Microsoft Doesn't Back Up Your Microsoft 365 Data. We Do.
Immutable, independent backup for Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint & Teams
Under Microsoft's Shared Responsibility Model, Microsoft keeps the service online — but recovering your data after deletion, ransomware, or a departing employee is on you. We close that gap with managed, point-in-time backup.
The Shared Responsibility Model: Where Microsoft Stops
Microsoft is crystal clear about this in its own terms: it keeps the platform running, but protecting and recovering your data is your job.
What Microsoft Protects
- Datacenter uptime, hardware, and physical security
- Infrastructure-level redundancy and replication
- Service availability (the apps stay online)
- Short-term recycle bin / limited native retention
What Microsoft Leaves to You
- Recovering data after accidental or malicious deletion
- Restoring after a ransomware event that encrypts cloud data
- Data a departing or rogue employee deletes or exfiltrates
- Long-term retention for legal, HR, and compliance needs
- Granular point-in-time recovery of a mailbox, file, or site
Native retention is not a backup. See exactly how the two compare in our Microsoft 365 native retention vs. real backup guide.
The Gap Is Bigger Than Most Teams Realize
SaaS data loss is common, and native retention runs out faster than you think.
Organizations have lost SaaS data
Accidental deletion, ransomware, and departing employees are the leading causes of Microsoft 365 data loss.
Microsoft's default retention window
After native retention expires, deleted mail, files, and sites are gone for good — there is no point-in-time restore.
Your responsibility under the agreement
Microsoft's Services Agreement recommends you regularly back up your own content with a third-party service.
What Real Backup Adds
An independent, immutable copy of your Microsoft 365 data with recovery you can count on.
Independent, Isolated Copy
Your data is copied to storage outside the Microsoft 365 tenant, so a tenant-wide incident never takes your backup with it.
Immutable & Ransomware-Proof
Backups are immutable — they cannot be altered or encrypted by ransomware that reaches your cloud data or a compromised admin account.
Long / Unlimited Retention
Keep data for years, not 30–93 days. Meet legal hold, HR, and compliance retention requirements without manual gymnastics.
Fast Point-in-Time Recovery
Restore a single email, a OneDrive folder, a SharePoint site, or a Teams channel to an exact moment before the loss — in minutes.
Full Workload Coverage
Exchange / Outlook mail and calendars, OneDrive, SharePoint document libraries, and Teams chats, files, and channels.
Offboarding Protection
Preserve a departing employee's mailbox and files after their license is removed — no scramble, no lost institutional knowledge.
How Managed Microsoft 365 Backup Works
We handle setup, monitoring, and recovery — you get peace of mind on a predictable monthly bill.
Free Backup Assessment
We review your tenant, current native retention settings, mailbox/user count, and compliance obligations to find the exact gaps.
Connect & Configure
We deploy Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud or AvePoint Cloud Backup against your tenant and set retention, scope, and recovery targets.
Automated Daily Backups
Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams are backed up automatically to immutable, independent storage — hands-off.
Recover On Demand
When data is lost, we perform granular point-in-time restores for you — or you self-serve. We monitor and report monthly.
Built on Proven Platforms, Managed by a CISSP
Inventive HQ delivers Microsoft 365 backup as a recurring managed service on Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud and AvePoint Cloud Backup — enterprise-grade, immutable backup trusted across thousands of organizations. Founder Sean Conroy (CISSP) and team set the policies, test restores, and recover your data when it matters.
Worried about ransomware reaching your endpoints and on-prem data too? Pair this with backup & ransomware defense, and lock down the inbox attackers use to get in with managed email security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Microsoft 365 Backup
No. Under Microsoft's Shared Responsibility Model, Microsoft is responsible for keeping the service running — datacenter uptime, infrastructure, and replication. Your data is your responsibility. Microsoft's Services Agreement explicitly recommends you regularly back up your content using a third-party app or service. Native features like the recycle bin and retention policies are short-term and are not a true backup.
Native retention is limited and was designed for compliance e-discovery, not recovery. Default windows are roughly 30–93 days, there is no true point-in-time recovery, restores are slow and complex, and a malicious admin or ransomware can still cause permanent loss. See our native retention vs. real backup comparison for the full breakdown.
Yes. Ransomware that compromises an endpoint or an account can encrypt files that sync to OneDrive and SharePoint, and a compromised admin account can mass-delete data. An independent, immutable backup outside the tenant is the reliable way to recover, because the attacker cannot reach or encrypt it.
Exchange Online (mail, calendars, contacts), OneDrive for Business, SharePoint document libraries and sites, and Microsoft Teams (chats, files, and channels). Recovery is granular — restore a single item or an entire mailbox/site to a specific point in time.
We deliver Microsoft 365 backup as a managed service on Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud or AvePoint Cloud Backup, depending on your size, retention needs, and compliance requirements. You get the right platform plus our monitoring, testing, and on-demand recovery — not just a license.
Without backup, removing a user's license starts the clock on permanent deletion of their mailbox and files. With managed backup, we preserve their Exchange, OneDrive, and Teams data independently so you can retain or recover it long after offboarding.
Microsoft 365 backup is billed per user/mailbox as a recurring managed service, with pricing based on your user count and retention requirements. Start with a free backup assessment and we'll size it precisely for your tenant.
Find Out If Your Microsoft 365 Data Is Actually Protected
Take the 2-minute Backup Risk Check or book a free assessment. We'll show you exactly where your gaps are — no pressure, no jargon.