today.

Best Cloud Practices | Sustainable Cloud Business Practices

The Positive Impact of Cloud Backup on Sustainable Business Practices

Sustainability has gone from a trendy buzz word to nonnegotiable business strategy as the effects of climate change start to mount.

With businesses finding new ways to work sustainably, the amount of data that every enterprise produces and stores must be reduced for the sake of the planet’s future.

Secure cloud storage has an important role to play in sustainability, because it allows organisations to free up storage space, and streamline the use of servers across the global IT industry. Here are some ways that cloud storage can contribute to efficiency and sustainability in any business.

Counting the climate cost of surplus data

The huge number of files that we all generate instantaneously can easily distract us from the fact that information is not only a virtual entity. Files also exist in physical space – be it on a storage medium or in the cloud.

Data requires electricity in order to be stored, and as our data requirements soar our energy bills are following suit.

Current estimates indicate that 1% of all electricity is used to process data. This figure is only likely to grow in the era of cryptocurrency trading and the widespread adoption of AI which uses a huge amount of data.
As we experience ongoing electricity supply problems related to Eskom, it’s easy to imagine how our global electricity supply would be constrained if unnecessary data continues to be produced and stored at the current rate.

Secure cloud storage is an effective way to free up extra storage and ensure that essential files are kept safe. At Soteria we use energy efficient data centers, eliminating the need for our clients to invest in less energy efficient computers and small servers.

Traditional storage methods represent major climate risks

With billions of internet users around the world, businesses and private individuals in almost every country have become consumers of computers, electronics and storage devices.

This is placing huge pressure on natural resources and is creating a pollution problem as recycling efforts fail to keep up with the mountain of hard drives, flash drives and other physical storage that are piling up in dumps around the world. To make matters worse , some of these discarded devices – like old routers – can pose a major security risk if they fall into the wrong hands.

Cloud storage can help to eliminate this wasteful and environmentally polluting practice by ensuring that fewer small storage devices need to be produced on an annual basis.

Localisation favours regions with sustainable energy

As businesses become more discerning about the electricity usage practices of their suppliers and choose partners who value sustainability, sustainable cloud backup services located in areas known for sustainable energy will enjoy the upper hand.

This should put some friendly pressure on data centres and other tech providers to invest in solar technology and other sustainable forms of energy generation at their facilities.

Final thoughts

Overall, secure cloud storage has the potential to support the push towards sustainability that has become so popular in the business world and is crucial for the planet’s future.

If you’d like to move away from traditional hardware and embrace a planet-friendly, economical, and safe backup storage solution, browse our range of packages for sustainable cloud businesses of all sizes today.

Best Cloud Practices | Role of cloud backup

The Role of Cloud Backup in Modern IT Strategies

The modern tech landscape has shifted predominantly to risk mitigation over the past few years.

While IT consultants had spent the 1990s and 2000s trying to convince businesses to go online, the current era, especially during and after the pandemic, has exposed some of the many risks involved with being connected to the internet. Cybercrime and ransomware attacks are of major concern to businesses around the world as losses from these crimes exceed $700 billion annually.

As a tech forward South African business, you certainly can’t afford to miss out on the opportunities that the interconnected digital world has to offer. On the other hand, avoiding the risks that come with connectivity is absolutely essential. That’s where cloud storage comes in.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of storing your critical data in the cloud in the context of modern best practices in the tech sector.

Cloud backup for instant digital migration

The days when a single physical backup was enough to keep your data safe are long gone – but many businesses still rely on an external hard drive (or even a USB stick) to keep essential files safe.

The false sense of security of physical storage quickly evaporates when the unthinkable happens and a business becomes the victim of a cyber attack.
Unfortunately, with more than 40% of local businesses having been targeted by cybercriminals this type of crime is hardly unthinkable. In fact it’s becoming the norm.

Moving to cloud storage is not only quick and simple but also eliminates the risk of data corruption and theft associated with physical storage.

Cloud storage aligns with the 321 rule

The 321 rule is a gold standard in the IT industry where data backup is concerned.

Simply put, companies should have three copies of every file that they can’t afford to lose: two of these copies should be on different mediums and one should absolutely be in the cloud.

In the event of a data breach or cyberattack, there’s no telling what condition your physical files may be in even if the ransom is removed.
By contrast, the copy of your files kept safely encrypted in the cloud should remain uncorrupted, especially if you opt for immutable storage.

Cloud storage is scalable and accessible to all enterprises

One of the cornerstones of modern IT strategy is to extend access to digital services and data resilience to small and medium size businesses and not only large corporations and government departments. This ensures that the digital safe zone surrounding business data remains wide enough to keep businesses and their customers safe from cyberattacks.

One of the major benefits of secure cloud storage is that it’s accessible at competitive prices on a subscription system that gradually scales up as the data requirements of your business expand.

Soteria Cloud’s range of secure cloud storage packages are easy to integrate with your existing software and hardware setup, making them ideal for businesses of any size that are enhancing their IT strategy.

To secure your files without delay, browse or range of packages for businesses of all sizes.