Microsoft 365 Backup Solutions

Microsoft operates a “shared responsibility” model which is based on the premise that data security is a shared responsibility between the provider (Microsoft) and the customer. It clearly defines the responsibilities of Microsoft and its customers when it comes to ensuring the security and availability of data services in the cloud. 

Microsoft’s Responsibilities 

Microsoft accepts responsibility for ensuring the security and availability of the cloud infrastructure, including: 

• Datacentres 
• Networks 
• Underlying hardware and software 

Customer Responsibilities 

The customer is responsible for securing their own data and applications, including: 

• Controlling who has access to their data 
• Configuring security settings 
• Managing user accounts 
• Monitoring and responding to security incidents within their own cloud environment 

Limited Retention Periods 

While Microsoft does backup 365 data, those backups are only held for a short period of time (around 90 days depending on your subscription) before it’s permanently deleted. And if you do need to recover any data within the retention period, it can be difficult and time consuming to search for and track down the specific file or data set you need to restore.  

User License Management 

When customers delete a user account, any files, documents or other data created and owned by that account are also deleted. This can cause serious problems if key staff members leave the business. Having all data backed up to a dedicated system for Microsoft 365 means that user licenses can be removed from your Microsoft account without fear of losing critical business documents or data. 

5 Good reasons to have your own Microsoft 365 Backup 

• Protection against accidental (or malicious) deletion of corporate files and data 
• Protection against hardware failure 
• Protection against cyber threats 
• You control retention periods and frequency of backups 
• Easily find and restore data, from individual files to full systems