Office 365 (Microsoft 365) Cloud Backup Solutions

When we ask a customer if they have remote cloud backup, a common response is, "Yes we have OneDrive" or “Microsoft takes care of it all.”

The misconception that Microsoft fully backs up your data on your behalf is quite common. Microsoft takes care of quite a lot, and provides a great service for their customers, however Microsoft’s primary focus is on managing the Microsoft 365 infrastructure and maintaining uptime to your users.

Microsoft 365 offers geo redundancy, which is often mistaken for backup. Geo redundancy protects against data centre or hardware failure, so if there is an infrastructure crash or outage, users will remain productive and often oblivious to these underlying issues.

7 Reasons Why Backing up Microsoft 365 is Critical

1. Unintentional Deletion.

2. Lack of Clarity and/or Gaps in Data Retention Policies.

3. Internal security threats.

4. External security threats.

5. Legal and compliance obligations.

6. Email Deployments and Migrations to Microsoft 365.

7. Data Architecture of Microsoft Teams.

1. Unintentional Deletion

Human mistakes are inevitable, and there are a lot of instances where human errors are responsible for the accidental deletion of data. OneDrive comes in handy in such cases to retrieve important data. However, if the deleted data is not discovered within the OneDrive 90 day retention period, the data is completely lost.

Also, if you delete an employee's account by accident or on purpose, that deletion happens everywhere across the company's Microsoft domain. It also deletes their OneDrive for Business account and mailbox. Without a backup, all that data can be lost.

In Microsoft 365, there are two types of deletions: soft delete and hard delete. Soft delete is when you empty the "Deleted Items" folder. It's also called "Permanently Deleted," but it's not really permanent because the item can still be found in the "Recoverable Items" folder. A hard delete is when an item is completely removed from the mailbox database and can't be recovered at all.

2. Lack of Clarity and/or Gaps in Data Retention Policies

Retention policies basically determine how long Microsoft stores data before it is removed permanently. These policies are designed to help control the growing size of data stored within each tenant so that the data allowance is not reached quickly. However, Microsoft has different data retention policies for different services like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, etc. It can be challenging to keep up with all of them , let alone manage effectively.

While Microsoft 365 offers features like hard and soft delete, it has limited backup and retention policies designed primarily to address situational data loss, rather than serving as a comprehensive backup solution. It's important to note that Microsoft does not provide a point-in-time restoration of data or mailbox items.

In the event of a catastrophic issue, a backup solution becomes crucial as it enables you to revert to a previous point-in-time before the problem occurred, ultimately saving the day. By utilizing a Microsoft 365 backup solution, you can eliminate any gaps in retention policies and avoid inflexible restoration processes. Whether you require short-term backups or long-term archives, granular or point-in-time restores; with a robust backup solution, everything you need is readily accessible, ensuring swift, effortless, and reliable data recovery.

3. Internal security threats

When considering security threats, we often associated this with hackers and viruses. However, it is important to recognize that threats can also originate from within organizations and occur more frequently than one might expect. Both intentional and unintentional actions by employees pose risks to businesses. The rapid changes in user access privileges make it challenging to monitor individuals in whom significant trust has been placed. Differentiating between a regular user and a terminated employee who may attempt to delete crucial company data before their departure is a difficult task for Microsoft or any other organization. Furthermore, some users unknowingly introduce serious threats by downloading infected files or inadvertently disclosing usernames and passwords to seemingly trustworthy websites. Another concerning scenario is evidence tampering, wherein an employee strategically deletes incriminating emails or files, thus preventing the legal, compliance, or HR departments from accessing these materials.

4. External security threats

The impact caused by malware and viruses, such as ransomware, has been significant for organizations worldwide. The repercussions extend beyond just the reputation of companies, posing a threat to the privacy and security of both internal and customer data. External threats often infiltrate systems through deceptive emails and attachments, making it challenging to rely solely on user education to identify them, especially when infected messages appear highly convincing.

Unfortunately, Exchange (mailbox) Online's backup and recovery capabilities are insufficient when it comes to dealing with severe attacks. In order to safeguard your data effectively and enable swift recovery, it is crucial to implement regular backups. This practice ensures the existence of an uncontaminated copy of your data, enabling you to restore it promptly in the event of an attack.

5. Legal and compliance obligations

There may come a time when you find yourself unexpectedly needing to retrieve crucial data such as emails, files, or other information during legal proceedings. It's a situation that you never anticipate until it actually happens to you. While Microsoft offers some built-in safeguards like litigation hold and retention, relying solely on these features is not a comprehensive backup solution that can fully protect your company from legal troubles.

By implementing a robust backup solution, you gain an added layer of security. Even if you accidentally delete emails or documents before initiating a legal hold, you can still retrieve them, ensuring that you fulfill your legal obligations. It's essential to recognize that legal requirements, compliance standards, and access regulations vary across industries and countries. However, regardless of these variations, one thing remains constant: fines, penalties, and legal disputes are burdensome issues that you simply cannot afford to have on your already overflowing to-do list.

6. Hybrid Email Deployments and Migrations to Microsoft 365

Organizations that choose to implement Microsoft 365 often require a transitional period to smoothly shift from on-premises Exchange to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online. Some organizations may even opt to retain a portion of their legacy system to maintain flexibility and additional control. These hybrid email deployments are prevalent but come with additional management complexities. An effective backup solution for Microsoft 365 should be capable of handling hybrid email deployments and treat Exchange data uniformly, regardless of its source location. Furthermore, the solution should provide the flexibility to store data anywhere of your preference, be it on-premises, in cloud object storage like AWS S3 or Azure Blob, or with a managed service provider.

7. Data Architecture of Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is experiencing a remarkable surge in adoption and growth, fueled by the rise of remote working. It has become the focal point of our productivity, serving as the hub for various Microsoft 365 services, including SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. By integrating these services into a unified user interface, Teams enables agile, real-time collaboration and communication. However, safeguarding the data in these locations is just one aspect of comprehensive protection. The settings, configurations, and membership within Teams also require robust protection and recoverability measures. To ensure holistic safeguarding, a dedicated backup solution is essential, as it can not only secure the data but also protect these settings and their interconnectedness across different applications.

You already made a smart business decision by deploying Microsoft 365, now find a backup solution that offers you both complete access and complete control of your Microsoft 365 data and avoid the unnecessary risks of data loss.

Don’t have the resources to backup and manage your Microsoft 365 environment? Consider leveraging Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) with a Managed Service Provider who has the expertise and ability to quickly implement a solution.