N-able: Cyberattacks on Microsoft 365 Security Up 56%

MSPs around the world saw a 56% increase in cyberattacks on Microsoft 365 domains in 2024, according to new data presented by N-able.

The IT management provider just released its 2024 Horizons Report. The report surveyed more than 350 B2B channel partners, 15 of who the company interviewed for the report. The respondents reported a significant increase in disaster recovery events related to Microsoft 365. More MSPs offered backup services for Microsoft 365 with N-able's cloud data protection service, Cove, in 2024, a 46% increase overall. These accounts protected an estimated 2.2 million 365 million users with Cove, N-able claims, and that protection affected 42 petabytes of data.

N-able's Chris Groot

“Backup has been a necessity for 30 years, and the need remains to protect against accidental data deletion or insider threats. However, with cyberattacks not only increasing, but becoming more sophisticated, MSPs need a backup architecture that is ransomware-resilient,” said Chris Groot, GM of Cove Data Protection at N-able. “MSPs understand that ransomware organizations have been very vocal about their ability to compromise basic backup, and we’ve seen cases where known backup file extensions are specifically targeted. The ever-growing dangers of ransomware and cyberattacks cause businesses a great deal of anxiety, and MSPs need to position themselves as trusted advisors to help identify the right tools and solutions to protect businesses in the best way.” 

Other IT providers have also reported growing worries about ransomware.

Dynacom's Simon Beckett

“Ransomware continues to be one of our biggest concerns when it comes to protecting our customers,” said Simon Beckett, director of U.K.-based DynaCom IT Support. “Being able to effectively protect Microsoft 365 data, which is one of the highest areas of risk when it comes to this type of attack, is critical. In addition, the uptick in compliance requirements mandates this level of protection on many fronts."

Cyberattacks on Microsoft 365 Are Constant

N-able's report seems to corroborate a recent report from Critical Start's cyber research unit, which claimed that more than 3,400 high and critical cyber alerts were reported in the first half of 2024. That's 46% more attacks in 2024 than the previous year, according to Critical Start.

N-able added new vendors to its technology program in early August, a decision it hopes will encourage innovation in the MSP space. These include the backup oversight tool Bocada, alert management software from AlertOps, conversational-focused customer ticketing tool DeskDay, anti-phishing solution PIXM, and  centralized documentation tool Hudu.