Cloud Data Backup
Fully managed backups that keep your business data safe, compliant, and quickly recoverable after loss or attack
Protect your data. Preserve your business
Microsoft 365 is not a backup solution, despite what many Australian businesses assume. Microsoft provides limited retention for deleted items, typically 30 to 93 days depending on configuration. After that period, deleted emails, files, and SharePoint content disappear permanently.
Accidental deletions happen constantly. Users empty their Deleted Items folder, files get deleted during SharePoint cleanup projects, OneDrive folders are removed thinking they’re backed up elsewhere. When retention periods expire, this data is gone forever.
Ransomware poses serious risk to Microsoft 365 data. While attackers can’t directly encrypt files stored in Microsoft’s cloud, they compromise user accounts and sync encrypted files from infected local machines to OneDrive, or abuse versioning settings to push clean file versions out of recovery range. By the time attacks are discovered, version history has been exhausted and clean recovery points no longer exist. Malicious insiders can delete mailboxes and critical files before leaving. Synchronisation errors propagate deletions across all copies.
On-premises servers and network-attached storage (NAS) devices face even greater exposure. These systems sit within your network perimeter where ransomware spreads freely once initial infection occurs. File servers, Exchange servers, and NAS devices get encrypted directly, often with backups stored on the same systems destroyed simultaneously. Without proper offsite backup, recovery becomes impossible. Microsoft’s service level agreement explicitly states they’re not responsible for data loss. Backup responsibility sits entirely with customers, whether data lives in Microsoft 365, on local servers, or NAS storage.
Proper third-party backup creates immutable copies stored independently from production systems. These backups cannot be deleted by compromised admin accounts, aren’t subject to Microsoft’s retention limits, and provide unlimited retention based on your business requirements. When data loss occurs, you restore from known good backups rather than hoping built-in retention caught what you need.
Our Cloud Data Backup service provides independent, immutable backups of Microsoft 365, on-premises servers, and NAS storage, all stored in Sydney, Australia. When data loss occurs through any mechanism, you restore from clean backups within minutes to hours depending on volume.
Why Microsoft 365 Native Protection Isn’t Enough
Microsoft 365 includes Recycle Bins and version history, but these features have significant limitations. Deleted items purge permanently after retention periods expire. Version history typically keeps only 500 versions, insufficient for active documents. Retention policies can preserve data but don’t provide easy restoration of entire mailboxes or site collections. When users empty their Deleted Items folder, emails become unrecoverable after the retention window.
Ransomware attacks can encrypt files faster than version history captures changes, leaving no clean recovery point. Malicious administrators can delete retention policies, mailboxes, or entire SharePoint sites. Synchronisation errors between OneDrive and local devices can propagate deletions across all copies. Microsoft’s service level agreement explicitly states they’re not responsible for data loss, placing backup responsibility on customers.
Proper third party backup creates immutable copies Microsoft admins cannot delete or modify. Backups are stored separately from your production environment, protecting against both external attacks and internal mistakes. When data loss occurs, you restore from known good backups rather than hoping Microsoft’s limited retention caught what you need.
Common Data Loss Scenarios We Protect Against
Accidental deletion by users
Employees delete emails, files, or entire folders thinking they’re no longer needed or to clear storage space. Weeks or months later, that information becomes critical for legal matters, regulatory audits, customer disputes, or business decisions.
Without proper backup, this data is permanently lost once Microsoft’s retention windows expire. Users who deleted emails six months ago find them unrecoverable when legal discovery requests arrive. SharePoint files deleted during site reorganisation projects can’t be restored when audit requirements surface.
Ransomware and malware attacks
Ransomware attacks targeting Microsoft 365 data are increasing because attackers know businesses assume their cloud data is automatically protected. Attackers compromise user credentials through phishing, then sync encrypted files from infected local machines to OneDrive, or abuse Microsoft 365 APIs to manipulate files through compromised accounts.
While Microsoft 365 version history might help with small, quickly detected incidents, large-scale attacks systematically exceed version limits or operate slowly enough that clean versions age out of the 500-version history before discovery. Independent backups provide guaranteed clean recovery points regardless of how sophisticated or prolonged the attack.
Malicious Insiders and Sabotage
Departing employees with administrative access can delete mailboxes, SharePoint sites, or critical files before leaving the organisation. Disgruntled users can sabotage data intentionally, sometimes weeks before their planned departure to avoid immediate detection.
These actions often go unnoticed until the person has left and data is needed for ongoing projects or business operations. By then, Microsoft’s retention windows may have expired, version history has been manipulated, and recovery options within Microsoft 365 are exhausted.
