Does Microsoft Back Up Microsoft 365?

01The shared responsibility model

In every cloud service the provider and the customer split the work. Microsoft runs the infrastructure, keeps the service available and replicates data so a failed disk or data center does not lose it. The customer is responsible for their accounts, their data and who is allowed to change or delete it.

Replication copies every change, good or bad. When a user deletes a folder, or ransomware encrypts synced files, those changes replicate too.

02What built-in features cover

03What to back up

• Exchange Online mailboxes, including shared mailboxes, calendars and contacts
• OneDrive for every user, including people who have left
• SharePoint sites and document libraries
• Teams channel files and conversations
• Configuration and settings, where your backup tool supports it

04Choosing a Microsoft 365 backup

• Copies kept outside your tenant, or protected so a compromised admin cannot delete them
• Granular restore of a single email, file or folder as well as whole mailboxes and sites
• Retention set to your business and compliance needs
• Automatic protection for new users and new sites
• Reports on failed, incomplete and successful backups

Microsoft now sells its own Microsoft 365 Backup service alongside third-party options, each with different restore speeds, retention and storage locations. The right fit depends on how much data you hold and how quickly you would need it back.

05How we help

Microsoft 365 administration comes with every supported user, including offboarding, so data is handed over before an account is removed. When you ask for a quote, tell us about your Microsoft 365 data and we will include it in your backup and disaster recovery plan, alongside the local and offsite backup strategy, monitoring and restore testing.

How managed backup works