{"id":31766,"date":"2026-10-07T11:53:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mu.wedoback.com\/?page_id=31766"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:22:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T10:22:22","slug":"should-you-back-up-microsoft-365","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mu.wedoback.com\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/should-you-back-up-microsoft-365\/","title":{"rendered":"Should you back up Microsoft 365?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31766\" class=\"elementor elementor-31766 elementor-31565\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afcfcd8 e-con-full wdb-g e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"afcfcd8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a938b9 e-con-full wdb-g-hero e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2a938b9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1740ad9 e-con-full wdb-g-hero-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1740ad9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4229802 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4229802\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-crumb\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/\">Guides<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/\">Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/a><\/p><p class=\"wdb-g-pill\" style=\"--pill:#5b8def\">Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a823ebb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a823ebb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Should you back up Microsoft 365?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5dde29c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5dde29c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-lead\">Yes, if the messages or files stored in Microsoft 365 could not be rebuilt after a deletion, a compromised account or too short a retention period. That is the case for almost every SME whose email and team folders live in that tenant. No, only if another system already holds a complete, tested historical copy, which is rare.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b88cfa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b88cfa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-meta\"><span>Updated <b>October 2026<\/b><\/span><span><b>3 min<\/b> read<\/span><span><b>6<\/b> sources cited<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3219975 e-con-full wdb-g-body e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3219975\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b319a7e e-con-full wdb-g-grid e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b319a7e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6192cb e-con-full wdb-g-article e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a6192cb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f13151 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6f13151\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-key\"><h2>Key points<\/h2><ul><li>Microsoft&#8217;s safety nets last days or weeks: <strong>14 to 30 days<\/strong> for a purged message, <strong>30 days<\/strong> to restore a deleted account, <strong>93 days<\/strong> for the SharePoint recycle bins.<\/li><li>A hacked admin account can purge mailboxes and sites: redundancy replicates the destruction.<\/li><li>Not backing up a particular component (test tenant, distribution list) is acceptable <strong>if it is written down<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Typical setting: daily copy, kept for <strong>30 to 90 days<\/strong>, a period to be justified under the Data Protection Act 2017.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-774aeb4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"774aeb4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Cases where having no backup comes at a cost<\/h2><ul><li>An employee deletes a folder, empties the recycle bin, and the need resurfaces two months later. Exchange Online keeps a permanently deleted message for only 14 days by default, 30 at most.<\/li><li>An admin account is hacked. The attacker purges mailboxes, sets up forwarding and deletes sites.<\/li><li>A retention policy is set too aggressively and erases more than intended.<\/li><li>The account of an employee who has left is deleted and the 30-day window during which Microsoft allows it to be restored with its mailbox is exceeded.<\/li><li>Ransomware encrypts synchronised files (OneDrive, SharePoint via the workstation) and versions are no longer enough.<\/li><\/ul><p>In each of these cases, Microsoft keeps the service running. The business data, however, is missing.<\/p><table><thead><tr><th>Situation<\/th><th>Built-in Microsoft safety net<\/th><th>After this period<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Message purged from the mailbox<\/td><td>14 days by default, configurable up to 30<\/td><td>Lost<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>User account deleted<\/td><td>30 days<\/td><td>Account and mailbox lost<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SharePoint file or site deleted<\/td><td>93 days in recycle bins, then 14 days via support<\/td><td>Lost<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Purge by a compromised admin<\/td><td>None beyond the periods above<\/td><td>Lost<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7652999 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7652999\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Cases where you can decide not to back up a component<\/h2><ul><li>A distribution list mailbox with no useful history.<\/li><li>Purely conversational Teams teams, if it has been written down that these exchanges are not part of the company&#8217;s records. The files, however, must still be covered.<\/li><li>A test tenant.<\/li><\/ul><p>Deciding not to back up is acceptable if it is written down. \u201cWe&#8217;ll see\u201d is not a decision.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68492ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68492ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What it costs to do it<\/h2><p>The price depends on the number of mailboxes and the volume kept, plus the length of history. A daily backup kept for 30 to 90 days is the most common setting. Extending it further should be justified by a business need, not by fear: mailboxes contain personal data, and the Data Protection Act 2017 (section 27) requires it to be destroyed once its purpose has been fulfilled. The retention period is set according to the purpose, after which the data is deleted.<\/p><p>Comparing it with the cost of a week of unrecoverable email (unanswered customers, contract attachments, order threads) makes the choice simpler than the unit price.