Microsoft Office 365 has been at the top of the charts especially when it comes to the SaaS applications domain. Somehow, not yet ultra popular in with all business users, Office 365 does offer some potential for cybercriminals to fare, particularly in the COVID-19 scenario.
The rampant attacks in the cyber space are in general growing like a phenomenon in light of the pandemic. Every day we get to hear about new kinds of malicious attempts made to take advantage of an increased online presence. As a result, all security loop holes and vulnerabilities have been rigorously uncovered for all applications used in important domains.
Microsoft Office 365 has also been the victim of intervention from malicious actors, cyber attacks and phishing attacks on multiple counts. Such attacks are often deployed by the user itself disguised as some familiar actor.
In remote working environments the security stands to be more compromised owing to multiple accesses at different points of time. With the use of a VPN, it is relatively easier for an outside device to breach the system. The data security issues in using Office 365 can be strengthened by taking an initiative to create a layered protection strategy. If you think there could be potential loop holes to your current protection strategy you can consider to pay some more attention to vital aspects of data protection.
Here are 3 key strategies that you can implement to protect data loss and strengthen data security are:
- Implement a solution with a long term foresight
It is important to select a security plan or solution which is suitable for a long term. Protection and retention of data for an extended period of time is significant for business use.
In Ms Office 365, a retention period of 3-months is made available for any data that is lost or deleted. This makes on the point recovery and restoration quite difficult.
To cover up this shortcoming, it is advisable to invest in a data retention solution that is long-term. This can help to restore and recover data and all that might be lost over an extended period of time.
- Incorporate third party data protection
When using Office 365, a complete autonomy is rendered to the user for the process of data protection. This includes critical threats such as phishing attacks, bugs, ransomware and other cyber attacks that your system can be subject to.
Relying on a third-party data protection solution can be a good strategy to obtain a layered protection for your system. Although Office 365 integrates the best security technology for cloud backups and disaster recovery, investing in third-party data protection can ensure that any attacks masked and channeled through the application itself can be detected and countered.
Implement a data protection tool that offers a thorough protection for different Office 365 services whether it is online sharing or conveyance over the cloud or virtual environments.
- Consider legal risks and compliance
A very important factor to consider while implementing the right security plans to mask threats is to ensure you are in compliance with the legal layout. Sometimes businesses dealing in information that are personally identifiable can get them into trouble in case of data loss or exposure.
Office 365 renders a Litigation Hold that helps to protect data against any legal consequences that might occur. However, a third-party tool should be implemented for a sure shot backup strategy. This can be a good way to cope with legal compliance issues pertaining to data exposure of your business data.
Conclusion
These are some strategies that can help you create an overall protection environment for all data loss and security issues. Remote working spaces can be thoroughly protected with a layered approach for Ms Office 365 protection and a general awareness to exert caution against any malicious actors that your system encounters. Undertake these strategies to render a complete protection strategy!