Seven Reasons to Back Up Microsoft 365 Data
Businesses are increasingly reliant on cloud services and there are good reasons for that. The flexibility, convenience and financial benefits of cloud, as well as the ease of adoption mean that organisations and users can benefit from new solutions and systems at the touch of a button.
It’s always been clear that on site servers needed to be backed up.. now those services are in the cloud and you still need to back them up!
Why should you back up Microsoft 365 data? and Why isn’t Microsoft 365 enough on its own?
Accidental deletion
It happens. A user sits down and accidentally deletes a folder with critical documents in it. It could occur for any number of reasons—the person doesn’t realise the contents within a folder are shared with others or they may have nested folders within others. Perhaps they decide to delete old emails, not realizing one day they’ll need critical information from months or even years ago.
In addition, in the Business Standard edition of Microsoft 365, the recycle bin deletes once every 14 days by default, although the administrator can set it to 30 days. If someone deletes information and it isn’t caught quickly, they may be unable to retrieve the information. Having a supplemental backup in place can help you prevent these issues and save your business from huge problems down the line.
Retention gaps
Microsoft retains email data as long as the user is active. But lets face it—many people won’t want to continue paying for a subscription after an employee leaves or is let go. This could lead to the company losing important information or intellectual property stored within emails.
Of course, you can always share mailboxes before an employee leaves. However, this can get complicated as it relies on communication that an employee is leaving and is prone to error. Why take a chance? Our 365 backup retains Microsoft 365 Exchange data for seven years so you don’t have to worry about missing data when an employee walks out the door.
Insider threats
We all want to assume people have the best of intentions. And most employees are on the level. However, sometimes even good employees can turn bad.
For instance, someone may fall out with their employer for a bad review and decide to delete critical data in retaliation. If they do it and quietly wait out the 14- or 30-day retention period (assuming the company uses the Business Standard edition), that data will be gone for good.
Sabotage may be rare but it’s a risk for which you should account for.
External threats
Of course, malicious insiders aren’t the only threat—outsider threats are common as well. Weak passwords in particular could lead to real challenges. For example, your end users may reuse passwords across accounts. If they have a username and password combo that has been breached before, then criminals may be able to find a match and break into an employee’s Microsoft 365 account and steal or delete data.
Another possibility involves spreading keylogging malware on someone’s computer, then figuring out which keystrokes were usernames and passwords. Either way, passwords can be a weak link that lets people break into Microsoft 365 accounts.
Cloud-based apps like Microsoft 365 are high-value targets for cybercriminals. Finding ways to take over user accounts or victimize users can be a lucrative goal for cybercriminals. Whether phishing attacks aimed to push malware or account takeovers via stolen or hacked customer credentials, cybercriminals increasingly target users of cloud services. For that reason, having a strong backup is crucial for protecting their data.
Legal and compliance reasons
As you’re probably aware, many compliance regulations set rules around the amount of time you have to retain data. For example, companies in the healthcare industry may have specific data retention requirements.
Without a backup, you may unintentionally be in violation of these policies and fail to meet important requirements.
Customer experience
Data loss can be catastrophic for businesses whether it’s loss of customer information, financial data, or important intellectual property. By having your own backup, you have greater control over recovery in the event of a data loss incident. This provides far greater peace of mind, knowing that you are not reliant upon a single provider.
Cost savings
There are plenty of reasons why someone may want to go beyond the Business Standard edition of Microsoft 365, including gaining more features and applications. However, some businesses may be unable to and will remain with the Business Standard edition. By backing up your Microsoft 365 data, you can offer your customers the benefit of additional data protection and long-term retention for Microsoft 365 data if budget is a concern.
If you’re unsure whether you have a full backup of your cloud systems and data, or you would just like further information on any of the above please do contact us today on 01493 801801 or advice@csscloud.co.uk
