Microsoft 365 Backup | Is Acronis Right for You?

Have you ever feared losing your data because it wasn’t backed up correctly or felt threatened by the modern day-attackers who seem to get access to whatever data they want? Fear no longer, Acronis has your back! Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud has many features and uses that may become overwhelming without understanding the full picture. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about Acronis and its purpose.  

What is Acronis?

Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud unites backup and next-generation, AI-based anti-malware, antivirus, and endpoint protection management in one solution. Integration and automation provide ease for service providers — reducing complexity while increasing productivity and decreasing operating costs. It includes Full-image and file-level backup and recovery to safeguard workloads on more than 20 platforms – with near-zero RPOs and RTOs. Additionally, it features an advanced AI-based behavioural detection engine that stops malware, ransomware, and zero-day attacks on client workloads. Finally, it integrates data protection, cybersecurity, and endpoint management into a single solution with centralized management.  

Acronis also allows for seamless integration with RMM and PSA systems. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud combines backup, anti-malware (including anti-virus, anti-ransomware, and anti-cryptojacking), as well as security and management capabilities such as vulnerability assessments, patch management, URL filtering, and more. Now service providers can eliminate complexity and make security a CenterPoint of their offerings while increasing SLAs, decreasing churn, and generating more recurring revenue. This solution can provide upgraded security with integrated AI-based defenses that protect customers from modern threats. It allows you to make smarter uses of resources so your team can focus on customers and earn new recurring revenues and higher margins that strengthen your business. Acronis Cyber Protect simplifies onboarding, daily operations, and reporting, and combats advanced attacks with new use cases enabled by integration. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud makes it easy to deliver the modern cyber protection your customers seek. 

Acronis provides: 

Acronis active protection technology 

This award-winning anti-ransomware technology features built-in automatic recovery from ransomware and is now enhanced with AI-based static and behavior anti-malware analysis focused on zero-day threats. 

#CyberFit score 

Acronis #CyberFit Score assesses and scores a set of security metrics to identify gaps and then provides recommendations for how you can improve their overall security. You can increase security posture by addressing the gaps in the IT environment. 

Vulnerability assessments 

You can scan client machines for vulnerabilities to ensure that all applications and operating systems are up-to-date and can’t be exploited by cybercriminals. 

Monitoring and reporting 

Simplified, at-a-glance reporting helps streamline operations while giving your technicians the insight they need to support your clients. You can customize your dashboard’s widgets to view a wide range of reports – enabling you to quickly identify and remediate problems. 

Centralized protection plans and group management  

Ease administrative efforts with the ability to group manage multiple workloads and provides centralized protection plans that include all security configurations that can be applied to multiple endpoints across your client’s organization. 

Secure file sync and share 

This ensures productivity by offering convenient, secure file sync and share capabilities. Users can securely create, edit, and share content using their own devices with pay-as-you-go pricing. 

Notarization 

This gives clients the ability to notarize any type of file, which generates a certificate with immutable, publicly verifiable proof of the file’s timestamp, integrity, and authenticity. Based on a pay-as-you-go pricing model. 

Multi-tier and multi-tenant management  

Count on optimal administrative efficiency: create client or partner accounts in seconds, customize unique offerings, and manage quotas, features and administrative privileges using vertical grouping.

 

Additional features

Protection for remote workers 

You can minimize the rising risk of cyberattacks for remote workers with multiple protection capabilities – including prioritized patching and protection for mission-critical telecommute apps (Zoom, WebEx, MS Teams, Slack, Skype, TeamViewer), remote device wipe, and secure desktop remote connectivity. 

Multiple backup types 

Acronis can back up disks/volumes (with all information required for the operating system to boot), individual files or folders, system states (for Microsoft Windows systems), or ESXi configurations. 

Flexible backup storage options 

Comply with the requirements of different clients with flexible storage options. Back up to Acronis-hosted cloud storage, public clouds such as Google Cloud Storage or Microsoft Azure, your own cloud storage, or local networked storage. 

Device and port control 

Strengthen data security and prevent leakage of sensitive information via local channels with granular, context-aware controls over user access to locally connected devices and ports, and data operations related to them – even for virtual sessions. 

Clipboard control 

Prevent data leakage in its earliest stage by controlling data transfers between applications and documents. Allow or block user access to objects of different data types copied to the clipboard, even for redirected BYOD devices in virtualized sessions. 

