Microsoft 365 seems to be a safe and reliable option for many organisations. Once all your data is in the cloud, the assumption is that a backup is no longer necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is very important that you continue to protect your data. Because all your data is your responsibility. Tech-Wales explains the importance of a Microsoft 365 backup.
Microsoft and your data
Microsoft is a globally known company that offers a wide range of products and services. One of Microsoft’s most popular productivity apps is MS 365, which is used by many businesses and individuals around the world.
It offers numerous benefits, such as easy access to documents from any device and improved collaboration between colleagues. However, it’s important to realise that Microsoft is primarily focused on managing the Office 365 infrastructure and is not responsible for protecting your data.
While Microsoft makes every effort to keep their customers’ data safe, it is the user’s responsibility to ensure that their data is protected. For example, Microsoft ensures that there is a copy of the data in a second data center at a separate location.
This way, continuity is assured if a failure occurs at the first location. Microsoft also offers short-term protection against user and administrator errors through an additional recycle bin. Deleted data can be stored for 30 days and can be retrieved if necessary.
The importance of a backup
It’s important to realise that Microsoft security measures do not guarantee that your data is completely protected. Companies often have the misconception that Microsoft provides a full backup of their data, but that is not the case.
For example, if a file is accidentally deleted or there is a malicious attack on your data, Microsoft will not provide any protection. If your data becomes infected on your own device, it can also affect the copy in Microsoft data centers.
It is therefore very important that you protect your data against possible loss. If you do not back up your data, there is a chance that it will be accidentally deleted or compromised by an external party.
What can go wrong if you don’t have a backup of your data?
Although many people think that all their data is safe in the cloud, this is not always the case. There are various possibilities that can cause you to lose files. Below we describe some of the most common causes of data loss.
Delete your data
If you work with Microsoft, they store your data in two different data centers. While this may seem like an extra safety measure, this is not the case. When you delete a file, it disappears from both locations.
You do have the recycle bin, which keeps your files for 30 days after deletion. For each file you also have the version history, which can provide temporary relief, but this is only temporary. Once the period has expired, your data is truly gone.
Storage limitations
Within Microsoft 365 there are different policies for data retention. The retention of this data is also subject to a fixed period, usually 90 days. So you are partly protected against data loss in the first 90 days, if you need this data.
Do you still need the data after these 90 days, but you don’t have a backup? Then the data will unfortunately disappear completely.
External threats such as hackers, malware and viruses
Nowadays it is a problem that we can no longer ignore. There are many hackers who keep trying to steal information. Although much is filtered by modern technologies and spam filters, there is still an outside threat.
Malware and viruses can also cause serious damage. For example, this could cause a major data breach, which could be harmful to your customers, your company and your reputation. They can often arrive unnoticed via an email or an infected file. If you don’t make backups of all your data, it is very difficult to turn back the clock.
Your entire Microsoft cloud
With the Microsoft 365 total solution, all data is connected. You can easily share data via Teams, SharePoint or OneDrive. These unique online connections make life very easy in this digital age. Especially for companies and employees who work from home, these are powerful tools that can increase efficiency.
That’s why it’s important to provide a complete cloud backup to protect the security of your data. It provides a secure environment for both business and private users of the Office 365 services.
Avoid data loss
As you can see, there are a lot of risks of data loss when you rely on a cloud. Although you may feel that your data is being kept, there is still the possibility of it being lost due to various causes such as accident, negligence or attack.
When you store sensitive data in your cloud, it is very important that you protect your data. With a backup of your Microsoft 365 data, you are always safe and prepared for possible data loss.
Tech-Wales backup solutions
At Tech-Wales we offer excellent business backup solutions. We also offer Datto Backup and Disaster Recovery to ensure your valuable documents and data is safe. Should you suffer data loss we also offer data recovery solutions. Contact us today on 01639 326001 to discuss your backup options.