Backup For Microsoft 365: Do It!

Many users, administrators, and those responsible for the company underestimate the risks of missing data backup in cloud solutions such as Microsoft 365. This article explains why a backup in Microsoft 365 is urgently needed. Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) does not include a backup. So companies risk data loss if users accidentally delete files or a data center fails, no matter how unlikely that may be. Microsoft offers some availability for its cloud services but does not back up data.

Observe Legal Regulations

The subscriber is responsible for backing up data that users store in the cloud. The data owner must keep their data securely and ensure it is backed up. Only copying data to another safe place represents reliable data backup. The recycle bin in the same cloud solution is certainly not such a reliable place to restore data. The recycling container is also unavailable in all Microsoft 365 solutions and is only used for short-term recovery. The legal retention period for companies stipulates that data must be retained and archived for at least several years. All relevant documents and data are affected. With the appropriate integration of Microsoft 365 into business correspondence, companies, in most cases, have no choice but to ensure the corresponding reliable data backup.

No Assurance Of The Trustworthiness Of The Put-Away Information

Microsoft only guarantees the reliability of its services and can temporarily protect users from data loss by using the recycle bin. However, if the data in the recycle bin is no longer available, no data can be restored. At the latest, after such processes and unsuccessful requests to support staff, companies usually only take care of data backup in the cloud. Although services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business offer a recycle bin from which data can be retrieved for a few days, this has nothing to do with a backup. The Exchange Server and SharePoint Server also have a recycle bin. Nevertheless, no person in charge of a company should get the idea that no backup would be necessary.

Prevent Hacker Attacks And Intentional Deletion

In the event of hacker attacks, malware infestation, and external influences such as the capture of ransomware, large amounts of data in the various services can quickly be lost. Some data can be recovered from the recycle bins in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online as well as in OneDrive for Business but by no means all. Only a data backup can ensure that the amount of data required for a restore is backed up. You can only control the backup data time if you have configured your data backup.

Deliberate deletion by retiring or dissatisfied employees and partners is a risk that companies have to deal with. These dangers also include attempted deletion of evidence. This can only be prevented by backing up your data. If such a safeguard is not in place, companies can find themselves in a real emergency and a problematic situation in the event of an emergency. Deliberate deletion is also a risk in the home office since companies cannot control who accesses the users’ computers.

Only Your Data Backup Protects Against Data Loss!

Only with an optimally planned data backup is it possible that deleted, undesirably changed documents, defective files, or simply information that has disappeared in other ways can be restored without affecting the user’s work. Suppose e-mails, calendar entries, and other data are lost in Exchange Online. In that case, it is hardly possible to restore them without a data backup, and in any case, only to a minimal extent from the recycle bins and standard onboard resources. If contacts, business correspondence, and appointments are lost, everyone responsible in the company should check for their area what the effects are and why a backup is necessary.

Where Backups Are Necessary

OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online do not back up any data internally. The recycle bin is more than rudimentary at this point and does not even begin to replace a data backup. A data backup is the only way to avoid version conflicts or accidental deletion. If users delete data locally, it can quickly happen that the data is also lost in the cloud due to the synchronization of SharePoint libraries and folders in OneDrive for Business. As a result of the synchronization, the data on other clients will also be lost due to the synchronization.If companies use Microsoft Teams, data from the meetings end up in different places in Microsoft 365. SharePoint, Exchange, and OneDrive are particularly relevant here. If the data is not backed up in these places, it can quickly happen that data from meetings is lost since internal solutions can no longer restore any data.

What Else To Consider When Backing Up Data

To set up an optimal backup strategy, all data that users store in the cloud should be backed up in Microsoft 365. The recovery should allow on a granular level to also be able to recover individual files. When planning the backup, a recovery plan should be created with each department to ensure that all data in the different departments are backed up as required by the department. Recovery periods also play an essential role here.

Solutions For Securing Microsoft 365

The technology used is also essential. Some solutions back up data from Microsoft 365 offline, for example, Veeam Backup for Office 365. The answer can also create proper data backup for Microsoft Teams. Veeam does not back up the data in the cloud but includes the data in a local backup and can back up data offline. For data backup in Office 365 via Veeam, the advantage is that techniques that Veeam uses in the internal network can also be used in the cloud. This allows, for example, the mailboxes in Exchange Online to be backed up in the same way as local Exchange servers. In addition to Exchange and SharePoint, Veeam Backup for Office 365 also supports Teams and OneDrive for Business.