Backup is one of the most pressing technical needs of the modern age. Although we now have the technology to store vast amounts of data in small objects, the problem of data loss still exists. In fact, problems of this sort become more and more frequent as the world is rapidly computerized.
What Is Office 365 Anyway?
You have almost certainly heard of Microsoft Office. Office 365 is a spin-off from that product. It was launched in 2011 as a replacement for Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite, an older program that did many of the same things. Surprisingly, this software sells better than the standard version of Microsoft Office.
By using Microsoft’s OneDrive system in conjunction with its own, Office 365 creates a cloud-to-cloud solution. You can transfer data from one cloud to the other with no problem. Because the Office 365 cloud is much more secure than a standard OneDrive account, This program gives you another layer of protection against data loss.
Does Office 365 Replace All Other Means Of Data Storage?
Office 365 is a very handy program that can do a lot of things, but let’s not get carried away here. While this is a great tool, it should not replace all other methods of data storage. There are several reasons that we say this, but most of it comes down to risk management.
Some business data is extremely important, and it would be foolish to have only one backup for such information. Apart from your Office 365 account, you should also use external hard drives or other physical storage media. This will create a hard-copy backup in the event that your data is lost or damaged while in the cloud.
The chances of this happening are pretty low, but even Microsoft admits that this risk exists. Their service agreement says that all online services suffer from occasional problems, and they cannot always guard against these problems. Thus, you should play it safe and have two backups: One in the cloud, and one on the premises.
Why Use Microsoft Office 365?
Since you cannot rely on this service to replace all other methods of data storage, one might ask the question: Why use it at all? The honest answer is that you can do without this service if necessary. However, you do need to back up your data by at least two methods. This is as good a method as any, and better than most. Since you need multiple layers of protection against data loss, you might as well make this one of them. It gets good reviews overall, suggesting that most buyers are pleased with the product.
If data loss does occur (and there is always a chance that it will occur), the use of a Microsoft Office 365 account can be an incredibly helpful thing. Instead of starting over from scratch or poring through stacks and stacks of external hard drives, you can just re-download your entire database from the 365 cloud, and the problem is solved. With a service like this, recovery is always going to be a lot easier.
Is Your Data Secure With Office 365?
Overall, your data should be pretty secure when using this service. Most customers report no problems, so you are unlikely to be one of the exceptions. Microsoft does provide quite a bit of physical security at their server sites. Because of this, it is very unlikely that a thief or hacker could gain physical access to the servers.
That being said, all online accounts are vulnerable to the upper level of hackers, and this kind of account is no exception. Unfortunately, there have been incidents in which Office 365 accounts have been hacked. However, considering that governments and multinational corporations get hacked on a regular basis, there is probably no way to guard against this threat completely.
However, when we look a little more closely at these events, we can see that the software is generally not the problem. Most of the successful attacks on Office 365 servers were made by tricking the user into giving permissions, passwords, or other compromising information. This is done through the use of phishing emails, spoofed web pages, and all sorts of other tricks. However, it is fair to say that the system did not fail in this case: The user failed to recognize a scam and also presumably failed to take steps to avoid the scam.
How Big Of A Problem Is Data Loss?
It’s hard to find statistics on this subject, but we did manage to find a few of them. According to this source, about 6% of all computers will suffer some kind of data loss every year. While 6% may not seem all that high, it’s quite a bit when you consider the number of computers in the world.
More significantly, this information says that 60% of companies that lose their data will end up closing their doors within six months. Even though these numbers are only approximate figures, that’s a pretty significant problem indeed.
Conclusion
Protection from data loss is an incredibly important matter for businesses of all types. As you can clearly see, there is no way to eliminate this risk, but that is why you should backup Office 365. While it may not be the perfect solution for everyone, a lot of people have found it to suit their needs. Of course, it has certain problems that are inherent to the technology.
With a little knowledge, you can protect your business from the potentially devastating effects of data loss. It just takes a little preparation and a little help. We hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction to the essential subject of data protection, and we invite you to fill out the contact form if you’d like to know more.