Channel, Business continuity, Networking, Storage

MSPs Still Need to Protect Clients Using Microsoft 365

Vaccines are being administered, faces are being freed from masks, and that feeling of normalcy is returning. During the pandemic we saw a significant spike in ransomware, and while those attacks continue to grow in both frequency and sophistication, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can't lose sight of a closer threat – human error. Just because clients are returning to the office, doesn't mean Microsoft 365 data is secure from data loss.

Microsoft 365 users lose more data than other users

Most MSPs and their clients realize the limitations of Microsoft 365 backup and retention policies, and are hopefully already using a third-party for business continuity. However, many of these protections were haphazardly thrown together as short-term solutions for what we thought would be a short-term problem. Now, as we enter a new phase of the digital transformation, cloud adoption has accelerated productivity, competition, innovation, and shows no signs of stopping.

It's time to reevaluate your business continuity solutions for Microsoft 365 with an emphasis on data protection. Recent research shows 85% of organizations using Microsoft 365 have had an email data breach in the last 12 months. Organizations using Microsoft 365 have experienced a 67% increase in data leaks via email since March 2020, compared to only 32% of businesses who don't use Microsoft 365. Shockingly, 15% of Microsoft 365 users have been breached over 500 times during that period.

Data protection via business continuity is security

Of course, regular security training, faux phishing attempts, and ongoing user education can all be used to prevent data loss through human error or malware, but why risk it? Clients have grown comfortable in their remote work environments over the past year and a half, and regardless of how those adjust for each organization, human error is always your greatest risk. Data access and collaboration on remote devices, across insecure Wi-Fi networks, and Business continuity solutions assume that a data breach will occur. With that mentality, you're ready to instantly restore your client's data during a security incident, natural disaster, or device disruption. As we all know, not all solutions are created equally. Some provide the same limitations embedded in Microsoft 365, which can be especially dangerous. You and your clients might believe your data is protected, only to find out too late, that recovery is not possible, or requires significant downtime.

How confident are you in your Microsoft 365 protection?

As you move into this next phase of remote enablement, revisit your business continuity solution with a new set of eyes. This transition requires flexibility for clients to create the business environments unique to their needs and employees. Compliance standards and regulations need to be met to avoid penalties and fees. Your ability to restore lost data – whether it was deleted two years ago, or two months ago – should be almost instantaneous to prevent downtime. The complete Microsoft 365 platform, including Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams needs to be covered in full. And most importantly, a secure cloud should be backing all of this data up so you and your clients are not dependent on Microsoft for data security.

Axcient x360Cloud effortlessly backs up and restores Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace to meet all of your client's needs.

  • Point-in-time or specific version restores
  • Search more than 100 million objects in less than 5 seconds (including email attachments)
  • Unlimited storage and retention
  • HIPAA, SOC-2, and GDPR compliant
  • 10-minute setup

See x360Cloud for yourself to see how you can provide better security, data protection, and peace of mind to your clients. Enjoy a Free 14-day x360Cloud Trial, or Schedule a One-on-one Demo.


Guest blog courtesy of Axcient. Read more Axcient guest blogs here.