How Druva addresses challenges for data protection with Microsoft 365 Backup Storage

The cloud has revolutionized how we work, more specifically how we collaborate. Microsoft 365 is a leading collaboration SaaS backup application used by enterprises large and small across all segments. One critical concern for customers using collaboration applications is the need to protect their enterprise data from accidental deletion and ransomware attacks. Druva has addressed this by delivering a solution that scales from 10 to 100K+ users and is market-proven to protect Microsoft 365 data across 3M+ users in 5000+ enterprises. 

Microsoft's recent announcement of the Microsoft 365 Backup Storage program to protect Microsoft 365 opens a new set of opportunities, empowering us to build more robust data backup solutions for our customers with a very short (15 minute) recovery window. Druva is proud to work on this new initiative to backup critical Microsoft 365 applications like Exchange Online, OneDrive, and SharePoint Online. 

This blog introduces you to the solution Druva offers to protect critical data using Microsoft 365 Backup Storage.

About Druva and Microsoft 365 Backup Storage

So what’s great about Druva’s integration with Microsoft 365 Backup Storage?

With this solution, customers can make frequent backup snapshots, with RPOs of 10 to 15 mins, within a day. Microsoft 365 Backup Storage service stores these backup snapshots according to the data's geographic location within its security boundary. Thus, you will also be able to restore large volumes of data in less time. 

This would be available for Exchange Online, OneDrive, and SharePoint Online. 

Why is Microsoft 365 Data Protection Strategy Important?

Organizations around the world are overwhelmed with creating an effective security strategy to protect their Microsoft 365 data and reduce the risks and impact of cyber-attacks. 

A cyber-attack or malicious deletion causes data loss. This would disrupt business services and the organization's brand image. Organizations must take recommended security measures to reduce the impact of cyber-attacks. It also safeguards them from federal and insurance non-compliance. 

Role of Microsoft 365 Backup Storage 

Data protection using a backup solution is one of the core responsibilities of an effective security strategy. However, even with a backup solution, organizations must continue to consider: 

1. Are backups reliable? Are they working?

2. What is the data loss between actual recovery time and recovery point?

3. How much time is required to get the Business up and running?

Microsoft 365 Backup Storage service promises: 

1. Frequent backup snapshots. This reduces the gap between actual recovery time and recovery point. 

2. A speedy recovery even with a large volume of data and deployment. 

3. Bulk restore support. 

Imagine a large number of SharePoint Sites getting impacted due to a ransomware attack. Microsoft 365 Backup Storage would accelerate the entire recovery process by quickly recovering large volumes of data. 

How to use Druva’s Solution for Microsoft 365 Storage Solution

We plan to release a preview version of Druva's solution for Microsoft 365 Backup Storage. 

1. The preview version would be available only to interested customers. They can explore this new capability of backup and restore and provide feedback on customer experience and desired functionalities. 

2. The solution’s general availability (GA) timeline would depend on Microsoft's GA timeline for the Microsoft 365 Backup Storage service. 

3. The features at the time of the preview release might differ compared to the GA version. 

You will be able to start using this service within the Druva Resiliency Cloud with only a few clicks. The admin would need a Microsoft 365 tenant registration.

After successful registration, configure Exchange Online mailboxes for backup. The protection plan will configure users to start backing up every 10 seconds. The default retention is for 1 year.

Admins would be able to review all protected mailboxes. They can also see the current protection status. To restore, select the exchange mailboxes and trigger the restore flow.

Once you trigger the restore, check the restore activities in live sessions.

You can protect OneDrive accounts and SharePoint sites in a similar way.

Conclusion

This new development Druva is pursuing on the Microsoft 365 Backup Storage platform for Microsoft 365 workloads addresses a critical concern in today's cloud-centric work environments — data protection. With a scalable solution that caters to a wide range of users, Druva empowers businesses with robust and secure data backup options. The integration with Microsoft 365 Backup Storage offers small and large enterprises the ability to make frequent backup snapshots with a short recovery point objective, ensuring data resilience for Exchange Online, OneDrive, and SharePoint Online. 

Furthermore, by building a more comprehensive data security strategy, organizations can better prepare for potential risks and negate the impact of cyber-attacks. The Microsoft 365 Backup Storage service is positioned as a key component in this strategy, promising frequent snapshots, speedy recovery, and bulk restore support. Beyond data recovery of Microsoft 365, Druva offers a comprehensive, unified platform that protects and secures your endpoints, SaaS Applications (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce), file servers, databases, virtual machines (VMware VM, Nutanix AHV, Amazon EC2, Azure VMs) and adds an extra layer of security by identifying unusual data activity, quarantining infected backup copies, and ensuring the restoration of only clean versions of data to prevent reinfection. 

Overall, this collaboration provides businesses with a comprehensive solution to enhance their data protection and security posture in the cloud era. To learn more about Druva’s Microsoft 365 capabilities, visit the Microsoft 365 page of Druva's site.