Microsoft 365 Backup: Why the Cloud Alone Isn’t Enough to Protect Your Business

It’s a conversation our support team has far too often. A business owner calls in a panic: a critical SharePoint project folder has vanished, or...

Jack Walsh

Published Date: 26/11/2025

It’s a conversation our support team has far too often.

A business owner calls in a panic: a critical SharePoint project folder has vanished, or a disgruntled employee wipes their inbox before handing in their notice. The next question usually sounds like this:

“Can you just call Microsoft and get it back?”

It feels like the answer should be yes. You’re paying for Microsoft 365, it’s in “the cloud”, so surely your data is backed up forever… right?

Unfortunately, that’s a myth.

Microsoft 365 is an incredible productivity platform – but it isn’t a full Microsoft 365 backup or disaster recovery solution. If you’re relying only on Microsoft’s built-in tools, you’re running your business without a safety net.

In this article, we’ll explain why, answer common questions like “Does Microsoft back up my emails?”, and show how Yellowcom’s managed IT and cybersecurity bundles close the gap with Spanning Cloud Backup.

“Trash” Isn’t a Backup: How Native Microsoft 365 Retention Really Works

Many people confuse the Recycle Bin, email “Deleted Items”, or basic archiving with a proper Office 365 data protection strategy.

Microsoft does a great job of keeping the service online and providing short-term retention via recycle bins and version histories. But that’s not the same as independent backup.

Deleted emails and files sit in a Recycle Bin for a limited time (often 30–93 days).
If someone empties the bin – or you notice something missing after that window – the data is gone.
Syncing means corrupt or encrypted files can overwrite “good” versions across OneDrive and SharePoint.

That’s why so many businesses only discover the problem when they try to:

Recover permanently deleted files in SharePoint months later.
Restore deleted Teams chats from an old project.
Retrieve crucial emails to resolve a dispute or audit.

The Shared Responsibility Model: Who Actually Owns Your Data?

Microsoft is very clear about the Shared Responsibility Model for cloud services.

A simple way to think about it:

Microsoft is the landlord – they look after the “building”: data centres, physical security, power, cooling, the global network and platform uptime.
You’re the tenant – you’re responsible for what’s inside your space: your users, settings, security policies, and all of your data.

So:

Microsoft is responsible for service availability.
You are responsible for data protection – including accidental deletion, malicious insiders and cyber attacks.

If you don’t have an independent Microsoft 365 backup solution, Microsoft has no obligation to recover lost data beyond what their standard retention tools can do.

Real-World Risks: It’s Not Just Hackers

If Microsoft’s infrastructure is so secure, why do you need extra protection? Because most data loss in Microsoft 365 isn’t caused by Microsoft. It’s caused by people and day-to-day business life.

1. Accidental deletion

Someone “tidies up” a shared OneDrive or SharePoint site and removes the wrong folder. Nobody notices until months later, when a customer asks for a file that no longer exists.

By that point, native recovery options have usually expired.

2. Ransomware and malware

A user clicks a phishing link and malware is installed. Files are encrypted on their device and then synced straight into OneDrive and SharePoint.

The result? Your cloud now holds the encrypted versions. Without a clean, offline backup, rolling back becomes painful – or impossible.

This is why a modern business continuity plan must include strong backup and ransomware protection, especially for SMEs in the UK and Ireland looking for ransomware protection solutions.

3. Malicious insiders

A disgruntled staff member leaving the business deletes critical documents, emails or Teams chats before their access is removed.

If you later need to restore deleted Teams chats for HR or legal reasons, you may discover that standard retention doesn’t go back far enough.

Does Microsoft Back Up My Emails?

Short answer: not in the way most business owners think.

Microsoft ensures that:

Email services are highly available.
There’s short-term retention for deleted items.
You can enable additional retention policies (with configuration and sometimes extra cost).

But that’s not the same as a point-in-time, independent backup that you control. If a mailbox is removed, or a user empties Deleted Items, recovering emails beyond your retention settings can be very challenging.

If your honest answer to “How would we recover if a key mailbox was wiped today?” is “I’m not sure” – you need a proper backup strategy.

A group of office workers protected from Cyber Threats by Yellowcom Cyber Security Solutions

Introducing Spanning Cloud Backup from Yellowcom

At Yellowcom, we take a “belt and braces” approach to Microsoft 365 data protection. Our IT Protection & Continuity Toolki t includes Spanning Cloud Backup – a dedicated, cloud-to-cloud backup service built specifically for Microsoft 365.

Spanning is also trusted globally as a Microsoft 365 and Office 365 data protection solution.

Automated Microsoft 365 backup

Automatic, daily backups of:
- Outlook emails and calendars
- OneDrive and SharePoint files
- Microsoft Teams data (including chats and files)
No manual exporting, scripting or tapes.

Fast restore – right down to a single item

Need to recover permanently deleted files in SharePoint from last quarter? Or that one email thread you now need for a dispute?

Spanning lets us (or your IT team) pick a date and:

Restore a full mailbox, SharePoint site or OneDrive.
Restore individual emails, files or Teams items in minutes.

Long-term, compliant retention

Whether you’re in professional services, healthcare, education or charity, retention and audit trails matter.

