## 4 Discussion  
This research study aims to enhance our understanding of cloud computing adoption among SMEs in small, pre-EU-accession countries such as Montenegro. It seeks to identify the impacts of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, national processes, national context, and recent cyberattacks on the operations and decisions of these firms. Over the period from 2017 to 2023, changes in SME perspectives towards cloud computing were observed. The survey analysis revealed a notable improvement in SMEs' information security level, aligning with a statistically significant increase in mentioning the necessity to ensure business continuity and prompt system recovery as a primary factor driving cloud computing adoption (RQ1). Additionally, there was an increase in the proportion of SMEs willing to use multiple cloud service providers (RQ4). From the interview results, four factors emerged as most frequently emphasized by all respondents: _security, privacy, perceived security and safety,_ and _external know-how_. While categorized within different perspectives of the TOE and UTAUT frameworks, their interdependence is crucial, as they reflect a multidimensional aspect of cybersecurity that integrates _technological, organizational, environmental_, and _individual perspectives_. These factors were mentioned by all fifteen respondents, with each citing at least two of these four factors and 90% mentioning three out of the four. This further underscores the relevance in the acceptance and adoption of cloud services, highlighting them as a key driver for SMEs adopting cloud solutions and services. Supporting our conclusion is the fact that most respondents noted that a cyberattack on critical state infrastructure in August 2022 prompted them to change their previous perceptions of the importance of cloud computing. The consequences of the cyberattack led to many government e-services being non-functional for several months (3-9 months), hindering SME operations and raising awareness about the significance of business continuity systems and improved information security systems. Faced with contemporary cybersecurity challenges, most SMEs have drastically changed their stance from 2017, realizing the actual utility value of cloud computing, primarily in terms of enhancing their information security systems (RQ1). Furthermore, the increased _availability_ and _flexibility_ of information technologies, along with potential cost savings in IT investments, have significantly motivated SMEs to utilize a wider range of cloud services more extensively. This includes primarily SaaS and security cloud services, with PaaS and IaaS being used to a lesser extent (RQ3). The use of cloud services is primarily based on efficiency, purposefulness, and ease of implementation and use, regardless of whether they are provided within a private, public, or hybrid cloud environment (RQ2). Compared to 2017, there has been a significant improvement in SMEs' self-awareness of their own capacities and needs, best reflected in the emphasis on the importance of organizational factors of _external know-how, complexity,_ and _organization size_. Most SMEs highlighted the importance of CC providers' readiness to understand their organizational characteristics and individual capacities (_ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust,_ and _a sense of security_) when selecting a CC provider. Consequently, in recent years, Montenegrin SMEs have been using cloud services from various cloud service providers (RQ4), primarily guided by their specific organizational requirements and the providers' ability to meet those demands effectively. Finally, it is essential to emphasize that these four factors have significantly increased SMEs' awareness of the necessity of using CC services to achieve and maintain competitiveness in the market. Awareness of the negative impact of cyber threats on business continuity has driven SMEs to respond effectively to this modern challenge.