7 Microsoft 365 Data Protection for Next-Level Data Security

Although Microsoft Office 365 is secure and reliable, an additional layer of security is still needed to guard against modern threats.

Microsoft Office 365 Data Protection and the Importance of Protecting Data

The recent research by Statista indicates that Microsoft’s Office 365 holds about 48.08% of the global market for a main office suite. Is your data secure and safe in Microsoft 365, which is well-liked and frequently used?

Microsoft includes suites of services and solutions to protect Microsoft 365 Data with the power of the Microsoft Cloud. Whether your data is on-premises, in the cloud, or on mobile devices, it helps to protect it.

Additionally, it aids with data governance, archiving, and compliance to ensure your data is secure.

Microsoft offers Office 365 Data Protection, including but not limited to encryption, enhanced threat protection, and role-based access control.

Data protection is a vital component for individuals and businesses. Data has become a valuable resource in a world where technology is widespread. Individuals, corporations, and governments all possess sensitive data that needs to be protected.

With the increasing expansion of data exchange, it is critical to guarantee user security across all platforms and networks. Maintaining user security and trust on the internet largely depends on data protection.

Since data can be accessed, shared, and used in various ways, it is crucial to safeguard data from theft or unauthorized use. Private data can be stolen, altered, mishandled, or sold to cyber criminals if it is not adequately protected.

Due to new legislation and standards in force, data protection is now even more crucial to safeguarding and preventing unwanted access to personal information.

In this post, we will discuss the robustness of Microsoft’s Office 365 and other third-party tools that will provide an additional layer of security to our Microsoft 365 apps and data.

How Secure Is Microsoft 365, but Why One Still Needs Additional Security Software?

Organizations can manage data protection with the help of a complete set of business tools offered by Microsoft 365. With its automated data backup and integrated security and compliance features, Microsoft 365 offers businesses a trustworthy, secure, and effective solution to safeguard user data.

Microsoft 365 also offers a variety of data management options, from straightforward encryption and password security to more comprehensive access control lists that can be customized to meet a company’s unique requirements.

Last but not least, Microsoft 365 provides sophisticated analytics and reporting tools that enable businesses to learn more about their data security and keep up with the most recent threats.

Data protection at rest and in transit, geographically separated Microsoft data centers, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) functionality of Azure Active Directory, and the implementation of a top-notch backup and redundancy strategy, as demonstrated below, are some of Microsoft’s additional security measures.

Why Is an Additional Layer of Security Required for Microsoft 365?

Although Microsoft Office 365 offers significant protection against malware attacks, large breaches still occur due to human mistakes, such as exchanging files with unauthorized people, stealing login passwords, and unauthorized persons downloading data, among other things.

The following are the main reasons why a second security layer is required on top of the robust Microsoft 365 platform.

External Threats: Office365 has long been a target of cybercriminals constantly looking for ways to break into the network due to its popularity. 

Cyber Risk: There have been numerous reports of data breaches. According to a survey by egress, 67% more data leaks via email have occurred, and 85% of enterprises have experienced an outbound email data breach.

Ransomware Attacks: According to Checkpoint, the top security company in the world, data leakage in Office 365 occurs due to data sharing through SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook.

Insider Threats: Most firms give employees excessive permission, which may result in data danger, rather than granting employees privileges depending on their roles. 

Human Errors: Accidentally deleted data will be lost forever if not recovered within the assigned duration as per Microsoft 365 license.

Compliance: Microsoft 365 has a maximum audit history of 90 days, which could not be enough and run the risk of breaking some businesses’ standards.

So to overcome such issues, organizations need an additional layer of protection due to the constant emergence of new and sophisticated malware distribution methods and phishing attacks.

In the section below, we’ll look at the top platforms and technologies that provide a layer of protection to Microsoft Office 365.

What Are the Best Practices for Office 365 Data Security?

Let’s look at a few recommended practices to protect Office 365 data, reduce security risks and cyber threats, and preserve critical corporate and personal data. 

#1. Employee or User Awareness

It is one of the most common places where a security breach may occur due to data and privilege sharing.

Organizations should conduct employee awareness programs or training to overcome such incidents. Amazon provides Cybersecurity Awareness Training at Amazon Learning.

#2. Multiple Security Checks

Since password and login leaks are likely, enabling multiple login checks will likely lower the chance of a cyberattack. One of the solutions is MFA or multi-factor authentication.

#3. Administrator Password

Administrator passwords are typically shared in SMBs and large corporations, making it challenging to maintain accountability and increasing the risk of breach.

Organizations may restrict administrator login from multiple logins, and the cyber vulnerability could be minimized using strong passwords.

#4. Anti-Malware and Anti-Phishing Software

Using the most recent third-party solutions will help prevent or mitigate suspicious assaults because it is difficult for legacy platforms to keep track of the constantly growing cyberattacks. Artificial intelligence technology is now applied in tools to block suspicious conduct.

#5. Mobile Security Solution

Organizations that enable BYOD in the office must implement mobile security solutions to safeguard all associated apps like OneDrive, Teams, Office365, and all other collaborative applications to prevent intrusions on devices.

