Doing business in the cloud makes sense. Organizations with Microsoft 365 can access their data anytime, anywhere, easily collaborating across distance. But security threats and compliance requirements raise the bar for data protection. Native backup tools help. However, the need for flexibility and precision makes a third-party Microsoft 365 backup crucial.
Have you encountered any of the following situations? A disgruntled employee deletes or modifies important files. Complex privacy regulations each mandate a different retention period. Or an employee falls victim to phishing, surrendering their credentials to hackers and exposing thousands of files to data breach.
A popular misconception suggests that migrating to the cloud lessens the need for comprehensive backups. However, while Microsoft does take steps to protect the infrastructure, the customer retains primary responsibility for securing its data. So this year, as we celebrate World Backup Day, make protecting your Microsoft 365 data a priority.
Limitations of Native Options Make Third-party Microsoft 365 Backup Crucial
Microsoft provides important data redundancy by mirroring business data in at least two locations. Additionally, Microsoft retains deleted emails for 30 days and deleted SharePoint files for 90 days. A Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 subscription does allow for more advanced data retention policies, but these subscriptions come at significant cost.
Microsoft 365 tools do a great job at making data accessible and promoting collaboration. And Microsoft takes its security responsibility seriously. Version history, recycle bins, and retention policies help. However, native backup and recovery services within Microsoft 365 have significant limitations.
For instance, in many cases businesses do not discover data loss until well beyond Microsoft’s standard 90-day retention period. And restoring data can prove cumbersome, offering little granularity and limited point-in-time restoration. Microsoft will typically restore a SharePoint site or mailbox upon request, but this will take a long time and overwrite existing data.
What About the Upcoming Microsoft 365 Backup Solution?
At Inspire in July 2023, Microsoft announced that it had begun developing Microsoft 365 Backup and Microsoft 365 Archive. Now in preview, Microsoft 365 Backup promises substantial improvement over existing data redundancy and retention features.
For instance, the new backup solution will:
- Allow Microsoft 365 customers to back up selected SharePoint sites, Exchange mailboxes, and OneDrive accounts.
- Provide full restore of specified SharePoint and OneDrive accounts to a specific point in time. In the future, Microsoft promises greater granularity when restoring sites and files.
- Full restores of Exchange mailboxes, as well as more granular restores using Search.
- Allow customers to filter content in backups using metadata. That is, customers can filter items based on owner, item or site name, or certain events within a date range.
- Restore data in hours instead of weeks or months.
While this is encouraging news, Microsoft acknowledges ongoing limitations and continues to promote backup solutions from its partners. While the Microsoft 365 Backup represents a leap forward for native backup capabilities, it still provides fairly basic features. Additionally, it does not cover data outside of SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange.
Essential Components of a Successful Backup Strategy
When determining the right backup solution for your business, first take note of your data landscape, including what data needs to be backed up and where it lives. Then look for a multi-platform solution that handles all the operating systems and applications in your environment.
Additionally, know the requirements imposed by industry regulations and applicable legislation such as HIPAA or state privacy laws. Ensure that the solution provides necessary encryption and other security and compliance options to satisfy those requirements. Then, when choosing a backup provider, look for key capabilities such as automation, monitoring, and reporting.
Flexible, Agile, Reliable Backups with eCare Cloud Backup
eCare Cloud Backup from eMazzanti provides comprehensive data protection and stress-free data recovery. Customers benefit from automated backups up to six times each day. An intuitive interface and advanced search features speed data restoration, while robust security measures keep data safe and compliant.
To learn more about eCare Cloud Backup, superior cyber security, network management, and other critical IT services, contact eMazzanti Technologies.
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