WELCOME TO THE JUNE 2025 NEWSLETTER

Cyber Scoop is KeyStone Solutions monthly newsletter about the latest trends, topics, and articles relating to cybersecurity. As a Managed Service Security Provider (MSSP), KeyStone’s expert team helps small to medium sized businesses with IT services including virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), cybersecurity, help desk support, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), cloud solutions, and KeyStone’s signature service, IT Team as a Service (ITTaaS) which is an all-encompass solution.

From The Desk of the CISO

Why You Should Consider a Secondary Backup for Your Microsoft 365 Environment.

By Rob Ashcraft, CISO at KeyStone Solutions

It’s common for small businesses to assume that Microsoft 365 natively provides all the data protection they need. While Microsoft offers robust infrastructure and uptime, its primary responsibility is the availability of the service itself, not the granular recovery of individual user data from every conceivable scenario. This shared responsibility model often leads to a false sense of security, leaving businesses vulnerable to data loss events that Microsoft’s built-in features are not designed to prevent or remediate. Therefore, understanding the limitations of Microsoft’s native backup is the crucial first step for any small business serious about data resilience.

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

Commentary by KeyStone’s Rob Ashcraft

An article in Biz Tech Magazine is a great quick read and offers a good overview about the importance of having a comprehensive backup strategy for your critical data.  To develop an effective backup and recovery plan, the article recommends a structured approach that would include conducting a data assessment, identifying critical information, prioritizing data, and selecting the appropriate backup solutions. Additionally, the article advises small businesses to implement security controls for backup systems such as data encryption and restoration testing to verify reliability. The article concludes by encouraging businesses to collaborate with expert partners to refine their strategies and to continuously evolve their data protection plans to adapt to changing operational needs and threat landscapes.

Here are my key takeaways:

• Implement the 3-2-1 Backup Rule – Maintain three copies of data on two different backup types with one immutable copy stored in a geo-diverse location.
• Automate Backup Processes – Utilize software that automates backup operations and recovery tests to ensure data integrity.
• Differentiate Between Backups and Replication – Understand that backups are protected “cold copies,” while replication involves “hot copies” of production data.
• Integrate Backups into a Disaster Recovery Plan – Develop a comprehensive plan that outlines steps for data restoration during various incidents.
• Collaborate with Expert Partners – Seek assistance from professionals to tailor your backup and recovery strategy.

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