Buyer’s Checklist for Microsoft 365 Data Protection

Businesses will have access to a wide range of tools and applications through Microsoft 365 that can aid in data security.

To ensure they are utilizing the capabilities at their disposal, organizations must take the time to comprehend the features offered and create a checklist for Microsoft 365 data protection.

We’ll go over a buyer’s checklist that can give you a glimpse of how we need to work out to create one to assist in the best data protection option for your company, even though there is no standard buyer’s checklist because every organization has the other infrastructure, requirements, and plans. Let’s dig in:

• Lowers the cost of deployment, management, and support.
• Data isolation in the event of a network intrusion.
• Instant detection of ransomware.
• Rapid detection of both internal and external threats.
• Real-time notifications, comprehensive reporting, and a centralized console to monitor all applications and data.
• Need to lower the overall cost of ownership.
• Top-notch compliance in accordance with your company’s needs.
• Data encryption, both in transit and at rest, ensures the highest level of data protection.
• Automation of backup and restore at the granular level.

The above list will give you a fundamental concept for creating your own Microsoft 365 buyer checklist, covering all aspects of your data, applications, and infrastructure.

Now, let’s explore the top solutions for Microsoft 365 data protection.

Spin

Due to its robust Microsoft 365 data security capability, Spin is used by SMBs and Fortune 500 enterprises. It is a comprehensive platform that assists in keeping track of cyber issues in Microsoft 365 and effectively managing them through detection and prevention.

Because Spin automatically backs up Microsoft 365 files three times per day, in the event of a failure or data breach, restoring the most recent data is feasible with the least disruption. It stops cybersecurity incidents involving data that is not under Microsoft’s control.

With an average outage of 21 days, its AI-powered detection system helps businesses cut downtime from ransomware attacks by more than 90% to just a few hours.

Spin platform offers many preventative capabilities, including shared data monitoring, PII detection, incident alerts, safe employee onboarding, control of abnormal events, DLP policies, etc., to help prevent such situations.

Top Features

• 24/7 cloud ransomware detection that responds quickly to any abnormality.
• Within hours of a ransomware attack, granular-level recovery is possible.
• Within hours of a ransomware attack, granular-level recovery is possible in times of disaster.
• Data compliance to meet geographical regulations.

Spin is an enterprise-level cloud platform for businesses of all kinds. It makes it easier for Office 365 collaboration across teams of all sizes and locations while guaranteeing that your data is always safe and secure.

Rubrik

Customers can more easily verify their Office 365 data is safe and secure with Rubrik’s most complete security platform for Microsoft 365. By immediately recognizing and recovering from any data loss, Rubrik’s predictive analytics assist companies in protecting their Office 365 data from malicious events.

With the help of Rubrik, businesses can successfully safeguard their data against hackers, ransomware, and accidental loss. Organizations can rest assured that their data is secure from internal misuse and external threats for Microsoft 365.

Organizations can safely access, store, and back up their data for Microsoft 365 because its security layer prevents hostile actors and data theft. Additionally, it enables clients to swiftly recover from unintended deletion or data corruption with its advanced search capabilities.

Top Features

• Isolates data in the event of a cyberattack or ransomware compromise.
• Maintain the least privilege principles through role-based access control to stop unwanted access.
• Quicker and better restoration because each backup has its container.
• Handles API errors by automatically switching between the many available Microsoft APIs.

Rubrik ensures that your Microsoft 365 data is always safe and complies with data regulations. If Organizations are looking for a centralized, secure solution to protect their Microsoft 365 data across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Teams with snapshots, then Rubrik would suffice the need.

AvePoint

AvePoint’s data protection solutions give businesses the solutions they need to safeguard their most sensitive and essential data. Its solutions are adaptable enough to migrate, safeguard, and recover customers’ data across various cloud platforms, on-premises programs, and hybrid settings.

It helps to prevent data from being transferred to the wrong individuals and reduces risk because of its robust security measures, ongoing activity monitoring, and automated protective actions.

Organizations may safeguard their data using AvePoint against malicious attempts and unintentional deletion. The solutions offer improved governance capabilities, enabling businesses to manage data retention, archiving, and compliance requirements.

Its Microsoft Azure solution ensures granular backup and restoration of AD, VM, and storage. Its auto-cloud backup ensures Office 365 is secured and granular-level restoration is feasible.

Top Features

• Validation, classification, and data protection prioritize protection and reduce risk.
• Automation of governance for Office 365 and SharePoint lifecycle management.
• Ransomware resistance with quick recovery and early detection.
• A system to implement security and data protection strategy based on risk.

AvePoint offers a complete data protection suite to assist businesses in managing, protecting, and governing their data. Organizations can quickly identify and address data security issues by using various solutions to discover, classify, monitor, and control information, assuring their data security.

N-Able Cove Data Protection

Cove Data Protection is a crucial resource for all types of enterprises looking for data protection solutions for their Microsoft 365 applications. For Microsoft 365 customers, it offers an extra layer of protection against data loss and is developed to safeguard Microsoft 365 environments.

You can save time and operate more effectively by retaining and restoring data from the same web-based dashboard you use to safeguard servers and workstations.

