Microsoft 365 · Backup and recovery
Service group: Microsoft 365A copy of your Microsoft 365 data you can actually restore
Microsoft keeps its service running, but under its shared responsibility model, protecting your data from deletion, ransomware and mistakes is your job. We set up independent backup for Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams files, monitor it, and test restores.
At a glance
- Service
- Setup, monitoring and restore testing of a backup solution for Microsoft 365 mail, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams data
- Best suited to
- Canadian organizations of roughly 5 to 200 employees whose business records live in Microsoft 365
- Core inclusions
- Backup platform configuration, coverage of mailboxes, OneDrives and sites, job monitoring, restore requests and periodic restore tests (as scoped)
- Not included by default
- The backup platform subscription and storage, Microsoft licences, legal eDiscovery work and backup of systems outside Microsoft 365
- Pricing basis
- Management per user per month plus the backup subscription, proposed in a written quotation after discovery
- Data location
- Backup storage region confirmed with you in the proposal, including Canadian storage options where the chosen platform offers them
Why Microsoft 365 needs its own backup
Microsoft runs Microsoft 365 with resilient infrastructure and replicates data to keep the service available. That protects against Microsoft’s hardware failing. It does not give you a separate, long-term copy you control. Microsoft’s shared responsibility model makes the customer responsible for its own data, accounts and access.
Built-in features such as the recycle bin, deleted items, version history and retention policies help with recent mistakes, but they have limited windows, follow your configuration and can be affected by the same compromised admin account or ransomware that damaged the original data. When a departed employee’s mailbox is deleted or an attacker wipes a SharePoint library, you want a copy that sits outside those controls.
Our service selects or works with a backup platform, protects the right workloads, monitors every job and proves recovery through scheduled restore tests. Microsoft also offers its own pay-as-you-go Microsoft 365 Backup service, and we can help you compare it with third-party platforms.
Situations backup protects against
Accidental or malicious deletion
A user deletes a folder of client files, or a departing employee removes data, and the loss is noticed months later after retention windows have passed.
Ransomware in synced files
Encrypted files on a laptop sync back to OneDrive and SharePoint, overwriting good versions across many folders.
Compromised admin account
An attacker with administrator rights can delete mailboxes, sites and retention settings inside the tenant itself.
Licence removed too early
A leaver’s licence is removed and their mailbox and OneDrive are permanently deleted after Microsoft’s grace period.
What we provide
Platform selection and setup
A backup platform chosen for your size, storage region and retention needs, connected to your tenant with least-privilege access.
Workload coverage
Exchange Online mailboxes including shared mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, SharePoint sites and the sites behind Teams, with new users and sites added automatically where supported.
Retention design
Backup retention periods agreed with you to suit operational needs, separate from Microsoft 365 retention policies.
Monitoring
Daily review of backup job results during business days, with failures investigated and coverage gaps corrected.
Restores
Restore of individual emails, files, folders, mailboxes or sites on request, to the original location or an alternate one.
Restore testing
Scheduled test restores with the results recorded, so recovery is demonstrated rather than assumed.
What is included, and what needs separate scope
Typically included
- Backup platform configuration and tenant connection
- Coverage of mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, SharePoint and Teams sites in scope
- Backup job monitoring on business days
- Restore requests for covered users
- Quarterly restore tests with documented results
- Coverage reports when users or sites are added or removed
Requires separate scope or quotation
- Backup platform subscription and storage costs, unless written into your proposal
- Backup of servers, local devices or non-Microsoft SaaS applications
- eDiscovery, legal hold or litigation support
- Recovery of data lost before the backup was set up
- Teams chat backup where the chosen platform or Microsoft APIs do not support it
Components and platforms
- Exchange Online mailboxes, archives, calendars and contacts
- OneDrive for Business accounts
- SharePoint Online sites, including Teams-connected sites
- Microsoft 365 Backup (Microsoft’s own service) or established third-party backup platforms
- Microsoft 365 recycle bins, version history and Purview retention as complementary controls
- Immutable or separately secured backup storage where the platform supports it
Who this service suits
Firms with record-keeping obligations
Accounting, legal, healthcare and engineering businesses that must keep records for years and recover them on request.
Organizations with staff turnover
Businesses that need departed employees’ mail and files preserved without paying for licences indefinitely.
Ransomware-conscious teams
Organizations that want a recovery path independent of the tenant an attacker might control.
What you gain
- A copy of your Microsoft 365 data outside the tenant’s own controls
- Retention that matches your business needs rather than default windows
- Recovery from deletion, ransomware and admin mistakes
- Restore tests that show recovery works
- Simpler offboarding without keeping licences for data retention
How we set it up
Review data and needs
We list mailboxes, OneDrives and sites, current retention settings and how far back you need to recover.
Recommend a platform
We propose a backup platform, storage region and retention period with pricing in a written quotation.
Configure and seed
The platform is connected, workloads are selected and the first full backup completes.
Test
We perform initial restore tests of mail, files and a site, and record the results.
Monitor and maintain
Jobs are monitored, coverage reviewed and restore tests repeated on schedule.
Ways to buy
All arrangements are confirmed by a written quotation.
Microsoft 365 backup management
Recurring setup, monitoring and restore testing, with the platform subscription quoted alongside.
Backup Monitoring
Monitoring of an existing backup platform you already subscribe to.
Backup & Recovery Assessment
A fixed-scope review of your current backup coverage and recovery capability.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn’t Microsoft already back up our data?
Microsoft protects its service from infrastructure failure, but under its shared responsibility model your data and how it is retained are your responsibility. Built-in recovery features have limited windows and sit inside the same tenant.
Are retention policies the same as backup?
No. Retention policies keep content inside your tenant according to rules you set. They are useful, but an administrator, or an attacker with admin rights, can change them. Backup keeps an independent copy.
Where is our backup data stored?
That depends on the platform. We confirm the storage region in the proposal, including Canadian storage where the chosen platform offers it.
Can you back up Teams chats?
Teams files are stored in SharePoint and OneDrive and are covered. Chat backup depends on the platform and Microsoft’s APIs, so we confirm what is possible before you buy.
How often are restores tested?
Typically quarterly, as set in your scope. Results are recorded and shared so you can see recovery works.
Related services
Products and packages
Industries we support
Service areas
Further reading
Make sure your Microsoft 365 data can come back
Book a consultation to review your backup coverage and recovery needs. Pricing is confirmed in a written quotation.