While file sync tools like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive do create a
second copy of files and folders, they are not a replacement for backup. File sync automatically copies changes to synchronized files. So, if a file or folder is infected with ransomware, the malware will automatically be copied to allsynced versions of that file.
File sync services do offer some restore capabilities via versioning, but they fall short of a true SaaS backup solution. Here’s why:
• Versions are not immutable recovery points. So, if a file is deleted, older versions of the file are deleted as well.
• Versioning doesn’t enable centralized management of user data. In other words, you don’t have control over backup and recovery—it’s left in the hands of end users.
• Versioning doesn’t maintain recovery points across files, folders, settings and users. If you only need to restore a couple of files, no big deal. But, large restores are a time-consuming, manual process. Beyond simply lacking the restore capabilities of a backup solution, file sync can actually introduce ransomware to SaaS applications. File sync and backup are not competitive solutions, rather they can and should be used side-by-side. Remember: file sync and share is for productivity and backup is for data protection and fast restore