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Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 backup

Microsoft 365 backup explained: Microsoft protects the service, you own the data. Independent backup of Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams.

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In short

Microsoft 365 backup is a separate, independent copy of your Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive files, SharePoint sites and Teams data, held outside your tenant with retention you control. Microsoft keeps the service running, but under its shared responsibility model your data, its retention and its recovery are your responsibility. Dig IT Solutions provides and monitors that backup for clients.

When you need this

Signs this is the right conversation

  • We assumed Microsoft backed everything up.
  • Someone deleted a SharePoint folder and it's gone from the recycle bin.
  • A leaver's mailbox was removed and now we need an email from it.
  • If ransomware syncs through OneDrive, what then?
  • Our regulator or client wants to know how long we keep data and how we'd restore it.

Scope

What we deliver

  • 01

    Daily automated backup

    Exchange Online mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint document libraries and Teams chats and files backed up several times a day to independent cloud storage.

  • 02

    Retention you set

    Keep data for years rather than the weeks the native recycle bins allow, aligned with your legal and regulatory needs.

  • 03

    Granular restore

    Recover a single email, file version, folder, mailbox or whole site to its original or a new location, without rolling everything back.

  • 04

    Leaver data retained

    Mailboxes and OneDrive content stay in the backup after the licence is removed, so you can release licences without losing data.

  • 05

    Ransomware and deletion recovery

    Restore files to the point before a sync-based encryption or a mass deletion, independent of Microsoft's version history.

  • 06

    Monitoring and reporting

    Backup success checked daily by our RMM alerts, with periodic restore tests and a monthly report.

Outcomes

What you get out of it

  • Deleted or encrypted data comes back, whenever it happened.
  • Licences can be released without losing leaver data.
  • Retention that matches your legal obligations.
  • Evidence for auditors and insurers that data is recoverable.

FAQ

Questions we are asked

Straight answers. If yours is not here, call 020 8482 4020 or 01992 939 365 and ask an engineer.
Does Microsoft 365 back up your data?
Microsoft keeps the service available and replicates data across its data centres so a hardware failure doesn't lose it. That is not the same as a backup you control. Deleted items go to recycle bins with limited retention, version history is limited, and once a mailbox is purged it is gone. This is the shared responsibility model: Microsoft runs the platform, you protect your data.
Will I lose my emails if I cancel Microsoft 365 or remove a licence?
When a licence is removed, the mailbox enters a grace period and is then permanently deleted, typically within 30 days. OneDrive content follows a similar path after a retention window. If you keep an independent backup, the data remains available regardless. This is why we recommend backing up before offboarding staff and before any licence changes.
How long is data kept in Microsoft 365 recycle bins?
It varies by service. Deleted emails typically remain recoverable for 30 days, SharePoint and OneDrive recycle bins for 93 days across two stages, and deleted user accounts for 30 days. Retention policies can extend some of this, but they add complexity and cost. A separate backup with multi-year retention is simpler and covers scenarios retention policies do not, such as tenant-level problems.
Is Microsoft 365 backup included in our support?
It's not included in Microsoft 365 licences themselves. We offer it as a per-user monthly add-on to managed support, covering Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams with the retention you choose. The cost is modest relative to the value of a decade of email and files. Use the calculator at the IT support cost calculator or contact us for a figure based on your user count.
Does the backup protect against ransomware?
Yes, for the data it covers. If a device is encrypted and the changes sync to OneDrive or SharePoint, the backup holds earlier versions outside the tenant that the attacker cannot reach. We can restore files to a point before the encryption started. Combined with EDR and device backups, it closes one of the common gaps in cloud-first businesses.

Insights

Further reading

All insights

Next step

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Tell us what is not working, or what you are planning, and we will give you a straight view on what it would take to fix.

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