In times of crisis, malicious people take advantage of other people's fear and uncertainty because they know that they are focused on what is happening in the world and are a little careless about Internet security. This is why during the pandemic there was an increase in cyber attacks, especially phishing and other social engineering threats that depend on user action to release malware.
COVID-19 also exposed new security vulnerabilities as millions of companies had to provide remote work environments without the appropriate security infrastructure. With employees having to access confidential company resources outside the firewall, most often via VPN, and many of them not using company equipment, the attack area became much larger overnight.
Now that the dust has settled and companies are looking for the best way forward, one of the first steps is to tighten the grip on the security of their Office 365 data. Working in the new normal for companies is already quite challenging and everything they What they don't need is a security breach or a ransomware attack.
As a leader in the business applications-as-a-service market, Office 365 is great for taking care of infrastructure, but it's up to you to protect your data. Microsoft offers Office 365 under a shared responsibility model, which means it is responsible for operating the platform, but it is up to each user to prevent data loss.
If you believe that your data protection plan is not enough to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, then it is time to reevaluate this process. Consider the following four fundamental points when creating an Office 365 data protection strategy.
1. Invest in a long-term retention solution
Long-term data retention is crucial in the event of a major system outage, but Office 365 wasn't designed with this feature in mind.
For example, Office 365 only retains items in the trash for 90 days. If the trash is emptied, the items cannot be recovered. Office 365 also does not offer the feature of point recovery, which further complicates data restoration. Without this feature, your most current data will be from your most recent backup.
Investing in a long-term data retention solution that offers granular recovery from any point and rapid restore to Office 365 will give you peace of mind that your data will not be lost in the event of a system crash.
2. Use a third-party data protection solution
Microsoft's shared responsibility model puts the burden of protecting Office 365 data on the user. To protect critical assets from a range of threats such as ransomware and phishing, intentional file deletion, human error and software bugs, you need a data protection solution from an expert.
When considering an Office 365 data protection solution, make sure it has the latest security technology, such as AI-powered cyber protection and offsite or cloud backup for disaster recovery.
Choose an Office 365 data protection tool that offers comprehensive protection for all Office 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business, as well as all other physical, virtual, and cloud workloads.
3. Mitigate legal risks and maintain compliance
No one wants to be on the wrong side of a compliance audit. The loss and exposure of user data can cost companies an exorbitant amount of money in fines and legal fees, not to mention damage to reputation and trust, which can seriously affect a company's revenue.
The Office 365 Litigation Retention feature can be used to retain data for a period of time for verification purposes, but it does not provide protection against potential legal consequences for lost or misplaced data.
This feature should never replace data backup. Your third-party data protection solution needs to be the main line of defense to maintain compliance and protect data against breaches that could lead to fines or damages.
Look for a data protection solution that offers built-in auditing and compliance features, like AES encryption and strong identity and access management capabilities (see more on this below).
4. Make access control a priority
The United States Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency recently published a list of recommendations for Office 365 protection cyber counterattacks.
According to the report, access management is critical to keeping the Office 365 environment secure. One of the most common access-related vulnerabilities is overprivileged users with access to sensitive data they shouldn't have, and unsecured administrator accounts that create weak points for intrusion.
All it takes is a poorly protected account or an accidental click on a malicious link for an attacker to enter the system. When an attacker finds an unprotected, privileged account, they can access essential applications, and this will almost certainly have a negative impact on the company.
Implementing an Office 365 data protection solution that offers a unified management console, role-based access control and administration will add an extra layer of protection between your sensitive digital assets and potential security threats.
Protect Office 365 from data loss and downtime
Office 365 is today a market-leading commercial SaaS solution. With hundreds of millions of users, it's no wonder it has become a top target for bad actors. Protecting your Office 365 infrastructure should be a priority to avoid data loss and costly recovery operations.
Requesting help from a solution provider with decades of experience and focus on protecting Office 365 data will increase security and minimize your company's attack surface. A trusted provider can ensure that your data loss prevention and disaster recovery initiatives are fully effective.