Hardware Failures and Natural Disasters
On-premises servers and NAS devices face physical risks that Microsoft 365 doesn’t. Hard drive failures, RAID controller malfunctions, power surges, and hardware degradation can destroy locally stored data. Natural disasters including fires, floods, and severe weather events can physically destroy servers and storage devices.
Australian businesses face particular risks from bushfires and flooding that can destroy entire office buildings and everything in them. Without offsite backup stored independently from local infrastructure, these disasters mean total data loss for on-premises systems.
What Proper Cloud Backup Actually Delivers
Comprehensive Coverage Across All Microsoft 365 Services
We back up Exchange Online emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks across all mailboxes. SharePoint sites, document libraries, lists, and metadata are captured completely. OneDrive folders, files, and sharing configurations are preserved. Teams conversations, channel messages, files, and configurations are backed up.
This comprehensive coverage ensures that when restoration is needed, you can recover complete functionality, not just partial data. User mailboxes restore with full folder structures, calendar appointments, and contact lists intact. SharePoint sites restore with permissions, metadata, and document libraries exactly as they existed at backup time.
Granular Recovery Without System-Wide Restoration
Individual items like single emails or files restore within minutes through our web portal. You don’t need to roll back entire mailboxes or site collections when users need one accidentally deleted email from last month.
When larger restoration is required, entire mailboxes restore with all folders, rules, and settings intact. Complete SharePoint site collections restore including all subsites, libraries, permissions, and metadata. OneDrive accounts restore with full folder structures and sharing configurations.
Immutable Storage That Attackers Cannot Reach
Backups are stored in immutable format that prevents tampering or deletion. Even if attackers compromise Global Administrator accounts in your Microsoft 365 tenant, they cannot delete or modify backup data stored independently. Ransomware spreading through your network cannot reach cloud backups stored in separate infrastructure.
Immutable storage also satisfies compliance requirements for data integrity and preservation. Backups cannot be altered retroactively, providing trustworthy records for legal discovery, regulatory audits, and incident investigation.
Australian Data Residency and Compliance
All backup data is stored in Sydney, Australia data centres, supporting privacy and regulatory requirements for Australian businesses. Data never leaves Australia, satisfying data residency obligations under privacy legislation and industry-specific regulations. Storage facilities maintain SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and other compliance certifications required for regulated industries.
This local data residency also provides practical benefits for recovery speed. Data doesn’t need to traverse international links for restoration, ensuring faster recovery times when business continuity depends on quickly accessing backed up information.
Automated Scheduling With No Manual Intervention
Backups run automatically at regular intervals with no manual intervention required. Daily backups capture changes across your Microsoft 365 environment, on-premises servers, and NAS storage. Automated scheduling ensures backups happen consistently regardless of holidays, weekends, or staff availability.
Automated monitoring alerts us immediately if backups fail for any reason. Failed backups are investigated and resolved before the next scheduled backup cycle, ensuring continuous protection.
Point-in-Time Recovery for Ransomware Protection
Multiple backup versions are retained, providing point-in-time recovery to dates before ransomware attacks or data corruption occurred. When attacks are discovered weeks after they began, you restore from backup versions captured before the attack started.
This multi-version retention also supports recovery from gradual data corruption or errors that aren’t immediately noticed. Users can restore documents from specific dates when they know versions were clean and correct.
Recovery Times and Testing
Individual items like emails or files typically restore within minutes through our web portal. Users select specific items, date ranges, or search criteria to identify what needs recovery.
Entire mailbox restorations take one to four hours depending on mailbox size and data volume. SharePoint site collections restore based on size, with most completing within several hours.
We test backup integrity quarterly by performing actual test restorations to verify data is recoverable. These tests confirm backups are complete, uncorrupted, and restorable within expected timeframes. Many businesses discover their backups don’t work only when they desperately need them during real emergencies. We ensure yours work before emergencies occur.
At I.T With You, we make cloud data backup simple, tested, and reliable.
Complete Backup Coverage – We protect your Microsoft 365 data, on-premises servers, and NAS storage with immutable backups stored in Sydney, Australia.
Regular Testing and Validation – We test backup integrity quarterly through actual restoration exercises to ensure your data is recoverable when you need it, not just backed up.
Fast, Granular Recovery – Restore individual emails and files within minutes, or entire mailboxes and site collections within hours through our web portal.
Business-Focused Reporting – You receive clear visibility into what’s protected, backup health status, and recovery capabilities in plain language your leadership actually understands.
Having backups isn’t enough. Knowing they’ll work when everything is on the line is what truly protects your business.
Ready to protect your business data with backups that actually work? Contact us today.
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