While only 28 percent of U.S. organizations use cloud services, according to a 2011 CDW poll, the technology should be on the forefront of the minds of small business owners  due to its effortless incorporation into disaster recovery plans for businesses.

Though the use of the cloud in everyday business operations seems low, 84 percent of respondents to CDW's Cloud Computing and Tracking Poll said that they have used at least one cloud application.

The cloud is becoming a popular solution for protecting and archiving large amounts of business information at a low cost. Data can be remotely accessed by any computer, making cloud services invaluable should a computer crash or company network go down. Experts predict that the cloud market will reach $241 billion by 2020, according to a report by Forrester Research.

Network World identifies the cloud as a valid way to keep business data safe. The source cites data encryption, managing employee access and frequent password changes as the best security precautions that small business owners who use cloud services can take. Additionally, it is beneficial to request security reports from cloud providers.