Cloud
Cloud backup for small business
What to back up in Microsoft 365 and beyond, how cloud backup differs from sync, and how to know restores actually work.
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Sync is not backup
OneDrive and SharePoint sync copies changes in real time — including ransomware encryption and accidental mass deletes. Backup means point-in-time copies you can restore from, often held separately with retention policies and admin-only delete rights.
What to protect
Cover Microsoft 365 mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams metadata where required, plus any on-prem servers or NAS still in use. Line-of-business databases and accounting files need agent-based backup if they do not live natively in M365.
Choosing an approach
Microsoft 365 retention and recycle bins help short-term mistakes but are not a full disaster recovery strategy. Third-party cloud backup or hybrid appliances add longer retention, cross-tenant restore options, and reporting leadership can audit.
Test restores quarterly
Schedule a restore test of a mailbox, a SharePoint library, and one critical server file set. Log time to recover and who performed it. Untested backup is a hope — not a plan.
Related service
This is part of our Cloud Systems service for Melbourne businesses.
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Run the related tools
Common questions
Does Microsoft 365 include backup?
Microsoft 365 has retention and recycle bins, but that is not a full backup strategy — use separate cloud backup and test restores. See mrtechmelbourne.com/guides/cloud-backup-small-business
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