Backup Exec with *Built-in* Microsoft 365 Protection

If you are part of a team that maintains and monitors your organization's backup and recovery strategy, it is highly likely that you have heard of, or have first-hand experience using, Backup Exec. Backup Exec (BE) has evolved to become a simple, powerful solution that ensures your business-critical data is never lost, stolen, or corrupted. It is an all-in-one solution that can span most hybrid data center and cloud environments to provide data backup and recovery of the information that keeps your business running.

We are excited to share that the next generation of Backup Exec is now available. This release brings many exciting enhancements to a product that is already a comprehensive data protection solution. To see the highlights of this release and prior releases, visit our “what’s new in Backup Exec” webpage.

One of the main highlights of this release is built-in protection of Microsoft 365 data. Including Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams, the core Backup Exec product now provides the ability to protect this data without the need to bolt-on, and pay for, separate and additional products.

The Many Advantages of Cloud

Considered by many the gold of the 21st century, data arises as the most valuable business asset for enterprises and their customers. Most businesses these days opt to store their data in the cloud since it offers a plethora of advantages, including more flexibility, cost savings, and enhanced continuity. However, Foundry indicates that 96% have encountered substantial obstacles when executing their cloud strategy.

The Unspoken Vulnerability of Operating in the Cloud

Approximately 60% of the world's business data is stored in the cloud, as estimated by Statista. With providers like Microsoft and Google, companies now have access to a vast array of cloud-based tools and services, including Microsoft 365. This bundle of services, which includes Exchange Online, One Drive, SharePoint, and Teams, enables businesses to store and manage their data in the cloud, eliminating the need for expensive and complex on-premises infrastructure.

Nevertheless, as convenient as cloud computing may be, it is not without its risks. Microsoft, like all cloud providers, does its best to protect its customers’ data, but the reality is that your business data is still vulnerable to loss, corruption, and theft. According to a new poll from Snaky, 80% of enterprises have encountered at least one cloud security issue in the last year, and 27% of organizations have suffered a public cloud security event, an increase of 10% from the previous year. In this vein, IBM emphasized that 45% of data breaches are cloud-based.

While cybercriminals are targeting cloud data more frequently, putting your business at risk of data loss, corruption, or ransomware. With the increasing number of cyber-attacks and ransomware incidents, protecting your valuable business data is more critical than ever.

How Safe is the Cloud?

Technically, the cloud is only as safe as a physical server or data center, provided the business has established a complete, effective backup and recovery strategy plan tailored to guard against risks and threats peculiar to the cloud environment. Many enterprises may not recognize that their current data protection strategy and traditional tools may not safeguard cloud-hosted assets. Consequently, companies must fundamentally re-evaluate and adapt their security posture to meet the security needs of this new environment.

Furthermore, many assume that the cloud provider is responsible for all security tasks, including data protection, which is a second common fallacy. In fact, cloud security adheres to what is known as the shared responsibility approach.

The Shared Responsibility Model

Overall, the concept of shared responsibility in the cloud refers to the division of security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer. Organizations need to understand this division of responsibilities to ensure the security of their data and systems when moving to the cloud. Depending on whether the workload is hosted on SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, or in an on-premises data center, the division of responsibilities may vary.

Regardless of the cloud deployment type, the customer is always responsible for protecting their data and identities, as well as their on-premises resources and the cloud components they control. Data, endpoints, accounts, and access management are always the customer's responsibilities. Additionally, businesses must regularly monitor and assess their security posture, identify and remediate any potential vulnerabilities, and ensure their data is always protected. Failing to take these steps can result in significant financial, legal, and reputational consequences for the business.

Protecting your Cloud Data

As previously mentioned, Backup Exec now offers built-in protection of Microsoft 365 data, including Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. Critical Microsoft 365 resources including Exchange data elements (mailboxes, folders, emails, and calendar items), OneDrive elements (folders and files), SharePoint elements (User Site, Group Site, Communication Site, Classic Site), and Teams elements (Settings and Channel Tabs, Post/ Conversations, and Teams Sites) can all be protected from the Backup Exec interface. No add-on products required!

Backup Exec provides peace of mind, knowing that your business-critical data can be easily restored in case of a disaster, cyber-attack, user error, or unexplained outage. This allows businesses to continue their operations without interruptions, even in the face of unexpected incidents.

Understand that the sharing that comes along with operating in the cloud can be addressed by the simple, powerful, and all-in-one solution that is Backup Exec.

We offer a 60-day free trial of Backup Exec. So, what are you waiting for?