How can you embrace the benefits of cloud-based email and productivity solutions without compromising security or adding risk?
Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps, and other cloud-based productivity solutions are clearly transforming the way IT departments deliver apps and services to their users, and adoption of these solutions is continuing to grow Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated there are “nearly 50 million Office 365 monthly active users,”1 and a Microsoft Ignite 2015 session claimed 35% of the Microsoft Exchange installed base is now on Office 365 2 Gartner also predicts that by 2018, cloud office systems will achieve a total market penetration of 60% 3 This rapid and fairly dramatic move to cloud-based productivity solutions makes sense.
These hosted offerings provide users with new flexibility and more efficient ways to collaborate, and they offer businesses and IT departments significant cost savings and lower administrative overhead compared to traditional on-premiseapplications but what about security? Exactly how much protection do these next-generation cloud-based email and productivity solutions provide? Microsoft, Google, and other cloud vendors are quick to point out that their cloud-based email offerings include free anti- malware and DLP protection But how complete and effective are these built-in capabilities? And what else should you consider from a security standpoint as you contemplate the transition to cloud-based solutions like Microsoft Office 365?
Organizations obviously need solid answers to these questions before they can fully embrace cloud-based email and productivity apps And finding those answers means clearly understanding what today’s biggest email security threats are, accurately assessing how much protection today’s cloud-based email and productivity solutions can realistically provide, and knowing when and where to turn for additional security capabilities that can enhance and protect cloud-based mailbox solutionsmore...See more text