Organizations require Office 365 data protection for a multitude of reasons, tailored to their specific business needs. These motivations encompass ensuring seamless operational continuity, adhering to regulatory compliance, and meeting diverse legal requirements. However, it is the potential cost of data loss that weighs most heavily on these enterprises. This cost encompasses financial repercussions, regulatory fines, legal expenses, security outlays, public relations expenditures, stock value depreciation, brand depreciation, reputational damage, and customer attrition. The cumulative impact of data loss can soar into the millions of dollars, imposing a significant burden on businesses and impacting their bottom line.
Organizations have recognized the vulnerability of cloud-stored data to potential loss, be it through ransomware attacks, malicious activities, or inadvertent data deletions. The previous misconceptions regarding responsibilities for data security and protection within Office 365 have largely been clarified.
The security of data on the platform is a joint responsibility, as outlined in Microsoft's Shared Responsibility Model, shared between Microsoft and the Microsoft 365 user. However, it falls squarely on the user's shoulders to ensure that this data is securely backed up with a professional solution and readily retrievable as needed.
How to Take Selective Backup of Office 365 Data?
If you've set up an Office 365 account within the Outlook application, you can utilize its built-in export feature to selectively save specific folders.
- In the Outlook application, you need to click File in the toolbar.
- In the Open & Export section, go to the Import/Export wizard.
- Click the ‘Export to a file’ option.
- To create a file of type, choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.
- The Export Outlook Data File page is crucial because you can select the folders whose data is vital. You can choose the folder easily. You can use the checkbox to add subfolders to it. Also, click Filter to select more minute data. After selecting the data, click Next.
- When you click the Browse button, then you can save the PST file at any defined location. The Options section helps you in managing the duplicate items. Then click Finish.
After taking a backup, you can go to the saved location and access the PST file there. But this method has many limitations because this method cannot take the selective backup of personal folders, archive mailbox, and shared mailbox. If the number of folders and emails is higher, then the process may take a significant time to complete. So, you should use professional backup software that can export Office 365 data to PST on your own terms, and Kernel Office 365 Backup software is the exact answer. The software can migrate an unlimited number of mailboxes from an Office 365 administrator account and save them in the desired backup file.
- When you start the software, you can add the Office 365 mailbox using the Add button.
- For Exchange Server name, type outlook.office365.com and input Mailbox Login ID and the Office 365 administrator password. Then choose the second option to list all mailboxes associated with the administrator. Click Get User Mailbox(es).
- The software will verify the mailboxes and enlist them for backup. Then you can click the Set Filter and Migrate option.
- Use the drop-down to select among primary mailbox, public folder, and archive mailbox in the Migrate Type Selection page. Then click Migrate.
- The Filter Selection page shows you all the filters that can select mailbox data based on several criteria like Date Filter, Item Filter, Exclude Deleted Folder, Exclude empty folders, save all data hierarchy into a new folder, set operation timeout, skip previously migrated items. Then click I am OK, Start Migration.
- There are multiple output formats (PST, MSG, HTML, MHTML, DOCX, DOC, PDF, EML) that you can select to save the Office 365 data. Click OK.
- Select the destination for the backup file. Click OK after selecting the backup.
- The software has taken the backup and shows that process is complete. You should click OK.
Conclusion
Office 365 mailboxes have a capacity of up to 50 GB, while Public folders, archive mailboxes, and shared mailboxes can accumulate data into multiple GBs. If you are dealing with these types of folders in your Office 365 accounts, manual backups become impractical. In such cases, opting for the Kernel Office 365 Backup Software is the ideal solution. This versatile tool not only supports backup Exchange Online mailbox to PST, but it also excels at handling large mailboxes. To provide a taste of its capabilities, a free version of the software is available, allowing you to export up to 10 items per folder and gain a clear understanding of its functionality.
