2026 update: Microsoft 365 is the current product name for what many people still call Office 365. Microsoft’s retention and recycle-bin features are not a full substitute for an independent backup copy. Separate backup still matters for accidental deletion, malicious insider activity, ransomware affecting synced content, and gaps in retention configuration — and it supports recovery when you need a point-in-time copy outside the live tenant. See our
SaaS backup service.
Microsoft 365 underpins collaboration and email for many UK businesses.
It enhances collaboration, communication and flexibility in firms of all sizes and allows them to work more flexibly. It also helps improve efficiency and productivity and includes strong platform security controls to help businesses
protect their networks, users and data.
However, while Microsoft 365 comes with a host of advanced security features, you may still need to invest in a separate backup solution to keep your data safe.
Data backup in Microsoft 365
If you’re a Microsoft 365 user, it’s vital that you understand your business’ responsibilities and obligations for data protection.
Although your data will sit within your Microsoft 365 environment, your business is the sole owner of that data.
That means you retain the rights, title, and interest in the data stored in Microsoft 365. It also means you’re responsible for
backing it up and ensuring it complies with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations.
In Microsoft 365 environments, there’s a key difference between data retention and data backup.
Retention controls and protects the original files, while backup makes a copy of the original files and stores them elsewhere in case the originals get lost or corrupted.
While retention policies can help your business meet your data protection obligations and reduce your compliance risk, they don’t actually relate to the backup or restoration of data following corruption, loss or problems caused by human error.
So, while Microsoft 365 offers some degree of data protection, for proper peace of mind, you should also invest in a suitable backup solution that will keep your sensitive information safe, so it can’t be accessed, changed or shared in error.
Regularly backing up your business’ data can help prevent the following:
- Misconfiguration of retention policies
- Corruption of Microsoft 365 files that aren’t noticed until they have been replicated
- Malware attacks that encrypt or replicate corrupted files
- Accidental deletion of data or retention policies
- Sync functionality causing files to become corrupted
The other benefits of backing up your data with an external solution include:
Accidental deletion
If an important file, document or email is accidentally deleted, the deletion will be replicated across your network, and the data will be lost forever.
Automatic daily backups of Microsoft 365 data can help protect your business against accidental deletion.
Policy gaps
As we said earlier, while Microsoft 365 has advanced retention capabilities, it doesn’t have a proper, in-built backup utility.
A dedicated backup solution will ensure you can retrieve any data lost through accidental deletion due to gaps or problems with your retention policies.
Security and compliance
Microsoft 365’s in-built tools are designed to make it easier for businesses to deal with data subject requests under GDPR.
While retention and availability are vital for compliance, having a reliable backup solution will ensure that you always have access to a copy of any breached or lost data.
External security threats
While Microsoft 365 includes strong malware and threat protection, a cyber attack can still do significant damage to your networks and data.
Having an external backup solution will help protect your networks, email and data from external security threats.
Internal security threats
Although your data is vulnerable to cyber attack and malware, internal security threats and simple user errors can also cause big problems.
Having a good backup solution can alleviate the risk of your data being deleted or corrupted from within your business.
BCDR can help you protect and secure your data
BCDR provides managed backup, business continuity and disaster recovery to help businesses restore access after critical data loss.
We enable SMEs to secure their networks and data. See
BCDR solutions for SMEs,
BCDR solutions for MSPs and
file & folder backup.
We focus on practical continuity: protecting SaaS data alongside servers and files so downtime and data loss stay as short as the design allows.
If you need Microsoft 365 / SaaS backup as part of a wider BCDR plan, get in touch.
Book a free consultation ·
[email protected] · 01386 898324
FAQs
Does Microsoft back up my Microsoft 365 data for me?
Microsoft protects the service and offers retention tools. You remain responsible for your data and for having a recovery copy that meets your own retention and restore needs.
Is retention the same as backup?
No. Retention governs how long items stay in the service. Backup creates a separate copy you can restore from if the live data is deleted, corrupted or unavailable.
What should a Microsoft 365 backup cover?
Prioritise Exchange Online mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams data that the business could not recreate easily — confirm scope with your provider.
