Many can agree that email is an integral part of our day-to-day work lives, and for most, it is the primary mode of communication. Without it, we would be a lot less productive. Have you thought about what would happen if your Office 365 data was suddenly lost or deleted?  You’re probably thinking “No worries, Microsoft has all of that covered!” Do they really? The short answer is no, but let’s dive a little deeper into it!

A common misconception is that Microsoft guarantees data availability to users. The truth is that Microsoft only guarantees services availability, meaning that they promise to keep their server up and running so you can access the application. The rest is up to you, so having a backup solution for Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint is extremely important. Here are three reasons why you need to deploy a backup solution right away.

SECURITY THREATS:

You’re probably aware that security threats, like ransomware, have been on the rise lately. An overwhelmingly amount of times, the threat reaches organizations through email. Users aren’t always educated on email security and might download infected files or attachments. Without a backup solution for Office 365, recovering your SharePoint Online and OneDrive data could take weeks, and in some cases, never be able to be recovered. With a backup solution in place for Office 365, you would always have a spare copy on hand and be able to recover from a breach in a timely manner.

DATA RETENTION:

Microsoft Office 365 has the ability to store a limited amount of data. Businesses in regulated industries, such as legal and healthcare, are often required to keep documents, emails, and files for years. Due to the lack of storage that users have, they are often forced to delete emails, losing important information. Having a backup solution for Office 365 ensures that you can store your data elsewhere for as long as you may need to access it, without having to worry about deleting emails vital to your business.

DELETION:

When you delete an Office 365 user, whether accidental or with the intent to, their email data is recoverable for 30 days afterwards. What happens after the 30 day holding period? Unfortunately, all emails, files, and contacts are deleted. In the case that the deletion is accidental, and you don’t realize your mistake until after the 30 day holding period, you have no way of retrieving the data. With a backup for Office 365 solution, the missing data can easily be restored.

You’ve put your trust in Microsoft to take care of your Office 365 data for so long that we know this can be a hard pill to swallow. Coming to the realization that Microsoft does not guarantee data availability should only encourage you to make a change. Deploying a backup for Office 365 can protect you and your business. Contact us today to get started.