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.
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.
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