Its package ensures activity monitoring, data loss prevention, and protection from hostile activity, compliance concerns, and data breaches. Real-time alerting and audit logging are made more accessible by its user-friendly interface.

It is made to function seamlessly with Office 365, SharePoint, and other cloud-based applications and offers strong protection for company data.

It enables you to take preventative measures to safeguard your data, such as data loss prevention, encryption, and industry compliance. It can also centrally manage and watch over your data, giving you the most control over access and storage.

Top Features

• Data encryption at both rest and in transit.
• Notifications of suspicious activity.
• Protection from both insider and external threats.

Organizations can rest easy knowing that their data is safe and secure with Cove Data Protection for Microsoft 365 since it is protected against malicious intrusions and unauthorized access. The platform is free to use for a 30-day trial period.

Veritas

Veritas offers a complete solution to protect Microsoft 365 and its companion products. It provides various data protection options, disaster recovery plans, and data archiving services that can guarantee the safety and security of sensitive data. 

Customers may optimize their use of Office 365 while maintaining regulatory compliance due to Veritas’ exclusive array of Office 365 management services.

Data protection, monitoring, and compliance solutions assist enterprises in streamlining their IT processes, gaining insights into their data, securing their assets, and defending against attacks.

It allows admins and organizations to monitor and control user identity and access efficiently while also adhering to regulations and standard operating procedures.

With Veritas, businesses can easily track how data is accessed and used, backup and restore data, and guarantee data continuity and governance across all Microsoft 365 applications, including Office 365 Groups, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Microsoft Teams.

Top Features

• Maintains data integrity by tracking data, including changes to files and documents.
• Data resilience is achieved through rapid archiving, data encryption, and easy restoration.
• Adhere to regulatory requests from the SEC, FINRA, FDA, HIPAA GDPR, and FOIA.
• Microsoft 365 data discovery repository with user-friendly preservation tools.

Organizations are given the resources and tools they need by Veritas-based solutions to protect their data and applications while maximizing productivity. Additionally, this technology enables users to collaborate while lowering IT expenses and complexity.

Druva

Druva is a top backup and protection solution for data centers, SaaS apps, and native workloads, as well as OneDrive, Exchange Online, SharePoint, and Teams. It is a secure SaaS platform that automates governance and ransomware defense.

The architecture of Druva offers users a uniform view of all their data and enables them to track the status of their backups from any device. Customers may use a single solution to quickly secure their Microsoft 365 data, including OneDrive, SharePoint Online, and Exchange Online.

Its infrastructure reduces the expense and complexity of eDiscovery while adhering to the most robust regulatory regulations, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.

Data fingerprinting for authenticity, proactive eDiscovery data collecting, legal hold, forensics investigations, and a uniform data retention policy for all Microsoft 365 services make Druva distinctive.

Top Features

• Lowers total cost of ownership by up to 50%.
• Detects and takes action against insider threats before harm is done.
• Microsoft 365 app updates every two weeks.
• Integrates with third-party eDiscovery tools.

It offers a secure, trustworthy, and affordable approach to safeguarding your essential data from possible data loss, hacker assaults, and malicious attackers. Your data is always safe and accessible, even in the case of a disaster, due to its automated backup processes and customizable recovery options.

Proofpoint

83 Fortune 100 companies adopt Proofpoint solutions. For Microsoft 365, Proofpoint is a reputable supplier of all-encompassing security solutions. The platform is trusted by 200,000 Microsoft 365 customers worldwide.

Its AI-based technology is made to safeguard data and apps from the most recent cyber risks. The platform provides the highest levels of data privacy compliance, which also gives total visibility and control over the Microsoft 365 cloud environment.

Its distinguishing feature is that it recognizes, prevents, and automates the cleanup of supplier, ransomware, and BEC (Business Email Compromise) threats that get through Microsoft 365 defense.

It is one of the quickest ways to use the inline API to enhance Microsoft 365 protection using preloaded settings. The platform offers information on hacked individuals and threat forensics.

Due to its enhanced protection against attacks like spear phishing, ransomware, and supplier fraud with click-time protection and sandboxing, Proofpoint solutions enable organizations to quickly and efficiently enforce security rules, detect and respond to threats, and safeguard users and customers.

Top Features

• Increases productivity by identifying bottlenecks using real-time alerts, reporting, and logical dashboards.
• To see supply chain breaches, there is a dedicated supplier risk dashboard.
• Stops inbound BEC attacks with domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance.
• People-centric DLP strategy to protect data and combat insider risk.

For businesses looking to secure their Microsoft 365 environments, Proofpoint offers a comprehensive solution.

By offering real-time visibility, threat detection and response, and data loss prevention capabilities, the platform assists businesses in protecting data and adhering to cyber policies.

Final Words

Users of Microsoft 365 may store, safeguard, and manage their data with its secure, ethical, and effective solutions. Organizations should consider deploying third-party solutions to mitigate the most critical vulnerabilities to handle the most recent and sophisticated security concerns.

The information above will help you narrow down the options for third-party solutions for yourself or your company.

Next, you can check out the best online security software for small to medium businesses.