Microsoft recommends you back up your own Microsoft 365 (M365) data.
Surprised? Most organisations are.
If you use Microsoft 365, you already benefit from one of the most reliable and secure cloud platforms available. But even with Microsoft’s robust service availability, there’s one area they encourage customers to take control of: data protection.
That’s because Microsoft focuses on keeping its services running while giving you the flexibility to decide how your data is stored and recovered. In fact, Microsoft’s own Services Agreement (section 6b) recommends that you regularly back up your content and data using a third-party app or service.
Think of it as enhancing Microsoft 365’s strength with additional protection and recovery options that ensure your organisation’s data is always secure, accessible, and compliant.
Every cloud provider, including Microsoft, follows a shared responsibility model. Microsoft guarantees the infrastructure, ensuring you can access Microsoft Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, but the data you create, send, and store remains your responsibility.
What you don’t get protection against is:
If you lose an important file, email thread, or conversation in Teams, Microsoft can’t recover it for you. Their responsibility ends at uptime; yours begins with data protection.
Microsoft 365’s built-in retention tools are designed to help maintain service continuity, but they don’t offer the same coverage as a full backup solution. While retention policies play an important role in managing storage and meeting compliance requirements, they aren’t intended to provide long-term, recoverable versions of your data.
A deleted file remains in the recycle bin for 30 days, but by the time data loss is discovered often months later the bin has already been emptied, and the file is no longer recoverable.
The challenge becomes even greater when you consider the breadth of modern collaboration:
A single accidental deletion, misconfigured policy, or cyber incident could permanently erase data that’s core to how your organisation operates.
The consequences of lost M365 data are not abstract. They can have tangible operational, financial, and legal impacts:
For organisations that depend on M365 for business continuity, this risk represents an operational gap that needs to be addressed.
According to the Veeam Data Protection Trends 2024 report, data stored in cloud productivity platforms is frequently targeted of cyber attacks, and critical data loss is a common issue. In most cases, the cause isn’t a platform failure; it’s a list of familiar reasons:
Overconfidence in the platform: Too often organisations have an assumption that “cloud” equals “safe”.
Based on our experience, Veeam Data Cloud for M365 is the ideal solution for this problem. It offers a modern, cloud-native backup service that provides speed, simplicity, and control. It is built on 15 years of collaboration with Microsoft and now connects directly with M365 Backup Storage, providing the advantages of both Microsoft’s scale and Veeam’s flexibility.
Key advantages include:
With Veeam, your M365 environment becomes resilient instead of reactive, prepared to recover from any event that jeopardises your data.
Don’t leave your organisation’s data protection to chance. Data#3, in partnership with Veeam, can help you close the data protection gap with secure, simple, and reliable backup solutions.
Experience the power of Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365, a cloud-native backup service built on more than 15 years of collaboration with Microsoft. It connects directly to Microsoft 365 Backup Storage, delivering unmatched simplicity, speed, and control.
Discover if your organisation is really protected with our M365 Data Protection Checklist.
Speak to one of our specialists today.
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