As companies increasingly move data into cloud-based applications, many IT teams wrongly assume their SaaS vendors have a backup in place. After all, a SaaS application is always available, accessible from anywhere, and highly redundant, so why is a backup needed? An astonishing one in three businesses report losing data stored in cloud-based applications. In addition, out of all MSP reported SaaS ransomware attacks, 49% occurred in Office 365, up 17% from last year. Not only can the loss of the data itself be devastating to a company, but the time lost in attempting a recovery can be equally damaging. The truth is that even data in cloud-based applications is vulnerable to:
- End-user deletion, whether accidental or malicious.
- Malware damage or ransomware attacks.
- Operational errors such as accidental data overwrites.
- Lost data due to canceled user licenses.
- Misconfigured application workflows.
With more and more businesses moving to Office 365 to run their daily operations, these risks are impossible to ignore. While Office 365 does include primitive restore capabilities for lost data,
two major issues arise when using their tools: lost data and lost time. An independent data backup separated from the app itself is necessary to avoid the most common data loss pitfalls.
- Data loss due to inactive licenses: As one would expect, an active Office 365 license is required to access data. Unfortunately, inactive or deprovisioned user data is permanently deleted, and there is no rollback option. (Sorry!)
- Data loss due to permanent deletion: When a SharePoint Online administrator deletes a site collection, all data will be placed in the Recycle Bin where it is kept for 93 days. At that time it is automatically and permanently deleted, and there is no rollback option.
- Data loss due to ransomware: Microsoft recommends 3rd party backup as the only way to recover from data loss associated with ransomware encryption.
- Data loss due to app outages: Uptime guarantees provide peace of mind… until an app outage occurs. Planning for the unexpected is key to recovering quickly should an outage occur.
- Time lost in restoring files: Contacting Microsoft Support for assistance with any data loss issue can be time consuming, and still may not result in restored files.
Why SaaS Protection? Three words…trusted, available backup! Backups can include daily snapshots of each users data, allowing you to browse through a user’s account at a specific point in time. Additionally, avoid data loss from ransomware by restoring entire accounts to a designated point in time before an attack occurred. Backup approaches can also perform additional backups as needed at any time, for example, by running an on-demand backup that will not affect regularly scheduled backups. A solid data backup strategy can protect your SaaS data from harm – keeping your office running smoothly and safely in Office 365.
Ready to learn more about protecting your valuable business data from accidents or malicious acts? For more information on SaaS protection for your Office 365, contact CompuData! We’re a trusted Datto partner with the expertise to automate and secure your data backup in the cloud!
