Did you know that the number one cause of data loss in the cloud isn't hackers or ransomware - it's accidental deletion by employees?
We recently hosted the second session of our Compliance Unlocked series: "Protecting Google Workspace: Ensuring Business Continuity with CloudM Backup."
Hosted by Cloudasta withe the collaboration of CloudM, the session dove deep into the misconceptions surrounding cloud security, the critical "protection gap" left by native tools, and why a dedicated backup solution is essential for business continuity.
If you missed the live session, here are the key takeaways.
1. The "Shared Responsibility Model" Explained
One of the most dangerous misconceptions in cloud computing is the belief that "because it's in Google, it's automatically backed up."
The session opened by clarifying the Shared Responsibility Model.
Google's Responsibility: Security of the cloud. Google ensures the infrastructure is secure, the hardware is running, and the applications are available.
Your Responsibility: Security in the cloud. You are responsible for your data, including protecting it from accidental deletion, malicious insiders, and corruption.
As we explained, "Tools like CloudM Backup are considered a way for you to enhance the security into your accounts," filling the gap that Google's infrastructure protection doesn't cover.
2. Myth-Busting: Google Vault vs. Backup
A major focus of the webinar was debunking the myth that Google Vault is a backup solution.
Google Vault is an eDiscovery and archiving tool. It is designed to retain data for legal holds and investigations. While it preserves data, restoring it is a manual, time-consuming process that often results in a loss of folder structure and metadata.
The "Trash" Folder is not a backup plan. Google's standard security policy permanently deletes items from the Trash after 30 days. Once that window closes (plus a short 25-day admin restoration window), the data is gone forever.
3. The Three Real-World Threats to Your Data
The team highlighted three specific scenarios where native tools fail:
Human Error: This is the most frequent threat. A user deletes a file or folder by mistake, and the loss goes unnoticed until after the 30-day recovery window has passed.
Disgruntled Employees: Ernesto highlighted a common, unfortunate scenario: "Somebody leaves the company... they are angry... they go and delete information." If this malicious deletion isn't caught immediately, the data is lost before the company even realizes it's missing.
Ransomware: Without a dedicated backup, a ransomware attack that encrypts your live Drive files can leave you with no clean version to restore.
4. The Solution: A Live Look at CloudM Backup
CloudM provided a technical demo of their Backup tool, showcasing how it solves these challenges through granular control and rapid restoration.
Key features demonstrated included:
Bring Your Own Storage: Flexibility to use Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or AWS storage buckets.
Granular Policies: The ability to set specific retention periods and backup frequencies (e.g., every hour vs. every 8 hours) based on the importance of the data.
Itemized Restoration: Unlike Vault, CloudM allows you to "restore a specific file for a specific user," maintaining the original file type and permissions.
Cross-User Restore: A critical feature for offboarding. If an employee leaves, their entire Drive can be restored directly to their manager's account, ensuring business continuity.
5. Q&A Highlight: Migration vs. Backup
During the Q&A, an attendee asked a crucial question: "We currently backup our users through the Cloudasta email migration tool. Is this more encompassing?"
The Verdict: While migration tools can archive emails up to a certain point, they are static. CloudM Backup is dynamic and encompassing. It protects the entire Google Workspace suite—Mail, Drive, Shared Drives, Calendars, Contacts, and Chat—continuously, ensuring you always have a recent, restorable copy of your active environment.
