Microsoft 365’s advanced services have so many features that most of the time, we don’t realize that some of them aren’t actually part of the package.
For example: do you have control of your data in the Office suite?
It may seem like a strange question, as it is such a popular tool on the market that it offers great service to its customers. However, Microsoft delegates responsibility for the data to you, and it is dangerous to trust Microsoft to take responsibility for the complete storage of your files and applications.
As much as Office 365 brings numerous business benefits, it’s fearful not to have a backup as a priority. Disastrous consequences can ensue if the matter is not given due attention.
How Backup for Microsoft 365 Works
Backup is the backup of all data on the network that can be restored at any time, even in case of loss, accident or system corruption.
When it comes to Office 365 storage, there are few solutions on the market that work in a more comprehensive way. That’s because backup providers focus data protection efforts on more common Office applications, such as Sharepoint, Exchange Online and OneDrive.
As it is a platform with many programs, Microsoft 365 applications such as Planner or Yammer are not covered with specific backup systems. That is, the backup does not happen in its entirety, leaving out important Office features.
The problem lies in the perception of Microsoft and the user’s responsibility for the long-term retention and protection of Office 365 data. In other words, what the platform actually offers is what we call geographic redundancy, which can be confused with backup.
We explain: the office package provides the standard precautions, that is, it protects against hardware or website failures. If there is some kind of infrastructure failure, the user is not even aware and continues working normally, while the backup creates a copy of data that is stored elsewhere.
In this way, Microsoft 365 fills in some gaps in terms of data protection, but does not fully address issues of storage, security, and retrieval of files and information.
But is backup really necessary?
Many businesses, for fear of increasing their costs, end up not hiring backup services, using only the resources available in Microsoft 365. In fact, Office provides uptime and availability of applications, ensuring that users do not lose time in case of systems stop.
This, however, is not a substitute for backup, which protects against important security threats.
Here are some possibilities that are covered with storage:
accidental deletion
In a network, the accidental deletion of data harms the work of the entire organization. It turns out that the native recycle bins and histories of Office 365 versions are limited in their protection against data loss, turning recovery, which could be simple with a backup, into a major problem.
And there’s more: the obstacle can increase after the exclusion of data with geographical redundancy.
Internal security threats
Hackers and viruses aren’t the only ones attacking the security of computer networks. Insider threats are just as dangerous, happening more often than you might think.
In this sense, employees themselves put organizations in danger, intentionally or not. Downloading malicious files, entering names and passwords on suspicious websites, or even falsifying evidence, such as deleting important files that serve as legal evidence, are considered insider threats. Microsoft cannot differentiate whether the acts were committed by the employee, by a fired employee or by a visitor who was using the corporate network.
External security threats
Viruses, malware, phishing and ransomware cause serious damage to businesses, threatening the privacy and data security of the organization, user and customers.
They can happen in several ways, mainly in the sending of malicious items by email, such as files and links, when opened they infect the entire network, leaving bank accounts, sensitive data and all kinds of confidential information vulnerable.
Office 365 has limited recovery functions and is unsuitable for handling more serious threats.
How to implement backup in companies?
Without a doubt, frequent backups help keep a separate, uninfected copy of your data, making it the right solution for any type and size of business. Storage retrieves data and applications from company servers by placing them on a remote server.
Thus, the information is available for use at any time, even in case of system failure, unavailability or natural disaster.
