Microsoft 365 Backup

Microsoft 365 Backup is the independent backup of data from services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams. The term is relevant because the standard functions of Microsoft 365 do not replace a complete backup strategy.

The basis is the shared responsibility principle: Microsoft is responsible for operating the platform, while customer data remains the responsibility of the organization. Recycle bins, versioning and retention policies cover many everyday cases, but reach their limits with long-term retention, granular restores over longer periods, operating errors, compromised accounts and ransomware. An independent backup additionally keeps the data outside the platform and answers the questions that matter in an emergency: Who can restore which data, and how quickly?

Since Microsoft 365 is business-critical in most organizations, backing it up is one of the most common use cases of SaaS backup. It is typically obtained as Backup as a Service (BaaS) or as part of Managed Services, including restore tests.