Understand your existing protection
Native protection and recovery
Microsoft provides service resilience, version history, deleted-item recovery, and configurable retention. Microsoft 365 Backup is a separate pay-as-you-go service for supported Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint data.
What to check for your business
Confirm which tools are enabled, their coverage, recovery windows, and permissions. Test late-discovered deletion, departing users, account compromise, and unwanted changes against your recovery needs.
Retention and backup serve different purposes
Retention
Retention preserves information under configured policies; deleted-item recovery has its own limits. Confirm how retained data can be retrieved and returned to everyday use.
Backup
A backup service captures recovery points for supported data. Verify capture frequency, retention, restore destinations, and access if the source service or account is unavailable.
Does your business have a gap?
If the answer to any of these is “I'm not sure”, you likely have a gap. Most businesses do — they just find out on the worst possible day.
What to verify in a backup solution
Storage and access separation
Check who operates storage and how backup administration is separated. A separate copy alone does not guarantee protection from account compromise.
Retention terms
Confirm available retention policies and what happens when users, licences, or subscriptions end.
Recovery points
Verify which earlier states are available and whether they meet your acceptable data-loss window.
Restore scope and speed
Check supported item, mailbox, and workspace restores, their destinations, and practical recovery times.
Immutability and deletion controls
Verify whether copies can be altered or deleted, by whom, and under which exceptions. Check retention locks, approvals, and audit records where supported.
Coverage and monitoring
Confirm supported data types and how new users or workspaces enter protection. Check completion reports and failure alerts so missed backups are visible.
Straight answers
Microsoft 365 includes native recovery and retention tools, and Microsoft also offers a separately configured Backup service. Confirm what is enabled and which workloads, recovery points, and restore options it covers. An additional backup solution may be useful where your requirements exceed that scope.
A short review of your applications, existing protection, and recovery goals. We explain gaps, suitable options, and an estimate, with no obligation to purchase.
We resell Keepit and Druva, with hands-on experience of Cohesity, Metallic, and Synology for on-premises needs. Platform fit depends on your requirements. Check:
- Storage operator and independent access during a source-service outage.
- Immutability, deletion permissions, and exceptions.
- Retention terms, plan limits, and licence expiry.
- Restore granularity, destinations, and tested recovery time.
- Whether licences and backup history can follow a platform migration.
Use a scoped proof of concept to validate important capabilities before purchase.
Need help reviewing your Microsoft 365 protection?
Bring your applications and recovery questions. We’ll help you check existing protection, identify gaps, and compare suitable backup options.