As Microsoft have developed such an advanced and impressive operative system, relied upon by millions of businesses and personal users across the globe, it is no wonder that cyber criminals view the Microsoft Cloud as a lucrative target. No matter how strong your defences are, there is always the possibility of your Cloud security being compromised. This could be a result of a new malware strain, Zero-day exploits or even accidental human error. Therefore, investing in effective Microsoft Cloud backup is essential, ensuring that your data is recoverable should a disaster occur.
Fortunately, Microsoft have developed several innovative recovery technologies that help to minimise downtime and ensure you can keep your business operational even if your Cloud security is breached.
Backup to Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is an endlessly flexible Cloud and, as such, there are several integrated solutions that allow users to back it up and secure their data.
Azure Backup
Azure Backup is a scalable backup solution that allows users to quickly secure their data. It has a centralised management interface that facilitates monitoring, operation, government and optimisation of data protection. Azure Backup is fully scalable to your needs: users can back up anything from Virtual Machines to entire workloads. Additionally, built in features such as Azure Policy ensure that your Microsoft Cloud backups remain fully compliant.
Microsoft Azure Backup Server
This solution allows users to store and backup their on-premises workloads, servers, files, folders and databases into a secure Azure Cloud. If an incident occurs and recovery is required, administrators can select from a broader ‘point of return’, giving them the flexibility to choose the safest point to restore from.
Blob Storage
Blob Storage refers to Azure’s Binary Large Object Storage: a massively scalable and secure object storing solution. While Blob Storage is not strictly a Microsoft Cloud backup solution, it does provide extremely safe storage for large and unstructured data. These include photos, videos and multimedia forms of data that may be too big to store on-premises. Azure Blob Storage is protected by robust security features including authentication with Azure Active Directory, role-based access control (RBAC), encryption at rest and advanced threat protection.
Microsoft 365 Backup
It is important for your business to understand that Microsoft operates using a shared responsibility model when it comes to backup of Microsoft 365 data. Simply put, that means that Microsoft is responsible solely for protecting its own storage and server space, leaving users fully responsible for securing their own files and data.
Therefore, it is sensible for administrators to invest in a third-party SaaS backup solution, to fully ensure fully secure and comprehensive Microsoft 365 Backup. Implementing a SaaS backup solution has a range of benefits for your data protection. First, it will ensure that your data is backed up at regular intervals during the day, guaranteeing that your retrievable data is up to date. It will also allow faster file recovery and aid your system bounce back from ransomware or malware attacks by returning to a of ‘snapshot’ taken more the incident. Finally, using a Cloud based backup for your Microsoft 365 data means that even if your business’ on-premise servers or Microsoft’s servers are compromised, your files will remain protected in a separate location. Investing in Microsoft 365 Backup minimises the risk of your business losing essential data stored in the Microsoft Cloud, which could have extremely negative operational consequences.
While Microsoft Cloud backup is important, recovery is just one stage of your Microsoft security journey. In order to fully secure your Microsoft Cloud, you must implement protection and analysis solutions too. To discover more about Microsoft’s security solutions and how to enhance the defences of your Cloud environment with a multi-layered approach, download our eBook, The Microsoft Security Stack, today.
