What has happened so far
At first part we looked at why it generally makes sense to back up data that companies have outsourced to cloud and SaaS (Software as a Service) services separately.
In the second part, we look at a few common scenarios as to why it makes sense to back up one of the most widely used services, Microsoft Office 365.
Microsoft 365 and why you should consider backing up your data
Microsoft Office 365 is probably the most widely used Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and is now an indispensable standard application in the business environment. Although the application availability and uptime provided by Office 365 enables uninterrupted productivity, there are threats other than hardware failures. This is why companies should think about Office 365 backups.
Accidental deletion
The recycle bin function and the version history in Office 365 only provide limited protection against data loss, because as soon as the data is permanently deleted from all Office 365 storage regions or the retention period is over, you are faced with a major problem despite a proper, restorable backup.
On average, it takes from the deletion to the realisation that it was a mistake 140 days.
This also applies if an admin deletes a user by mistake, as this action is replicated across the network.
Please note that Office 365 recognises two types of deletion: temporary and irrevocable. Temporary deletion includes, for example, emptying the "Deleted items" folder. The result of this process is also referred to as "permanently deleted". However, the word "permanently" is somewhat misleading, as the deleted item is still in the "Recoverable items" mailbox
Irrevocable deletion
This is in contrast to the irrevocable deletion of an element from the mailbox database. An item labelled in this way can actually no longer be restored. Similar to temporary and irrevocable deletion, Office 365 only offers limited backup and retention policies. They are intended to cushion a momentary loss of data, but are not a comprehensive backup solution.
Microsoft does not offer a restore to a specific point in time for its mailbox objects. In the event of a disaster, a backup solution is therefore required to restore the data to a specific point in time shortly beforehand and prevent a major mess.
Internal security risks
A backup solution for Office 365 closes any gaps in the retention policy and ensures flexibility when restoring. For quick, easy and convenient data access in problematic situations, short-term backups and long-term archives as well as granular or point-in-time recovery are available.
Access to files and contact data passes through many hands, so there is sometimes no overview of who is authorised to do what. If important data is deleted, Microsoft cannot know whether this is done by a regular user or someone who has received the cancellation notice and wants to cause trouble before leaving the company
External security risks
Added to this are the threats unintentionally introduced by downloading prepared files or entering user names and passwords on seemingly legitimate phishing websites.
External threats are primarily introduced via emails and their attachments, sometimes despite careful employee training. The limited backup and restore functions of Exchange Online are not sufficient to mitigate targeted attacks.
The options offered by Microsoft Office 365 in terms of versioning and archiving can therefore certainly help to protect your files. For many reasons, however, the use of special tools to back up your data in SaaS environments is still recommended.
Legal provisions and compliance requirements
In the context of legal proceedings, it may sometimes be necessary to present certain emails, files and other types of data. Microsoft offers "Retention for legal purposes" for precisely this case, but this is only a small safety net, not a solid backup solution that you can blindly rely on in the event of a legal emergency. For example, if you accidentally delete a user, their mailbox, private SharePoint site and OneDrive account will also be deleted from the storage.
Legal, compliance and access regulations differ depending on the industry and country, and non-compliance can result in fines, contractual penalties and legal disputes. This is something everyone wants to avoid.
Management of hybrid email deployment and migration to Office 365
Companies and organisations that switch from a local Exchange system to Office 365 Exchange Online usually require a certain transition period. Some even keep a small part of the previous system because they hope it will give them even more flexibility and control. Such hybrid email deployments are common, but place additional demands on administration.
The right backup solution for Office 365 should be open to hybrid email deployments and also treat Exchange data in such a way that the data source becomes irrelevant as a factor.
It should also allow you to store data anywhere: on site, in cloud-based object storage (e.g. AWS S3 or Azure Blob) or with a managed service provider.
The growing importance of Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is becoming increasingly important for companies. It is increasingly becoming an integral part of corporate communication and is also used to exchange data and information. As already mentioned in the first part, data used in Teams is distributed across SharPoint, OneDrive and Exchange. This means that a backup of configuration details such as settings, group members or even a granular backup of files is only possible with a dedicated backup tool for Teams.
Conclusion: Microsoft Office 365 is not possible without a backup
To summarise, it can be said that having your own backup of data in cloud services and, in our particular scenario, Microsoft 365, is still a must for companies.
The reasons for this are simpler operation, granular options and greater flexibility in covering common restore scenarios. A backup solution that provides both full access to and full control over your users' Office 365 data protects companies as far as possible against data loss.
This article is largely based on the Veeam document "Six good reasons for Office 365 backups".
As a partner of Veeam, ABAX is available to answer your questions on the topics of Data management, backup & restore and of course also the protection of your mobile employees of course would be very happy to help you.
