This is Part 1 of 4 in our awareness series on Microsoft 365 and cybersecurity for small to medium-sized businesses in South Africa.
Microsoft 365 remains as the #1 ranking office suite controlling 48% of the global market featuring a staggering 258 million-plus users.
Whilst just one specific Microsoft 365 app, MS Teams, saw user growth surging from 20 million in 2019 to 115 million in 2020 alone.
Equally so – Windows systems are also one of the leading targets for cyber-attacks.
100% of IT professionals reported they had seen Windows systems infected by ransomware, as reported in Datto’s State of the Channel Ransomware Report.
It’s the collaborative capabilities of Microsoft 365 that make cyber defence even more challenging.
Before Microsoft 365, you created a Word doc on your laptop, saved it on your system, then emailed it as an attachment to share outside your organization. Copies of your file could exist in several places: your laptop, your sent email, and the inbox of the recipient.
But now thanks to OneDrive sync, your files are in more places than ever. A manager that shares an Excel spreadsheet with colleagues can end up with copies on multiple computers across the company. Each person with viewing access will automatically have a copy synced to their own device.
So, if one employee device is hit by ransomware, infected files will be subsequently synced to the cloud and then among all other synced users too. The virus spreads rapidly and becomes the perfect scenario for a major data loss nightmare.
According to Kaspersky, South Africa saw more than 12 000 ransomware attacks in just the first half of 2021. Whilst the Interpol Cyberthreat Assessment Report places South Africa as the second most targeted country in Africa – with the average cost to remediate a ransomware attack amounting to R6.4 million in 2021.
It takes just one visit to a malicious site, one accidental download, or one infected attachment to unleash ransomware on your business.
It’s thus imperative for businesses that use Microsoft 365 to adopt strategies and tactics that will help reduce risk, protect networks and devices, and ultimately streamline rapid data recovery if ransomware hits. It requires a multi-layered approach involving:
- Comprehensive patch management.
- A DNS service with active cybersecurity monitoring and mitigation.
- Microsoft SmartScreen Polices for advanced protection filters.
- Configured anti-malware features in Microsoft 365.
- A clear mitigation and recovery plan for reducing malware spread, OneDrive and on-device recovery, backup restorations, and re-imaging.
In this article series, we will cover all this and moreover the coming months. Subscribe to our email newsletter to avoid missing out. Alternatively, give us a call on 031 812 9650 or email info@isite.co.za to learn more.
Any Questions on Microsoft 365 and Your Business?
iSite Computers is here to help.
We are an official Microsoft Partner and a managed IT services provider.
We help small to medium-sized businesses in South Africa with everything from setting up and migrating to Microsoft 365, management and maintenance, cybersecurity, backup, and recovery, as well as employee training.
We offer free, no-obligation consultations on Microsoft 365 and more. Book your consult online and we’ll call you back soon – or contact us directly to get started.
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