Which cloud security tips actually stop data leaks for small businesses?

[Brayan]

I manage IT for a small team and we’re moving more services to AWS / Google Cloud. I’ve read a bunch of generic cloud security tips (MFA, encryption, least privilege), but I don’t know which ones I should prioritize given a tight budget and no full-time security person. We’ve already enabled MFA and basic backups, but I’m worried about misconfigured storage (S3/GCS), IAM role sprawl, and logging gaps. Looking for a prioritized, practical checklist (including low-cost tools and quick wins) that will actually reduce the biggest risks for a business of 15 people.

 

[rebeccareed]

If you’re tight on budget, start with S3/GCS bucket policies. 90% of small-biz cloud leaks I’ve seen were just public buckets someone forgot about.
My quick win list:

1. Block Public Access on all buckets (AWS has a global setting, turn it ON).
2. Use IAM Access Analyzer (free) it literally tells you what’s over-permissive.
3. CloudTrail + GCP Audit Logs → at least keep management events on so you know who changed what.
4. Rotate API keys every 90 days and kill the ones nobody remembers creating.
   Do these 4 things and you’ve already solved half the real-world leaks.

 

[TaylorTravels]

Bro, as someone who once left an S3 bucket open and accidentally leaked our “super confidential onboarding checklist” (basically a PDF saying “don’t break things”), let me tell you:
TURN ON BLOCK PUBLIC ACCESS AND NEVER TURN IT OFF.
Also, make a rule: if anyone creates an IAM role without a description, they owe the team donuts. Trust me, your IAM mess cleans itself real fast when pastries get involved.

 

[ArthurMex]

Honestly, people exaggerate “IAM role sprawl” for small teams. With 15 people, you’re not running NASA.
Focus on logging and monitoring first.
If you can’t see that something went wrong, you can’t fix it. CloudTrail + GuardDuty (or GCP Security Command Center standard tier) give you real alerts without a lot of setup.
Fight me if you want, but misconfigurations aren’t the problem not knowing about them is.

 

[jimmy]

Nah dude, IAM sprawl is 100% a problem even for tiny teams.
Small businesses create keys and roles like “testing-lol-do-not-delete-2” and forget them for 3 years. Those become attack goldmines.
@ArthurMex monitoring is important, yes, but if your permissions are too open, you’re monitoring the disaster instead of preventing it.
OP: clean up IAM + enable Access Analyzer… THEN turn on monitoring. Same day. Takes like 45 minutes.

 

[megamind]

I manage security for a 12-person SaaS and here’s the checklist we follow. It’s simple and budget-friendly:

Priority 1 Must Do

• Block public access on all storage
• MFA on console + enforce strong password policy
• CloudTrail/Audit Logs ON with 30–90 day retention
• Remove unused IAM users + roles monthly

Priority 2 Low-Cost Tools

• AWS GuardDuty (cheap for small orgs)
• GCP SCC Standard (free alerts)
• Password manager for everyone

Priority 3 If you have time

• Create a minimal “landing zone” template so people can’t create insecure buckets by accident
• Enable automated backups on critical services

This setup has survived audits and pen tests for 3 years with zero leaks.