Hidden Threats: How Microsoft 365 Backups Store Risks for Future Attacks

Acronis Threat Research Unit reports that in a sample of over 300,000 Microsoft 365 seats using only built‑in protections, backups contained more than 2 million malicious/suspicious URLs and over 5,000 malware instances, demonstrating that native controls alone are insufficient. Emphasizing the shared-responsibility model and the danger of threats persisting in backups, the report urges MSPs and IT teams to adopt layered defenses—secure, scanning-enabled backups, advanced email and collaboration-app security, regular security audits, and ongoing user awareness training.