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f6e36e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9f6e36e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What not to buy instead<\/h2><p>A higher Microsoft licence (E5, for example) adds security and compliance. It is not equivalent to a copy outside the tenant. Microsoft&#8217;s paid Microsoft 365 Backup offering, on the other hand, is a genuine backup of Exchange Online, OneDrive and SharePoint, billed by volume, and Microsoft states that the data remains within its Microsoft 365 boundary. It meets part of the need. It does not meet the wish for a copy held by another provider, nor does it back up servers that are not in Microsoft 365. The comparison is in <a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/does-microsoft-365-include-backup\/\">Does Microsoft 365 really include a backup?<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2abc26b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2abc26b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-brand\"><h2>At WeDoBack<\/h2><p>Backing up Microsoft 365 email, calendars and contacts is supported: one agent per address, plus the terabytes of volume, under <a href=\"\/en\/smart-offer\/\">SMART<\/a> (\u20ac49.99 excl. VAT per TB per month, support billed per intervention) or <a href=\"\/en\/integral-offer\/\">INTEGRAL<\/a> (from \u20ac100 down to \u20ac65 excl. VAT per TB per month depending on volume, two hours of support per month). It is the same principle as for a server: the copy leaves the original environment and remains encrypted with a key held by the customer. SharePoint and OneDrive are covered too: a single quote can combine email, files and servers in the same storage volume.<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/smart-offer\/\">Discover the SMART offer<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-020cd48 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"020cd48\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-faq\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><details><summary>How long does Microsoft keep the account of an employee who has left?<\/summary><p>After a user is deleted, the administrator has 30 days to restore the account and its data, mailbox included. After that, the account and its mailbox can no longer be restored this way. What must remain accessible should therefore be decided before deletion: backup, or retention in the tenant.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>How long should email backups be kept?<\/summary><p>Thirty to ninety days cover most errors and compromises discovered late. Beyond that, you need a reason. Mailboxes contain personal data: the Data Protection Act 2017 (section 27) requires it to be destroyed once its purpose has been fulfilled, so the retention period must follow the purpose.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Is Microsoft 365 Backup enough?<\/summary><p>It is a genuine backup of Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint, paid for and hosted in the Microsoft cloud. It meets the need to roll back. It does not meet the wish for a copy held by another provider, nor does it cover servers and workstations outside Microsoft 365.<\/p><\/details><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d02586 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1d02586\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Further reading<\/h2><div class=\"wdb-g-related\"><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/microsoft-365-backup-what-to-know\/\"><small>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/small>Backing up Microsoft 365: what you need to know<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/does-microsoft-365-include-backup\/\"><small>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/small>Does Microsoft 365 really include a backup?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/how-long-to-keep-backups\/\"><small>IT backup<\/small>How long should you keep your backups?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/what-to-do-if\/a-mailbox-was-emptied-or-hacked\/\"><small>What to do if\u2026<\/small>A mailbox has been emptied or hacked<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6f880e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c6f880e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-sources\"><h2>Sources<\/h2><p class=\"wdb-g-src-date\">Documents consulted in October 2026.<\/p><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/admin\/add-users\/restore-user\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restore a user<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/exchange\/recipients-in-exchange-online\/manage-user-mailboxes\/change-deleted-item-retention\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Change how long permanently deleted items are kept for an Exchange Online mailbox<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/compliance\/assurance\/assurance-sharepoint-online-data-deletion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SharePoint data deletion in Microsoft 365<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/backup\/backup-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Overview of Microsoft 365 Backup<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dataprotection.govmu.org\/Documents\/DPA_2017.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data Protection Act 2017 (section 27: retention period)<\/a> \u2014 Data Protection Office (Mauritius)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wedoback.com\/offres-et-tarifs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Offers and prices<\/a> \u2014 WeDoBack<\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c447b93 e-con-full wdb-g-aside e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c447b93\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93749e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"93749e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"wdb-g-toc\" aria-label=\"Table of contents\"><p>On this page<\/p><ol><\/ol><\/nav>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d4d3b35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d4d3b35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-card\"><h3>Planning a backup, DRP or BCP project?<\/h3><p>More than 20 years of experience protecting business data.<\/p><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-tel\" href=\"tel:+33972507828\">+33 9 72 50 78 28<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8b6b88f e-con-full wdb-g-cta e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8b6b88f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-988a0a7 e-con-full wdb-g-cta-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"988a0a7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ef4559 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8ef4559\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Protect your data with WeDoBack<\/h2><p>Encrypted offsite backup, immutable storage, DRP and BCP: tell us about your servers and we will recommend the right combination.<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/offers-and-prices\/\">See offers and prices<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":31723,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Should you back up Microsoft 365? | WeDoBack","_seopress_titles_desc":"Yes, as soon as losing a mailbox or a team site for more than a few days would be serious. 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