By: Marc Schwartz, President of Ozone IT Services.
Is Microsoft Office a security risk? Yes—Microsoft Office can be a significant security risk if it is not properly patched, monitored, and backed up. Office applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and OneDrive handle core business data, so they are heavily targeted by phishing and ransomware attackers, who frequently exploit unpatched vulnerabilities and compromised credentials to gain access, spread malware, and encrypt data across an organization.
Microsoft protects the platform itself, but customers are responsible for securing their Office environment, including patching, backup, and recovery. Without independent backups and regular patching, a Microsoft Office breach can result in data loss, extended downtime, and major business disruption.
Microsoft Office is the backbone of modern business. Contracts, financials, engineering documentation, HR records, client communications, and operational plans all live inside Outlook, Excel, Word, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Yet in many organizations, Microsoft Office is treated as “standard software”—not as critical infrastructure that requires its own cybersecurity and recovery strategy.
That oversight is costing companies millions.
Why Microsoft Office is Often Targeted by Cybercriminals
Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report highlights that Microsoft processes more than 100 trillion security signals daily, blocks ~4.5 million new malware attempts every day, and screens ~5 billion emails daily for malware and phishing—attack vectors closely associated with Office document exploitation.
Microsoft’s own threat intelligence shows that over 52% of cyberattacks with known motives are driven by ransomware and extortion, underscoring the financial prioritization attackers place on business-critical data and systems. Cybercriminals target Microsoft Office across industries because:
- Office tools are used daily by employees across the organization
- Phishing emails commonly deliver malicious Office attachments
- Unpatched Office vulnerabilities allow remote code execution
- Cloud-based Office data is often assumed to be “automatically protected”
This combination makes Microsoft Office one of the most exploited entry points in business environments.
Why Office Gets Overlooked by Company Leaders
Office is familiar and ubiquitous, so it doesn’t feel like “critical infrastructure.” It lives in the gray area between productivity tools and enterprise systems, and it spans IT, business units, and end users. This fractured ownership often means:
- Patch windows get delayed.
- Backup policies ignore user environments.
- Executives don’t see Office in IT risk reports.
But Office is core business data, and attackers know it.
Unpatched Microsoft Office = Open Door for Attackers
Unpatched Office applications are one of the most widely exploited security gaps. Threat intelligence shows that across many cybercriminal campaigns, attackers rely on office document exploits and phishing attachments to gain initial access and deploy malware. According to cybersecurity research, Office applications, including Excel and Word, account for some of the most frequently abused software vulnerabilities. When Office isn’t patched:
- Attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities to execute malicious code.
- Malware can spread from one computer to others across your network, turning one infected device into a company-wide problem.
- Credential theft and ransomware escalation paths are widened.
- Compromised business emails are far more likely.
No Backup = No Recovery
Most businesses assume Microsoft 365 protects their data automatically. Microsoft’s shared responsibility model clarifies that customers are responsible for data protection and recovery. Without independent backup and retention policies, deleted, corrupted, or maliciously encrypted files may be unrecoverable.
Real-world ransomware outcomes demonstrate this risk clearly: organizations that lack verified backups often face weeks of downtime, pay higher recovery costs, or suffer permanent data loss. With average ransomware recovery expense now in the millions, the lack of reliable restore capability is no longer just an IT issue; it’s a strategic business risk.
Why “It’s in the Cloud” Is Not the Same as “It’s Recoverable"
Cloud backups alone are not enough to recover from Microsoft Office breaches because Microsoft operates under a shared responsibility model: they protect the platform, not your data, retention policies, or recovery outcomes. When Office 365 data is deleted, encrypted, or corrupted through phishing, ransomware, or insider misuse, recovery depends on how often your data was independently backed up, whether it was immutable, and if restores were ever tested.
Microsoft Office holds your most critical business data, yet it is often unpatched, lightly monitored, and excluded from enterprise-grade backup strategies, making it one of the most exploited entry points for attackers. Treating Office as critical infrastructure, with dedicated patching, independent backups, and verified recovery, closes a major and often overlooked cybersecurity gap.
Business Impact
When Microsoft Office is compromised or inaccessible:
- Contracts disappear or cannot be verified,
- Financial reporting stalls,
- Production planning and scheduling grind to a halt,
- Regulatory compliance records may be lost,
- Customer trust erodes.
This is not a theoretical concern. It is a measurable business continuity threat.
Where BaaS and PaaS Change the Outcome
Patching-as-a-Service (PaaS) ensures Microsoft Office stays up to date with security patches and configuration hardening by reducing exploitable vulnerabilities and blocking common entry vectors.
Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) provides independent, immutable backups of Microsoft 365 data (including SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, and Teams), enabling:
- Clean, verified recovery after ransomware,
- Recovery from accidental or malicious deletion,
- Restore of previous versions of critical files,
- Compliance with data retention and audit requirements.
Together, BaaS and PaaS turn what was a silent risk into a managed, measurable asset.
How Ozone Makes This Simple
Ozone IT Services manages both patching and backup operations for Microsoft Office environments, relieving internal teams of tactical burden while improving business resilience. Ozone provides:
- Continuous patch management
- Immutable, independent backup retention
- Verified restore testing
- Audit-ready compliance documentation
- 24/7 monitoring and alerting
This removes the guesswork from protecting Office environments. Your business can operate with confidence, knowing that its most valuable data is patch-hardened and backed up securely.
Microsoft Office is where your business lives. Protecting it is not optional, and Ozone makes it operational. Contact us to learn how we can help secure your Microsoft Office environment.
Marc Schwartz is the President of Ozone IT Services and brings over 30 years of experience designing and securing IT infrastructure, with deep specialization in Backup as a Service (BaaS), Patching as a Service (PaaS), and cybersecurity for manufacturing environments. Known for his ability to eliminate the chaos of ransomware and cyber disruptions, Marc helps manufacturers stay secure, operational, and profitable by solving problems before they happen and building systems that keep businesses running when it matters most.
Securing What's Next
Let’s talk about how PaaS can strengthen your security posture and keep you audit-ready—every day of the year. Contact Us