Long-term retention beyond Microsoft’s standard recycle bins.
Clear evidence of robust Office 365 data protection as part of your compliance story.

Protection against ransomware

Because Spanning’s backups are stored independently, you can:

Roll back to a clean point in time before infection.
Restore only affected users, sites or mailboxes.
Avoid paying ransoms or suffering prolonged downtime.

That’s why we position it as a core part of our ransomware protection UK offer – not an optional extra.

Where Managed IT, Cybersecurity & Backup Come Together

Backup works best when it’s not a one-off purchase, but part of your wider business continuity plan.

That’s exactly how we bundle it at Yellowcom.

Our managed IT and cybersecurity product bundles are designed to give SMEs in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland:

Microsoft 365 licences set up correctly and securely.
Proactive monitoring and support from our UK-based team.
Cybersecurity controls (patching, antivirus, MFA, policies).
Spanning Cloud Backup as your Microsoft 365 safety net.
Clear options within our Yellowcom IT support packages (Micro, Small, Medium), so you only pay for what you need.

When something goes wrong, you don’t have to scramble through admin centres or search for PowerShell commands. You call us. We diagnose the issue, restore from backup where needed, and get you working again.

What Life Looks Like With vs Without Microsoft 365 Backup

Without a dedicated backup solution

You’re relying on recycle bins and goodwill.
You have limited ability to recover older versions or deleted items.
Ransomware in synced folders can leave you stuck.
You carry the risk, even if you thought Microsoft “had it covered”.

With Spanning and Yellowcom’s managed support

You have clear answers to:
- “Can we recover permanently deleted files in SharePoint?”
- “Can we restore deleted Teams chats from that project six months ago?”
- “What happens if someone wipes their mailbox?”
Recovery is measured in minutes and hours, not days and weeks.
Backup, cybersecurity and support are handled by one team, under one contract.

Microsoft 365 Backup FAQs

Does Microsoft back up my emails in Microsoft 365?

Microsoft keeps your email service running and provides short-term retention for deleted items, but it does not provide a full, independent Microsoft 365 backup of your mailboxes.

If a user empties their Deleted Items folder, or a mailbox is removed, recovering individual emails beyond your retention settings can be very difficult – or impossible. That’s why many businesses add a third-party backup as part of a wider Office 365 data protection and business continuity plan.

Can I recover permanently deleted files in SharePoint or OneDrive?

It depends how long ago they were deleted and how your retention is configured. SharePoint and OneDrive both have recycle bins and version history, but these are time-limited and can be emptied by users or admins.

If you need to recover permanently deleted files in SharePoint months later – for a client dispute, audit or investigation – native tools alone may not be enough. A dedicated backup like Spanning stores independent copies so you can roll back to a specific point in time and restore exactly what you need.

Can I restore deleted Teams chats?

Microsoft Teams is brilliant for collaboration, but it isn’t designed as a long-term archive for conversations. Teams chats are governed by your organisation’s retention policies; if messages fall outside those policies, they may not be recoverable.

With an independent backup solution that includes Teams, you can restore deleted Teams chats and related files when you need them, even if the original messages are no longer visible to users.

What is the Shared Responsibility Model in Microsoft 365?

The Shared Responsibility Model is Microsoft’s way of explaining who looks after what in the cloud. Microsoft is responsible for the infrastructure and uptime of Microsoft 365 – keeping the service secure and available. You are responsible for your data, users and access, including protection against accidental deletion, malicious insiders and cyber attacks.

A third-party Microsoft 365 backup solution helps you meet your side of that responsibility and gives you much more control over restores.

How does Yellowcom protect Microsoft 365 data for UK and Irish businesses?

Yellowcom combines Microsoft 365 licences with managed IT support, cybersecurity tools and Spanning Cloud Backup in one integrated package. That means:

Automated daily backups of emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams.
Fast restore of individual items or whole mailboxes/sites.
Protection against ransomware and accidental deletion.
Ongoing monitoring and support from a UK-based team.

You can add Microsoft 365 backup to our Yellowcom IT support packages (Micro, Small, Medium), so it becomes part of your everyday business continuity plan rather than a one-off purchase.

How does Microsoft 365 backup help with ransomware protection in the UK?

Ransomware often encrypts files on local devices and then syncs those encrypted versions into OneDrive and SharePoint. Without an independent backup, you may be forced to choose between paying a ransom or losing data.

As part of our ransomware protection UK approach, Yellowcom uses Spanning to keep clean, point-in-time copies of your Microsoft 365 data. If the worst happens, we can roll back to a safe version from before the attack and get you working again without funding cybercriminals.

Ready to Stop Relying on Luck?

Data loss is one of those problems that feels theoretical – right up until the moment it isn’t.

If you’re unsure how you’d recover from:

A wiped mailbox
A deleted SharePoint site
A ransomware attack on your synced files

…then now is the time to act, not after something goes wrong.

Yellowcom can help you:

Review your current Microsoft 365 setup and risks.
Build a practical business continuity plan around backup and security.
Add Spanning Cloud Backup to your existing Yellowcom IT support package or design a new managed IT and cybersecurity bundle around your needs.

Let’s put a real safety net under your Microsoft 365.

Call us: UK: +44 3330 156 651 ROI: +353 1263 5299
Email: info@yellowcom.co.uk