New research shows shift to remote work has intensified data protection challenges
Barracuda Networks recently released key findings from a global report commissioned by them titled “The state of Office 365 backup” where it found that 52 percent of IT decision makers say their organization has experienced a ransomware attack while a further 67 percent still rely solely on capabilities built in Office 365 to backup and recover Office 365 data and 81 percent indicated that using Teams creates a data-retention concern.
According to Toni El Inati, RVP Sales, META & CEE at Barracuda Networks, with Microsoft having invested in establishing cloud data centres within the Middle East, the regional uptake of Office 365 follows the same exponential growth curve as other markets. The suite is very compelling as it offers powerful enterprise-grade features with a convenient subscription-based pricing model.
Overall, the findings indicate that the worldwide shift to remote work during the pandemic has intensified the challenges associated with protecting Office 365 data with protecting data against attack and loss—both from outside actors and inside sources—is a key concern. 72 percent of respondents are concerned that their Office 365 data could be the target of ransomware and are looking for granular restore and other functionality not available in Microsoft’s native capabilities. Data protection is both a security and a regulatory concern. More than 7 in 10 respondents are concerned about compliance with data privacy requirements and would prefer a SaaS solution that is fast and easy to get up and running.
El Inati added, “Both our research as well as the anecdotal evidence gained from our engagements with Middle East organizations, indicate that despite the surging popularity of Office 365, the important aspect of backing up Office 365 data remains largely overlooked. It’s a common, albeit incorrect, assumption that the availability and integrity of Office 365 data is a given. Much to the contrary, Microsoft itself recommends that customers use third-party backup, as the company only guarantees the availability of its service, not the retention of your data. It’s likely that this caveat of using the service has been largely overlooked as Microsoft does include some native retention. However, few customers appropriately grasp the limitations of this until a problem arises.”
The research, conducted by independent market researcher Censuswide, surveyed 1,828 executives, individual contributors, and team managers with responsibility for their organization’s cloud infrastructure to capture their opinions and perspectives about Office 365, data security, backup and recovery, SaaS solutions, and a variety of related topics. includes responses from. They came from organizations in companies with 50 or more employees in the U.S., EMEA, and APAC.
