Managing Access Controls for Backup Data in Microsoft 365

“Oh no, UNDO, UNDO, UNDO!”

This is the thought racing through the mind of a junior-level employee who has just inadvertently wiped out the entire retention policy for all the data your company stores. You might think that this is a story that could never transpire on your watch, but you’d be surprised by how commonplace it really is. One small mistake, and suddenly you have months or even years of hard work flushed down the drain. This is why it is more pressing than ever before to look at implementing security measures that go beyond what Microsoft 365 offers on its native platform. Those controls may be a good place to start, but you need to go further than that.

The Anatomy of Access Control in Microsoft 365 Backups

If you don’t want an intern with little to no experience in data security ruining your whole day, then you will need to work on creating a security system that keeps access to sensitive files restricted to only those who have a true need to tap into them. Otherwise, you run the risk of any random person within your organization causing a massive disaster that you must clean up behind them.

Role-based access control (RBAC) means restricting access to certain programs or certain elements of certain programs to only those who truly need to tap into them. This may mean that you need to look at conditional access or requiring certain levels of privileged access before any one individual can get into those programs. This helps keep access to sensitive information limited only to those who truly need to use it on a regular basis.

Best Practices for Securing Backup Data Access

Plenty of leaders have gone before you and determined some of the best ways to keep backup data safe and restrict access to those who truly need it. A few of the best practices that you can borrow from them include:

• Audit Logs and Access Alerts – Having a record of who has accessed certain information and when they did so can help you stay on top of who has their fingers in the cookie jar so to speak. It also means you can slap away those hands that aren’t supposed to be there!

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – There is a good chance that you are already familiar with MFA simply because it is so broadly used on a personal level these days. Multi-factor authentication is helpful in that it requires an extra layer of verification before one can access any given database.

The reality is that no one should have access to all databases and files at all times. There should never be a so-called “God mode” that offers such grand access. That is how databases can become compromised and no longer valuable.

Tools and Features Supporting Access Control

A craftsman is nothing without his tools of the trade. So too is it true that there is no great way to maintain control and access over your databases without using certain technological tools. One such tool is Microsoft Purview, and many have found it to be extremely effective at implementing access controls. It offers the kind of protections that you need over your databases.

In particular, you will want to use these tools to help protect the most sensitive backup policies that you have. Otherwise, you will always run the risk of not having those policies protected.

MSP and Partner Access Management

If players referee their own game, fouls go uncalled and rules bend in favor of convenience. The game only works when an impartial referee enforces the rules consistently. An MSP serves as the referee for partner access—neutral, consistent, and focused on the integrity of the system.

An MSP can keep an eye on things from an unbiased standpoint and offer quarterly reviews and audits to help you better understand how your security is holding up and what types of changes (if any) you might need to consider.

Compliance Requirements That Drive Access Controls

You aren’t merely putting in security measures around your data just to keep it safe. Rather, there are actual compliance requirements that you must adhere to in many cases. Among the policy regulations to keep an eye out for include: CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, and HIPAA, and GDPR. These are all sets of regulations that apply in various industries and to various organizations. It is in your best interest to check them all out and see which ones apply to your circumstances.

What you will find within these regulations are specific measures that you need to take to remain compliant. Use that as your guidepost for how you will set up your access controls and other security features. This is an excellent way to make sure you check all the boxes that you need to check as far as compliance is concerned.

Continuous Monitoring and Access Improvement

Wouldn’t you like to know the moment that there is a change to the level of access that an individual within your organization has to certain databases? Well, you can set up automated alerts to let you know the moment that there is a change to the permissions granted to any individual who operates under your umbrella. You can then respond to said alerts as necessary if there appears to be anything fishy going on.

Maintain Full Access Control and Permissions for Backup Integrity

The only way that you can truly maintain backup integrity is to ensure that you constantly maintain full access control at every point in the process. This also means staying on top of the permissions that you grant to every member of your organization. If complete backup integrity is what you seek, then you should strive to take these steps and put yourself in a position where you always know what is going on with all of your databases.

For more information on how to get started, please reach out and contact us today.