Device control 

support of encrypted removable media and screenshot capture access. Eliminate the risk of data leaks with encrypted removable media and screenshot capture control. This enables users to keep sensitive information within their organization – should a removable device get in the wrong hands or prevent screenshots from being copied to the clipboard.  This will keep your clients’ sensitive data safe and secure. 

Acronis instant restore 

Cut RTOs to as little as 15 seconds with a built-in capability to restore a system by booting it as a virtual machine directly from the backup, without moving any data. 

Acronis universal restore 

Reduce the time spent on recovery tasks. Acronis Universal Restore makes recovery to dissimilar hardware faster by detecting the machine type and auto-installing appropriate drivers for the hardware. 

Google Workspace data protection 

Safeguard client data stored in Gmail, Drive (including Team Drives), Contacts, and Calendar by backing it up to ensure fast, reliable recovery. 

Complete Microsoft 365 protection 

Protect data in Microsoft Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online with comprehensive cloud-to-cloud backup and restore. 

Backup encryption 

Maintain regulatory compliance and strengthen data protection by securing your backups with AES-256 data encryption for data in transit and at rest, so only you have access. 

Deduplication 

Minimize storage requirements by detecting data repetition in backups and only storing identical data once. Deduplication also reduces network load as duplicate data isn’t transferred over the network to the backup storage. 

Auto-discovery and remote installation 

Simplify the onboarding process by installing multiple agents at once – in the cloud and on-premises. With network-based and Active Directory-based discovery, your technicians can easily install and apply protection plans remotely – keeping your clients safer. 

Predefined protection plans  

Protect your clients’ remote and office workers quickly and easily by choosing one of three preconfigured protection plans. These options save you time while ensuring that your clients’ workloads and environments are protected. 

Remote desktop assistance 

Enable secure, off-site access to machines to ease remote work for users or provide technical assistance to clients with built-in remote desktop capabilities. 

Hardware inventory collection 

Save time and effort with an up-to-date hardware inventory. Discover all hardware assets with automatic and on-demand scans. Create hardware inventory reports, browse and filter records by multiple criteria and auto-delete them once a machine or tenant is removed. 

Electronic signing 

Strengthen process compliance by allowing clients and their third parties to e-sign documents with publicly verifiable proof of the timestamp and authenticity of the signature. Based on pay-as-you-go pricing. 

Test failover in isolated network environments 

Verify the integrity and efficiency of disaster recovery plans by executing them via the web console in an isolated network environment, without disrupting other processes. 

Point-to-site VPN connection

Enable clients to quickly and easily access files from the local site or the cloud. With the Business VPN feature, clients on DR-enabled tenants can establish a secure connection to the corporate network with their personal devices so they can access the data they need. 

Firewall policies management: Easily manage firewall policies on your clients’ behalf for their disaster recovery servers through the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud console. This enables you to simplify the support process and manage outbound and inbound firewall policies. 

Straightforward pay-as-you-go pricing 

100% pay-per-use licensing model and free functionalities. Per-GB and per-seat/per-device licensing types are available. 

Integration with PSA and RMM systems 

Deliver services instantly using native integrations with ConnectWise (Automate, Manage, Control), Atera, Autotask, Kaseya, cPanel, HostBill, CloudBlue, Plesk, and WHMCS. 

Integration with custom systems 

Assimilate systems by leveraging a powerful RESTful management API or enable integration via the Acronis Cyber Backup Cloud Application Packaging Standard (APS). 

Immutable storage 

Prevent accidental or malicious deletion of clients’ backups and increase compliance by configuring the number of days that deleted data should be retained to enable easy recovery of deleted backups via the management console. 

 

Why should you choose Acronis?   

Now that you understand Acronis and all its features, you might ask “why should I choose Acronis for Backup and Data Protection?”. Great question, Acronis provides solution flexibility, safety & security as well as complete data protection. It allows you to back up and access company data anywhere and at any time while ensuring your data is protected. The data stored is backed up quickly and efficiently and can be retrieved whenever you need it. Its advanced ransomware protection helps defend company data against malicious threats and ensures that your data is accessible to your organization only. With Acronis, you can work safely and efficiently while ensuring your mind is at ease.