Last October, Microsoft Office 365 reported 200 million active users.
Given the tech giant’s long legacy of Office programs like Word, Powerpoint, Outlook, and Excel, it’s little surprise that they’re still dominating the market.
As convenient as the cloud-based Office 365 is, if you’re not using the best practices for security, you might be putting your company at risk.
Luckily, there are a number of things you can do. Read on for the best tips you can use for protecting your email system and cloud data.
Strong Passwords Aren’t Enough
For decades, the best line of defense between your accounts and would-be saboteurs was a strong password.
Even some of the most powerful individuals on the planet have found themselves on the receiving end of a hacker due to an easy-to-guess password.
But even the strongest password might not be enough.
To really keep your Microsoft email system secure, you need to use Multi-Factor Authentication.
Multi-Factor Authentication, or MFA, uses a separate device in tandem with your login info to authorize attempts to access the account. One of the most common is a text message with a code.
While hackers might be able to guess a password, it’s far more likely that they’ll be able to steal your cell phone as well.
Training Matters
No matter how secure a program is (and Microsoft Mailbox and Office 365 are secure), they can’t compensate for user error.
If your employees don’t know what malware looks like, they could open the virtual door wide to all sorts of malignant data.
That’s why training your workers is of the utmost importance. Educate them about the proper safety protocols, with frequent reminders.
Say No to Auto-Forwarding
It can be difficult to manage several different email accounts.
Some people try to make it simpler by auto-forwarding all of their messages to a single inbox.
However, this might send messages (and company data!) into inboxes that aren’t nearly as well protected as your Microsoft email system. After all, Outlook has much more robust security protocols than Hotmail.
Office 365’s built-in security features—including the option to stop all auto-forwarding—are one of the reasons it’s so widely used.
Keep Your Own Back-Up
More people than ever are using cloud storage these days.
It’s easy to see why. Internal storage is precious, and cloud computing is a great way to maximize that space.
However, even the best cloud isn’t 100% reliable.
In the unfortunate event that there is a crash in your cloud server, the last thing you want is to lose all of your data.
Keep a physical backup onsite. Updating it over the weekend can keep you from losing too much work if the worst happens.
Need Help Managing Microsoft Office 365 Security?
Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most secure software suites around, but it’s not immune to security breaches, server outages, or good ol’ fashioned user error.
If you’re looking to make your business’s computer system as secure and efficient as possible, give us a call.
Pegasus Technologies is the IT Team for organizations that don’t need a full-time IT department. Our technology experts build you a technology plan to keep your business running at its best. We have offices in Kennett Square, PA, Media, PA, and Wayne, PA to provide better computer support and IT services to you.
