Why do I need to back up business data hosted at Office 365?
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In a nutshell, because Microsoft does not backup your O365 data! Chapter 6, paragraph b of Microsoft Service Agreement states: “We recommend that you regularly backup your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services.”
According to the Office 365 shared responsibility agreement which covers every O365 user, both Microsoft and the customer are responsible for different parts of the service. Microsoft is responsible for the O365 infrastructure, which includes ensuring data can be accessed by the owner from anywhere at any time. To enable this to happen, Microsoft created a resilient platform that replicates data to ensure any single point of failure is eradicated.
Microsoft protects O365 at the infrastructure level, enforcing physical security of their data centres and providing embedded O365 authentication and authorisation platform for data access (Azure AD). The customer utilising O365 is responsible for the actual data itself. This includes data ownership, control, and access management. If a user deletes a file by mistake, it is not Microsoft's responsibility to restore it.
O365 has some default features built in that help with low scale, short-term data loss recovery (recycle bin, versioning), but this will not help if a file or data is corrupted, or if you have any specific regulatory requirements and data retention policies. Any data loss due to accidental deletion, malicious insiders, ransomware, malware, or rogue apps is your responsibility!
This is why iSYSTEMS strongly encourages all companies utilising O365 to deploy a suitable O365 backup solution to ensure that you meet compliance regulations and have peace of mind knowing that files and data can be restored. iSYSTEMS experts can help you to navigate the crowded landscape of O365 and SaaS backup and protection.
We understand that every organisation is unique - there is no one-size fits all solution. That’s why we’re vendor agnostic. We’ll run through the various options with you, and will only ever position the most appropriate technology that meets your core business requirements, objectives, and budget.