Introduction:
In this blog, we summarise the responsibilities of Microsoft and the customer when using the Microsoft 365 service. Many are not aware of the shared responsibilities and the responsibilities for data which the customer must take care off.
One of the most common questions we receive, is “Why do we need to backup Microsoft 365, is this not taken care of by Microsoft ?”
Microsoft offers a basic level of protection for a short period of time using data retention policies and for things like mailboxes you only have 30 days of protection. The following article by Microsoft “An Exchange Online mailbox is configured to retain deleted items for 14 days, by default. You can change this setting to a maximum of 30 days. For more information, see Change how long permanently deleted items are kept for an Exchange Online mailbox.”
There is no ability available through the Microsoft 365 product to create a point in time recovery and you only have a maximum of 30 days basic data coverage, 14 days by default.
If we take a look at the three specific core services Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business data, these components are typically critical to your business. Using a third-party tool will protect from any outages, data loss and point in time recovery for all three services.
The following extract from the Microsoft Service agreement states that “We recommend that you regularly backup your Content and Data that you store on services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services” What this means, is Microsoft recommend that you use third-party backup products to protect your data. These solutions can offer a point in time recovery, as well as recovery points that can go back years whereas Microsoft can only offer 30 days.
The screenshot below shows the extract from the service agreement stating that you should use a third party.
The following article from Microsoft’s Knowledgebase article on exchange/back-up states “Point in time restoration of mailbox items is out of scope for the Exchange Online service, though there might be third-party solutions available that provide this functionality.”
Conclusion:
Microsoft offers limited protection when it comes to the loss of data and point in time restoration of mailboxes. They recommend that a third-party solution is used to protect Microsoft 365 data and clearly state that they are not responsible for customer data.
How Systech can Help
If you are looking for a Microsoft 365 backup solution, look no further. Systech is one of the leading providers for Backup solutions and specialises in Microsoft 365 backup products and services. If you are looking for a free trial from our proven vendors, or some more information on this subject, please get in touch.
Contact sales to find out more: sales@systechitsolutions.co.uk