Many people assume that Microsoft fully protects their data in Office 365, so they don’t need to worry about backups. However, this is a dangerous assumption. In reality, Office 365 lacks comprehensive daily backup and archiving capabilities, which can leave you vulnerable after data is deleted or automatically removed from the recycle bin—or if a user intentionally deletes their data.
Let’s explore some common scenarios where you might lose critical data:
1. Deletions
Whether accidental, intentional, or malicious, users delete data. Office 365 has a default retention policy of 14 days, which can be extended to 30 days. After that, the data is permanently gone. Intentional deletions, including data deleted from the recycle bin, are unrecoverable. Additionally, if a user account is deleted, the data is lost forever.
2. Ransomware/Malware
While Microsoft offers anti-malware protections, they don’t guarantee full protection against data corruption caused by ransomware or malware. Recovering from such a scenario can be painful, time-consuming, and with Microsoft’s built-in data protection measures, there’s no guarantee of successful recovery.
3. Liability
Microsoft’s liability for data loss is extremely limited. In the case of Office 365, their liability is capped at $5,000. The cost of legal action alone would exceed that, making this essentially the same as having no liability for your data.
4. Compliance
If your business has strict compliance requirements—such as retaining backups for 7, 10, or more years—Microsoft’s built-in tools won’t meet your needs. Even businesses without legal mandates often have lengthy retention policies, and requiring more than a month’s history may exceed what Microsoft offers.
Industry Experts Recommend Backup
Analysts from organizations like Gartner, Forrester, and ESG recommend that businesses review their data retention needs and determine if additional Office 365 backup solutions are necessary to meet compliance and recovery objectives.
Recommendation
To ensure you can always recover critical Office 365 emails, files, and SharePoint sites, use a third-party backup tool to protect your Office 365 data. This provides an extra layer of security and peace of mind, knowing your data is safe from accidental loss, malicious deletion, or compliance violations.
