10 Critical Reasons to Backup Microsoft 365 Data Immediately!

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Microsoft 365 has become an essential tool for workplace productivity, with over a million organizations relying on its suite of applications to manage everything from emails to collaboration documents. However, with the widespread adoption of MS365 comes an increased risk of data loss. Statistics show that nearly 70% of businesses close within a year of experiencing significant data loss, with the global average cost of a data breach being around $4.45 million. Despite its robust infrastructure, Microsoft’s responsibility doesn’t extend to backing up your data. According to their services agreement, the responsibility of ensuring data security falls on the user, with Microsoft advising the use of third-party cloud backup solutions. As highlighted in their Services Agreement (Section 6. b): “We strive to keep the Services up and running; however, all online services suffer occasional disruptions and outages, and Microsoft is not liable for any disruption or loss you may suffer as a result. In the event of an outage, you may not be able to retrieve Your Content or Data that you’ve stored. We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services." Given this, IT administrators must take proactive steps to back up their organization's MS365 data to avoid any disruptions that could lead to significant business impact. This article explores the critical reasons why admins should prioritize backing up MS365 data. 

Human error is the leading cause of data loss within organizations. Whether it’s accidentally deleting files or intentional sabotage by a disgruntled employee, the consequences can be dire. According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 68% of data breaches involved a non-malicious human element. For example, an employee might unintentionally delete critical documents on OneDrive while managing storage or removing duplicates. Without a reliable backup solution, these files could be lost permanently. In the case of malicious intent, the impact can be even more severe. A comprehensive Microsoft 365 backup solution ensures that multiple versions of files are recoverable, minimizing disruption to operations. 

In January 2024, Microsoft disclosed a significant security breach by Russian state-backed hackers, known as Midnight Blizzard, who compromised the company’s network in November 2023. This breach allowed the hackers to access emails and documents of senior executives and employees in security and legal teams. Although Microsoft stated that customer environments were not affected, the incident underscores the importance of robust security practices, including regular backups of Microsoft 365 data to mitigate the risks of ransomware and other cyberattacks.

Third-party apps integrated with Microsoft 365 can pose significant security risks. These apps often require extensive permissions to access data, and if compromised, they can serve as a gateway for cybercriminals. A study revealed that 67% of apps connected to Microsoft 365 have high-risk permissions, potentially leading to data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive information. Regular backups of Microsoft 365 data are essential to mitigate these risks and ensure business continuity. 

Microsoft 365's flexibility allows users to access their accounts across multiple devices, which enhances productivity but also introduces security risks. If a device is lost or stolen, unauthorized individuals could gain access to sensitive business data. According to Forrester Research's 2023 State of Data Security report, lost or stolen devices contribute to 17% of data breach incidents. Without a proper backup solution for Microsoft 365, any data deletion from these compromised devices could result in permanent data loss, putting your organization at significant risk. 

There are several options in Microsoft Outlook to back up emails: email forwarding, email export, and auto-archiving using IMAP settings. Even though you can use any of these features to back up your emails, you have to go through the tedious task of setting it up – which might include a lot of steps – and even manually enabling the backup every single day if you are using the export option.

Given the risks of data loss from accidental overwrites, deletions, and other scenarios mentioned, relying solely on native Microsoft 365 retention tools may not be enough. A third-party backup solution like SysCloud provides comprehensive protection by securely backing up all essential Microsoft 365 apps, including Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint. SysCloud leverages Amazon Web Services (AWS) for fully automated cloud-to-cloud backups, ensuring that administrators can easily recover data, protect against ransomware, and maintain compliance.

Learn more about SysCloud backup for Microsoft 365. "

Watch this video to learn how SysCloud’s Microsoft 365 Backup works.