If you're an avid Microsoft 365 user, you most likely know that it's the heart of your business. Your employees are chatting on Teams, and files get saved in OneDrive and shared using SharePoint. But you might be missing one important detail—just because your company's data is in the cloud, it doesn't mean it will be safe forever. It's a common misconception that Microsoft takes care of all the backups. Spoiler: It doesn't. In this article, we'll walk you through the risks of relying only on Microsoft's native tools and why you need a dedicated backup solution. Let's dive right in!
Risks and Data Loss
Microsoft 365 is an extremely powerful go-to tool for modern companies. Emails, calendars, Word docs, Excel sheets, Teams chats—it has everything a company needs. Whether you operate from a busy office or from the comfort of your own home, it keeps your business running. However, it lacks daily backup and archiving options. Worrying about your data is probably last on your to-do list. But your data is not as bulletproof as you might think. Microsoft 365 is built for productivity, not as a backup solution. If someone accidentally deletes a file or falls for a phishing link, your data is at risk. Sure, Microsoft handles infrastructure issues, but things like human error, hacking, or accidental deletion? That's on you.
In fact, 88% of data breaches come from employee mistakes. Then, there are outages. Microsoft 365 had four major global outages in 2023 alone, leaving millions of users stuck in a loop. Add cyberattacks to the mix—ransomware is on the rise, and global damages are expected to hit a jaw-dropping $265 billion by 2031. Oh, and don't forget sync errors–64% of IT leaders say misconfigurations and sync failures are big causes of data loss. And sometimes, it's not an accident at all—malicious insiders are a real threat, with half of organisations reporting insider attacks in the past year.
Then there's ransomware, insider threats, and hackers that get more creative day by day. This is further fueled by advancements in AI and is maliciously used to target companies and their data. When you factor in the possibility of human error as well as an increasing number of cyberattacks and security breaches, you get a considerable gap in your cybersecurity efforts that can result in the loss of critical company data with no chance for recovery. Once something's deleted from the Recycle Bin—manually or automatically—it's gone for good. It's an amazing software for getting things done, but it won't save you when data goes missing. That's why having a solid Microsoft 365 backup plan isn't just a good idea—it's a must.
Importance of Data Backup
These days, keeping consumer data secure and checking all the regulatory boxes is inevitable. If you're a healthcare provider, run an educational facility, practice law, or manage important finances in a startup, having a reliable backup provider is crucial. Your company needs to meet HIPAA and GDPR standards, and it's not just a formality. Nobody likes to worry about worst-case scenarios regarding data handling and privacy regulations. In fact, Gartner's 2024 Cybersecurity Report predicts that by 2026, 60% of organisations will face major cloud data loss simply because they didn't have the right backup in place. Without solid backups, you're opening the door to fines, legal trouble, and audits that can seriously damage your company's reputation.
With CloudAlly, losing data is one less thing to worry about. They've been leading the way in cloud-to-cloud backups since 2011 and now protect over 30,000 organisations around the world. Everything gets backed up automatically—Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Groups, and even Public Folders. It runs daily, so you don't have to do anything. And if something goes missing? Restoring it is quick and easy, whether it's a single email or an entire mailbox. You can recover it in just a few clicks, either right where it was or somewhere new. Plus, there are no limits on storage or how long you keep your backups.
Everything is protected with top-level encryption, hosted securely on AWS, and fully compliant with ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and FISMA standards. You can even choose the data centre location that best suits your compliance needs—US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, you name it. CloudAlly's user-friendly dashboard, full activity tracking, pay-as-you-go pricing, and 24/7 actual human assistance make backup straightforward, flexible, and entirely reliable—just the way it should be.
Don't leave your information unprotected. Stay one step ahead with CloudAlly's Microsoft 365 backup—secure, smart, and stress-free. With automated backups, instant recovery, and airtight security, your Microsoft 365 data stays right where it belongs—safe. CloudAlly is ranked by Newsweek, Gartner, and G2 as a leading SaaS backup solution. Backup smarter, breathe easier, and get on with business.
