Do You Really Need Backup for Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 (M365) has become indispensable for modern organizations—powering collaboration, productivity, and communication in real time. It’s easy to assume that Microsoft’s built-in redundancies have you covered, but there are still plenty of scenarios where a dedicated backup solution can make all the difference. Whether it’s a user accidentally deleting critical files or a well-intentioned admin applying the wrong changes, data loss can strike when you least expect it. So, how far do M365’s native protections go, and when should you consider additional backup tools like AvePoint?

Built-In Microsoft 365 Protections

To start, M365 offers a handful of short-term and basic recovery features. These include version control, recycle bins with limited retention (93 days for SharePoint and OneDrive, 14–30 days for email), and soft-delete capabilities for Groups, Teams, and Sites that last 30 days. Microsoft can also roll back certain services after a major issue, though that’s typically limited to 14 days.

These native tools do a great job addressing smaller user hiccups—like unintentionally deleting a file or needing a slightly older version of a document. However, when it comes to more complex or long-term data protection needs, there can be serious gaps.

Where Gaps Begin to Appear

1. Long-Term Recovery
   While Microsoft’s retention policies help with short windows of time, organizations often need data to be recoverable months (or even years) later—especially in heavily regulated industries. If a project site or user account was deleted six months ago, you might be out of luck with default recovery methods.
2. Complex Restoration Needs
   M365’s Recycle Bin doesn’t always preserve metadata or structure for complex items like Planner tasks, Teams channels, or custom list items in SharePoint. It can also be challenging to “roll back” changes such as incorrect permission settings.
3. Accidental Administrative Errors
   A single misconfiguration—like removing inheritance on a SharePoint site or deploying the wrong template—can break access across a department or the entire organization. Microsoft’s short-term rollback tools might not cover partial or targeted rollbacks that restore the environment seamlessly.
4. Malware or Ransomware
   Even though M365 is hosted on Microsoft’s robust infrastructure, it doesn’t inherently neutralize malware or ransomware. A malicious file can easily replicate to OneDrive and Teams, and your backups must be prepared to restore clean versions.

Why a Dedicated Backup Solution?

Microsoft is primarily responsible for uptime. Their Service Level Agreement keeps the platform running, but the onus for data recovery often falls on you, the customer. For the unpredictable events—user deletions, ransomware infections, or admin missteps—having your own backup is crucial. As one internal case study from AvePoint points out, a staff member’s OneDrive could be replicated and then deleted by malware, resulting in total data loss without an independent backup.

With a third-party backup solution like AvePoint, you gain:

• Multiple Daily Backups – Automated, up to four times a day, so you can quickly restore to the last clean snapshot if something goes wrong.
• Granular Restoration – Recover entire mailboxes, individual messages, or single files—either in their original location or elsewhere.
• Retention Flexibility – Keep your data as long as necessary, whether that’s weeks, months, or unlimited archiving for compliance.
• Ransomware Detection – Identify and isolate suspicious encryption or file patterns before they spread.

Positioning RSM as Your Partner

Our Managed M365 team at RSM can guide you in implementing, managing, and optimizing backup solutions for M365. We work closely with you to assess potential data loss risks, align retention policies with your compliance requirements, and seamlessly integrate tools like AvePoint to ensure business continuity.

Still have questions about your current data protection measures? Reach out to the Managed M365 team at RSM to explore the right backup strategy and safeguard your environment from today’s most pressing threats. You can also visit RSM’s website for further details on our Microsoft solutions.

Ben Seaba

Ben Seaba is a dedicated Microsoft 365 Engineer on the RSM Modern Work team. Ben specializes in building and supporting innovative Microsoft 365, Entra, and Azure solutions for clients. His expertise lies in leveraging these platforms to enhance organizational efficiency and productivity.

Contact our team to learn more!