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"<p>Data is under attack, and cybercriminals are on a streak.\nThe global average cost of a data breach is now $4.35 million, hitting a new\nhigh in 2022. With the figure expected to reach $5 million per incident in\n2023, data security requires more concerted efforts than ever. </p><p>Businesses use software applications, such as Microsoft 365,\nto digitize their operations, but these applications are the primary targets of\ncyberattackers. Therefore, comprehensive and effective data security must begin\nwith effective backup and recovery of the data these applications use and\ntransfer. </p><p>This article explains how you — as an MSP — can safely back\nup your clients’ Microsoft 365 data when fulfilling your primary security\nresponsibilities. </p><h2><span>Why back up Microsoft\n365?</span></h2><p>Microsoft 365 tools store and process a vast amount of\nsensitive data, such as email messages, documents, spreadsheets, presentations\nand files. However, these solutions are not fool-proof. Aside from\ncyberattacks, data loss can also occur due to accidental or malicious deletions,\ncloud or data center disruptions, plugin and application conflicts, and other\nerrors. In light of such eventualities, you need a third-party&nbsp;<a href=\"/products/cyber-protect/backup/\" rel=\"\">backup solution</a>&nbsp;that makes up for the four Microsoft 365 limitations reviewed below. </p><h3><span>Limited retention\nperiod </span></h3><p>Microsoft 365’s retention window is 30 to 90 days. This can be a\nproblem if you need to recover data that does not fall within this timeframe.\nAdditionally, suppose you manually remove data from the Recoverable Items\nfolder or hard-delete a file. In this case, the data is permanently gone unless\nyou subscribe to eDiscovery, a plan designed to retain data for use as evidence\nstrictly in legal cases. </p><h3><span>Limited recovery\noptions </span></h3><p>Microsoft 365's built-in recovery options are limited and\nmay not recover all data types. For example, under the basic recovery options,\nyou can restore accidentally deleted emails via the Deleted Items tab. But this\nonly works for recently deleted files, not long-deleted files, compromised\nmailboxes, or failed migrations.</p><h3><span>OneDrive weakness </span></h3><p>Although OneDrive is cloud storage, it stores synchronized\ncopies of Microsoft 365 data. This means that when data is corrupted on your local\ndevice, any data on the OneDrive cloud is automatically infected as well.\nAdditionally, Microsoft 365 does not follow the&nbsp;<a href=\"/blog/posts/backup-rule/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3-2-1 backup rule</a>&nbsp;where you have three\nseparate backups stored on two media carriers and one off-site. Instead, any\nbackup data is stored along with the source data, making your backups\nvulnerable to the exact same threats as the source data.</p><h3><span>Security risks and\ncompliance requirements </span></h3><p>Microsoft 365 operates via a shared responsibility model when it\ncomes to data security which requires users to provide additional security for\ntheir data. Any clients in heavily regulated industries also have compliance\nrequirements that mandate data retention for years. Therefore, relying solely\non the M365 retention window is a violation and could lead to sanctions. </p><h2><span>The benefits of a\nthird-party backup solution </span></h2><p>Since third-party services are more efficient than built-in&nbsp;<a href=\"/blog/posts/microsoft-365-backup/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft 365 backup</a>&nbsp;tools, you and your clients will gain the following three benefits\nfrom using them. </p><p><b>1. Added\ncybersecurity features</b></p><p>Third-party backup solutions provide added cybersecurity\nfeatures such as advanced encryption and security protocols, multifactor\nauthentication, and access controls. These add another layer of protection to\nyour data and minimize the possibility of syncing a corrupted file to OneDrive.\nBut not all “third-party solutions,” including Acronis’, provide additional\nsecurity features automatically. MSPs can, however, add additional protections\nfor complete protection — such as the Advanced Email Security pack for Acronis\nCyber Protect Cloud.</p><p><b>2. Cost efficiency</b></p><p>Since Microsoft 365's built-in backup features do not suffice for\nmany clients, they may be forced to develop in-house backup infrastructures,\nwhich are costly to develop and maintain. However, third-party backup solutions\ncan provide more robust&nbsp;<a href=\"/blog/posts/data-backup/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">data backup</a>, reducing this cost. Furthermore, many\nthird-party solutions operate on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing your clients\nto pay only for the features they need.&nbsp;\nHowever, the flexible licensing model on the Acronis Microsoft 365 solution is\nvery attractive.</p><p><b>3. Native cloud\nfailure protection</b></p><p>If OneDrive goes offline, you will lose access to your data\nuntil the service is back up and running. Third-party backup solutions, on the\nother hand, save data in multiple cloud locations, minimizing the potential for\ndata loss. So, even if one cloud experiences downtime, you will still be able\nto get to your data via another. Acronis’ Microsoft 365 protection services include ALL\nstorage. Basic Microsoft OneDrive includes up to 100 GB of data, and it is\nexpandable beyond that.</p><p>How to back up Microsoft 365 for your client</p><p>You should first make sure your organization is using a good\nbackup solution. How do you know if a third-party backup solution is “good”?\nCheck for these three things: </p><p>●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Harmonized\nstorage and accessibility:</b> The solution must keep all of your clients’\nbusiness data — emails\nin Outlook, OneDrive files and many more —\nin a secure cloud; it must also guarantee accessibility at all times. </p><p>●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Ease\nof use:</b> Choose a tool that lets you configure backup settings easily and\nhas a friendly UI. You can dig around for customer reviews or check popular\nproduct review websites like G2. </p><p>●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Backup\nrestores:</b> Use a tool where you can regularly test backup restores to ensure\nyou can restore backed-up data anytime. It is also important to choose a tool\nwith the flexibility to recover an entire mailbox or individual email messages,\nas well as recover either your entire OneDrive backup or individual files and\nfolders within. </p><h4><span>Conclusion</span></h4><p>First, Microsoft 365 protection in Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is\nnot only backup. The Advanced Backup pack for Microsoft 365 delivers superior additional\nfeatures and functionality such as Group Management and more. And Acronis' Advanced\nEmail Security performs significant inbound and outbound scanning, among other\nsecurity checks. Not only this, it provides enhanced features to support the\nmost important email traffic and compliance requirements. </p><p>For comprehensive backup of your clients’ Microsoft 365 data, you\nneed a specialized backup solution like&nbsp;<a href=\"/products/cloud/cyber-protect/\" rel=\"\">Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud</a>, which offers a win-win situation: It protects your\nclients' Microsoft 365 data. Plus, it enables quick data recovery in the event\nof accidental or intentional data loss, increasing your clients’ confidence in\nyour security solutions and services. </p><p>Request a demo or try Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud today.</p>"
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