Shield Your Business from These 4 Microsoft 365 Data Loss Threats

An organization’s digital IT assets such as servers, business apps, data storage and more constitute its digital estate, which increasingly exists in cloud environments.

By virtue, this digital estate continues to grow in size, elevating data management complexities. Especially for SaaS solutions, where critical data comes with additional protection responsibilities. According to a TechTarget report, 53 percent of 398 IT professionals at organizations in North America admit having lost SaaS data.

Malicious deletions, accidental deletions by human error and service outages were the top three reasons for data loss as per the report. All of which point to the need for a robust data protection strategy.

While data loss scenarios are a real threat for Microsoft 365 users, there are several protective measures you can take. It starts by understanding the threats closely, evaluating your backup architecture and identifying relevant backup solutions. 

Let’s look at the real data loss threats that can affect your Microsoft 365 data.

1. Data Corruption

Data corruption is one of the most common data loss threats that Microsoft 365 users face. It occurs when data is damaged or altered due to hardware or software failure, power outages or other reasons. This corrupted data can easily enter the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, making it hard to get rid of.

Scenarios that lead to data corruption in Microsoft 365:

• A programming error in an update might inadvertently overwrite critical data
• Network glitches during data transfer can lead to partial writes or data loss
• Hardware failure incidents such as HDD crashes can result in data loss, which have found to account for 67 percent of incidents according to industry research
• Mistakes made during data management or configuration

Data corruption scenarios are tricky to navigate as corrupted files are hard to reinstate to their original form.

2. Accidental Deletion

It is not unusual to have users accidentally delete important files or data, whether due to human error or policy misconfiguration. In the absence of a continuous backup system, accidentally deleted data may become unrecoverable.

Improper versioning or deleting specific versions of a file can also lead to data loss. While organizations need to enforce appropriate access control policies to minimize accidental deletions, the only way to recover deleted data is through a granular backup solution.

3. Ransomware Attack

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common, and Microsoft 365 users are not immune to them.

Ransomware attacks can occur in Microsoft 365 when attackers gain access to valid user account credentials for a tenant and have access to all the files and resources that are permitted to the user account. An attacker without any valid user account credentials would have to decrypt the data at rest that has been encrypted by Microsoft 365 default and enhanced encryption.

The real threat of a ransomware attack lies in its ability to encrypt data backups alongside account data, which can lead to permanent data loss.

4. Improper Backup Strategy

Any backup is useful as long as it is executed at the right time, covers the right amount of data and is available for restoration when needed. If backups are not performed regularly or are not stored in a secure location, they can be lost or stolen. An improper backup strategy is also a growing concern among Microsoft 365 users, as the platform may not account for their unique backup needs.

Even as native backups become available within Microsoft 365 in the coming year, organizations may still face challenges with the granularity of backups, setting up legal holds or configuring external storage. These decisions require the creation of a robust backup strategy that can ensure end-to-end protection.

As this blog demonstrates, Microsoft 365 users need to take action on their data protection and backup measures to immunize against data loss threats.  

Many third-party Microsoft 365 backup solutions are available from CDW and our partners that can help you meet your unique data backup needs around backup security, availability and integrity. Two noteworthy partners who are driving innovation with an extended set of features are Commvault and Dell Apex.

Commvault

Commvault provides a comprehensive data management and backup solution for Microsoft 365. Their solution ensures that as organizations embrace Microsoft 365 for its simplicity and predictability, their data remains secure, compliant and recoverable. Commvault SaaS Backup delivers enterprise-grade protection, aligning seamlessly with the consumption model of the Microsoft 365 suite, offering swift deployments, simplified management and scalability tailored to enterprise needs. This solution can be easily expanded to cover endpoints and other popular applications, including Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Key Offerings

Beyond the basics, Commvault goes a step further to address the nuances of modern threats leveraging advanced AI and multilayered security, capable of meeting the industry’s widely accepted security standards in the cloud. Three core components define their commitment to advanced protection:

• Data isolation: Recognizing the potential impact of malicious attacks on Microsoft 365 production environments, Commvault employs separate and immutable backups. This approach maintains a protected data copy, impervious to tampering, alteration or deletion in the face of a breach.
• Extended retention: While Microsoft provides short-term retention through recycling bins, Commvault emphasizes the need for a comprehensive long-term data retention policy. Their solution eliminates limitations associated with native SaaS backup options, enabling recovery of all active and deleted data in the event of a breach, regardless of its age.
• Rapid recovery: When the time comes to restore critical business data within Microsoft 365, their solution offers fast, flexible and full-fidelity recovery options.

Who is it for?

Commvault's Microsoft 365 backup solution is tailored for businesses of all sizes that are looking for enterprise level protection and a feature-rich data backup solution. The solution is particularly valuable for businesses utilizing various SaaS products as well as a hybrid or multicloud data environments seeking comprehensive data protection, compliance adherence and the ability to seamlessly integrate with cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure.

Dell APEX

Dell APEX Backup Services is a cloud-based solution that protects data for Microsoft 365 and other SaaS applications, endpoints and hybrid workloads. It enables quick and flexible recovery from data loss, corruption, ransomware and insider threats, with granular and bulk restore options and data isolation.

Key Offerings

• Data loss and corruption: Enables quick recovery from accidental or intentional data deletion, overwrites and corruption with ongoing automatic backups and flexible and granular restore options.
• Insider threats: Helps detect, assess and recover from data loss caused by malicious or departing employees with employee investigations, data off-boarding and audit logs.
• Data retention and compliance: Ensures compliance with data governance policies and regulations with unlimited data retention, data collection from departing employees and data isolation.
• Ransomware protection: Quickly recovers data from ransomware attacks with data retention, single-click bulk-recovery and data isolation features.

Who is it for?

Dell APEX is for enterprises that have a hybrid cloud environment, with data spread across Microsoft 365, other SaaS applications, endpoints and on-premises workloads, and need a unified backup service that can protect and restore their data from any source and destination.

It also suits organizations that value data security and governance, and need a backup solution that can support their legal hold and eDiscovery requirements, as well as their data retention and residency policies, for Microsoft 365 and other cloud data.

CDW, as a trusted Microsoft partner collaborating with valuable innovators like Commvault and Dell Technologies, plays a pivotal role in delivering efficient backup solutions, orchestration, advisory and enablement for Microsoft 365 customers. Leveraging our deep expertise and strong ties within the Microsoft ecosystem, CDW helps organizations formulate the right backup strategy for actively preventing Microsoft 365 data loss scenarios.

CDW's team of IT experts works closely with clients to understand their unique requirements, offering tailored advisory services to navigate the complexities of data protection within the Microsoft 365 environment.