Microsoft 365 Basic: access to OneDrive advanced security features coming
Microsoft 365 Basic customers will soon gain access to advanced security features and non-security features. The newest Microsoft 365 Plan, established in early 2023, replaced the OneDrive Standalone plan in Microsoft's portfolio.
Both plans add 100 gigabyte of OneDrive cloud storage space, but Microsoft 365 includes additional benefits. These benefits include an ad-free Outlook experience and support access.
Microsoft 365 Basic is available for $19.99 per year or $1.99 per month.
When Microsoft announced the launch of Microsoft 365 Basic, it revealed plans to integrate advanced security features, available in the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans, into the Basic plan.
Tip: check out this guide if you ran into the dreaded your account is currently unavailable error on OneDrive.
Microsoft 365 Basic: new OneDrive features
This week, Microsoft announced a range of new products and features. Among the list was the long awaited feature update for Microsoft 365 Basic.
Microsoft writes: "As promised, we’re now adding the OneDrive advanced security features in our Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans to the Microsoft 365 Basic plan at no extra cost. Starting October 12, 2023, Microsoft 365 Basic subscribers will have access to OneDrive advanced security features like unlimited files in your Personal Vault, expiring sharing links, password-protected sharing links, files restore, and ransomware detection and recovery."
Starting on October 12, 2023, Microsoft 365 Basic customers will have access to the following features:
- OneDrive Personal Vault feature, established in 2019, is no longer limited in terms of files that users may put into the extra secured space. The storage space is secured by two-factor authentication and locks itself automatically after 20 minutes of inactivity. The current limit is three files, the same that free Microsoft account customers get.
- Shared links with expiration dates. Microsoft 365 Basic users may share links and set expiration dates for them, so that they auto-expire automatically.
- Ransomware detection and recovery alerts. If OneDrive detects ransomware, it will alert the account holder and offer to restore compromised files with safe copies.
- File Restore allows users to restore their entire OneDrive storage to a previous state "within the last 30 days". Microsoft explains that this may be used to "recover from accidental mass deletion, file corruption, ransomware, or other catastrophic events".
- Password-protected sharing links. Next to setting shared links to expire automatically, Basic users may also set a password to protect files against unauthorized access.
All the features will land on October 12, 2023 for all Microsoft 365 Basic customers. The price of the subscription remains the same.
