The Microsoft 365 Backup Guide

The shared responsibility model

Microsoft keeps the Microsoft 365 service running. You are responsible for your data: protecting it from accidental deletion, malicious activity and attacks.

What should you back up?

• Exchange Online: mailboxes, calendars and contacts
• OneDrive: each user’s files
• SharePoint: team sites and document libraries
• Teams: chats, files and channel content

Why built-in tools are not enough

Recycle bins and retention settings help for a limited time, but they are not designed as an independent backup you control. A mailbox deleted when a user leaves, or files encrypted by ransomware and synced, can be hard to recover without a separate copy.

What to look for in a backup service

• Automatic backups several times a day
• Restore of a single item or a whole mailbox
• Restore to a point in time
• Restore to the original location or a new one
• UK data storage and encryption

Setting it up

1. Authorise access to your Microsoft 365 tenant
2. Choose which users and services to protect
3. Set your schedule and retention
4. Run a test restore

Keep it up to date

As you add users and sites, make sure they are included. Review the backup reports each month.

Learn more about our Microsoft 365 backup service.