Microsoft cloud services are brilliant. Microsoft 365, Office 365 and Azure provide so much to the modern workplace, especially when it comes to storing, processing or transmitting data. BUT, did you know you have a shared responsibility for that data? Many businesses think that because their data is within Microsoft, it’s protected by Microsoft. This is only partly true. You need to do your bit too.
Read on to find out more…
The Microsoft shared responsibility model
So who’s responsible for what? Here’s a quick outline:
Microsoft’s responsibilities: ensuring the security, privacy and compliance of the cloud infrastructure – physical data centres, hardware, networking and the underlying software.
Customer responsibilities: you are responsible for the security and compliance of the data, applications and services you use in the Microsoft cloud. This includes managing access control, protecting sensitive data, maintaining application security and meeting regulatory or industry-specific requirements.
The bottom line? While Microsoft provides a secure and resilient infrastructure, it’s up to you to ensure that you have appropriate data backup and recovery mechanisms to prevent data loss and maintain business continuity.
How do I protect my data?
Good question. There are loads of data backup options. Some within Microsoft itself, and some third-party ones:
- Datto SaaS Protection
- Axcient CloudFinder
- Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365
- Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
- Druva inSync
- Commvault Complete Backup & Recovery
The Microsoft options are a great place to start, as they help to protect and back up data within Microsoft’s cloud services, such as Azure or Microsoft 365. But, it’s essential to evaluate the specific requirements of your business. Depending on what you need in terms of functionality, ease of use, scalability and cost, you may also need to use third-party options.
These can offer:
- Centralised management: provides a single, unified interface to manage backups across multiple Microsoft services like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business.
- Cross-platform support: allows businesses to protect data not only in Microsoft’s cloud services but also in other environments like Google Workspace, Salesforce, or AWS.
- Enhanced data retention: enables organisations to comply with specific legal or regulatory requirements.
- Improved granularity: allows companies to restore individual items, folders or versions rather than entire databases or systems.
- Faster recovery: lets businesses restore data and resume operations more quickly in the event of data loss or system failure.
- Advanced search and discovery: makes it easier for companies to locate specific data or comply with legal discovery requests.
- Increased security: adds an extra layer of security with encryption at rest and in transit, multi-factor authentication and role-based access control.
- Independent backup storage: reduces the risk of data loss due to a single point of failure.
What happens if I don’t fulfil my shared responsibility?
We’re not going to sugar coat it. All sorts of nasty stuff can happen if you don’t take responsibility for putting appropriate data backup and recovery mechanisms in place. All it takes is one team member to click on a dodgy link in an email, and a hacker can encrypt all your data within minutes. And remember, it’s not just your business’s data – it’s your customers’ data too. A data breach can be challenging to recover from – both financially and in terms of your reputation.
So, don’t just trust Microsoft to have your back when it comes to data protection and recovery. Play your part, find out which third-party solutions you need for your specific business needs, and get it all properly up and running. This will significantly enhance your chances of winning against cybercrime.
Why not have a chat about your data protection needs with one of our friendly team? We can set you up in no time, giving you peace of mind.