Phrases like ‘The Cloud’ and ‘Office 365’ are becoming familiar terms now. However, the spectres of data security breaches and cyberattacks are also being referred to more and more as well. Office 365 offers tremendous benefits to SMEs (see our article on the subject here), but how does it really stack up when it comes to privacy and security? We reckon there are ten rock solid reasons why your data is safe with Office 365…
Office 365 is stored on Microsoft’s servers in data centres at undisclosed locations. That’s right… the location of Microsoft’s data centres is undisclosed to the public. Of course, that doesn’t mean some people don’t know where the data centres are. But even if someone does, the physical security measures that Microsoft has in place include sophisticated technology like biometric access authorisation and motion sensors under video surveillance.
Connections to your data and applications are encrypted. End of. Not a hacker’s easy pickings.
Microsoft operates the Office 365 platform in such a way as to ensure that your details cannot be mined for advertising purposes.
Although Microsoft does take note of how you use Office 365, this data is never shared. Your usage is your business, and purely Microsoft’s opportunity to improve their offering. Nothing more.
We’re referring to Microsoft’s backups here, not a company’s individual backups. It’s important you set up your own backup procedure for data and files etc. as well so as to make it easier to restore data in the event of a disaster. However, to give you comfort, Microsoft also schedules regular backups at a data centre level. This means it’s more likely that your data can be recovered in the event of corruption etc.
Microsoft doesn’t delete everything the second you cancel. Instead, they provide you with limited access for 90 days to export your data.
This may not sound significant but with legal and regulatory requirements differing across locations, for some businesses this is critical. At the time of setting up your subscription, therefore, Microsoft enables you to choose the region your data is to be stored.
Office 365 ‘insists’ that your user passwords are less prone to brute force attacks. To strengthen your passwords, a combination of capitals and lower case, symbols and numerals can (and must) be used.
Though Office 365 is all about file sharing, Microsoft is mindful of the pitfalls involved with this. You can control what is seen and by whom, therefore, within your organisation.
Office 365 operates very satisfactorily from a data protection standpoint. Not only does Point 9 above evidence this, but Microsoft’s commitment re backups, strong password insistence, encrypted connectivity, and physical security bears this out too.
If you’d like to understand more about how Office 365 could work for your business, please give us a ring. We’d love the opportunity to put your mind at rest regarding data security.
