Professionals and consumers are both familiar with the significance of Microsoft 365. There are over 300 million commercial users of Microsoft 365 today, and the number is growing with time. But is all the data protected?
The services and suite of applications that comprise Microsoft 365 today include some popular tools like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. There are also the cloud-based collaboration tools SharePoint Online, messaging app Exchange Online, the cloud-based file storage application OneDrive for Business, and beyond.
When there is such widespread use of such solutions, it is essential to know whether Microsoft’s native tools support recovery and backup at all or not. And if they do so, to what extent. Let’s explore what Microsoft offers and why small to medium-sized enterprises and businesses are considering third-party backup tools.
Is Your Data Secure?
Whenever you leverage the power of cloud solutions, the most appealing feature is having access to your data anywhere and anytime. For instance, if you load a document to Microsoft SharePoint, your colleagues can edit it or give feedback remotely.
The ease of access is undoubtedly a benefit for the teams, but the security of the data in this scenario can keep business managers and IT pros up at night. Microsoft does have a robust reputation for the high availability of Microsoft 365 apps and infrastructure; it rejects the responsibility of compliance requirements or protecting the customer data.
It means there are higher chances of data loss. Whether a folder is emptied by the malicious actions of a rogue employee, a system-wide ransomware attack, or one email deleted by human error. These will stop the day-to-day operations.
Without a third-party backup solution in place, systems will be unprotected and begging for trouble. As soon as the disaster strikes, all the critical emails and documents will be gone for good.
Is Your Data Backed Up?
Backup is the key to averting disaster. It helps to keep your data safe and be able to recover essential files and documents quickly. When it comes to protecting business data in your own system or application, one thinks of a vendor as the first line of defense.
However, with Microsoft 365 particularly, there’s no actual backup in place for users, and also, there isn’t any self-service option for recovery. It means that there is a lack of IT control availability to back up Microsoft 365 data reliably.
The Drawbacks to Consider
Saved files in Microsoft 365 link only to version histories. It means that if someone deletes a file, there is no way to go back and retrieve the earlier version; everything is gone. With the backup, you get multiple recovery options. Microsoft 365 doesn’t provide any backup, and this limitation is quite challenging for SharePoint and OneDrive users who have to create multiple drafts or iterations. It is also impossible for a different user to recover a file.
The user controls the recycle bin, and it leaves the door open for users to delete whatever they want to. It means that Microsoft 365 can permanently purge the critical files before an employee leaves an enterprise.
Looking at the data retention policies, they’re limiting and limited. For instance, to retrieve files beyond a specific number of days, particular settings must be in place. The number of days varies and is also not well documented. Retaining data for too long is not only a costly process but can also be a compliance risk. Through Microsoft’s “In Place Archives,” long-term data retention serves as a second storage bin increasing the storage data. Moreover, being able to retrieve older data is also necessary.
Microsoft controls deleting and de-provisioning accounts when they are closed, so data and information access is only permitted for a limited time. It can put you at the risk of violating regulatory retention policies because of the potential data loss through deactivated subscriptions.
Ensure All Systems Are Go
With the enhancing number of third-party adopters, it is quite clear that consumers and business customers of Microsoft know the risks of incomplete backup and value near-and-long term recovery. What Microsoft 365 is delivering by way of stopgaps is not adequate for maintaining business continuity.
Get Third-Party Microsoft 365 Backup
With a third-party cloud-to-cloud backup solution in place, you can regain control of your Microsoft 365 data. And keep your business running smoothly and securely, along with managing unnecessary expenses. With the accurate solution, you get fast access to your data, avoiding any hiccups caused by an everyday human error, a malicious attack, or a rogue employee.
Secure Microsoft 365 Applications and The Data They Hold
Three of the most popular Microsoft applications are OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, and Exchange Online.
- OneDrive for Business
The app makes storing files remotely in the cloud convenient, so you can carry your work with you wherever you go. Moreover, file collaboration and sharing become easy, and you can work offline.
- SharePoint Online
SharePoint Online is a valuable tool for organization-wide file and document collaboration. The tool can become the back-end face of your enterprise too. To mention a few use cases, users can host social media and websites, digital campaigns for cross-team collaboration, and host and share internal Accounting/ Human Resources and other documentation and policies.
- Exchange Online
Microsoft 365 users can retrieve their email on the desktop through Exchange software. The software operates on the server. It means that Exchange hosts data in the form of attachments, task lists, organizational file folders, emails, contacts, calendars, and user groups. In short, all the essential elements for an individual employee apart from running a business efficiently.
While choosing the right third-party solution for your organization, you need to ensure that it protects the apps your business relies on.
Conclusion
For so many businesses and people, Microsoft 365 is the functional lifeline. Without the apps, many organizations would practically stop. Without having a third-party backup in place, that’s what is exactly going to happen.
Save yourself from the hassle and headaches and work freely with a cloud backup solution that makes it convenient to restore what is lost, maintain clean records so that compliance is never at stake, and makes it easy to keep the business running. With Xavor cloud solutions for both businesses and managed service providers, you can.
