Backup & Recovery Assurance
Microsoft 365 Backup You Can Actually Recover From
A successful backup job is not the same as proof that your business can recover its email, files and collaboration data when it matters.
Altitude protects the agreed Microsoft 365 workloads, checks their status and carries out real restore tests — giving you evidence, not just a green tick in a backup dashboard.
Review Our Microsoft 365 Backup Talk to AltitudeMicrosoft 365 Is Resilient — But That Is Not the Same as Backup
Microsoft handles the availability of its platform. Your business still needs a practical answer when data is deleted, changed, encrypted, retained for too short a period or needs recovering to a known point in time. Recycle bins, retention policies and version history are useful safeguards, but each has a purpose and a limit.
What We Protect
Exchange Online
Mailbox messages, folders, contacts and calendars can be restored when a user, retention policy or incident removes something important.
OneDrive
Business files are protected beyond a recycle-bin window, so accidental deletion or ransomware does not become a permanent loss.
SharePoint and Teams
Document libraries, shared files and Teams-connected SharePoint sites can be recovered in a controlled way.
Recovery evidence
A successful backup job is checked, but real confidence comes from verified restores and a clear record of what was tested.
More Than Backup Software
Backup needs ownership. We make it an operational activity: checking what has happened, investigating exceptions and proving that selected recovery paths work before the business depends on them.
- A review of Microsoft 365 workloads, users and data that need protection
- Confirmation of the backup platform, retention and administrator access
- Daily review of backup status and investigation of failures where included in scope
- Practical restores to prove that selected mail, files or sites can be recovered
- A clear record of checks, restores, exceptions and recommended actions
- Escalation when backup status, capacity, credentials or protected workloads need attention
Recovery Scenarios We Plan For
Accidental deletion
Recover a message, file, folder or library item after it has been deleted or changed in error.
Ransomware or malicious activity
Identify a usable recovery point and restore the affected data without relying only on the live Microsoft 365 environment.
Retention limit reached
Recover data that is no longer available through a Microsoft 365 recycle bin or standard retention period, where the agreed backup retention covers it.
Departing staff and shared knowledge
Retain or recover business records when a user account, mailbox or OneDrive has been changed or removed.
How Microsoft 365 Backup Becomes Recoverability
- Understand: identify the Microsoft 365 workloads, important data, current protection and recovery expectations.
- Check: review coverage, backup status, retention, alerts, administrative access and issues that could prevent recovery.
- Restore: carry out agreed, safe restore tests rather than treating a green dashboard as proof that recovery will work.
- Improve: provide clear findings and practical actions for gaps, failed jobs, missing workloads or recovery risks.
- Assure: use ongoing monitoring and restore tests to provide evidence that protection is still working as the environment changes.
What You Receive
- Clear coverage: a confirmed view of the workloads, users and data included in the agreed protection.
- Recorded checks: a record of backup status checks, failures investigated and exceptions that need action.
- Restore evidence: documented restore tests showing what was recovered and the result of the verification.
Microsoft 365 Backup FAQs
Do we need to back up Microsoft 365?
Microsoft provides resilient infrastructure and several retention and recycle-bin features, but those are not the same as an independent backup service. A separate backup gives the business a defined recovery point and retention period for agreed workloads, which is especially useful for accidental deletion, ransomware, retention gaps and restore assurance.
Is Microsoft 365 backup included with Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 includes service resilience, recycle bins and retention features that vary by workload and licence. It does not automatically provide the independent, long-term recovery service many businesses expect. We review the protection already available and explain where an additional backup service is appropriate.
What Microsoft 365 data can be backed up?
The exact scope depends on the backup platform and licence, but a typical Microsoft 365 backup service covers Exchange Online mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint sites and Teams-connected SharePoint data. We agree the workloads and exclusions before implementation.
Can you restore a deleted Microsoft 365 email?
Yes, where the mailbox and restore point are covered by the backup service. We can restore an individual message, a folder or a wider mailbox selection according to the incident and the agreed recovery process.
Can you restore deleted OneDrive or SharePoint files?
Yes, where those workloads are in scope and the data is within the agreed backup retention. A restore can be targeted at selected files and folders or handled more widely when necessary. We assess the safest destination before overwriting anything live.
Does Microsoft 365 backup protect us from ransomware?
A backup can provide a recovery option after ransomware or destructive activity, but it is not a replacement for MFA, device protection, phishing controls and monitoring. The important question is whether there is a clean recovery point and whether the business can restore it safely. Restore testing helps prove that.
How often should Microsoft 365 backups be checked?
Backup jobs should be checked regularly, with failures investigated promptly. Altitude's ongoing service includes daily working-day checks where scoped. We also recommend scheduled restore tests because a completed job is not the same as a proven recovery.
How often should we test restores?
The right frequency depends on how critical the data is, how often it changes and the business's recovery requirements. Monthly or quarterly tests are common starting points. We agree a practical test schedule and document what was restored and verified.
Will a restore overwrite our current data?
It can if handled carelessly, which is why every restore is planned around the data involved. In many cases data can be restored to an alternate location or reviewed before replacing live content. We confirm the destination and impact before carrying out the restore.
Can Altitude set up Microsoft 365 backup for us?
Yes. We can assess the current position, implement an appropriate backup service, configure the agreed workloads and retention, and provide ongoing monitoring and restore testing. The exact service is scoped around your Microsoft 365 environment and recovery needs.
What happens when a backup fails?
A failed job is an operational issue, not just a dashboard notification. We investigate the cause, which may involve permissions, licensing, storage, a changed Microsoft 365 workload or a backup-platform fault. We record the result and escalate any action the business needs to take.
Can we get evidence that our backups are working?
Yes. Altitude records the checks and restore tests carried out as part of the agreed service. This gives the business evidence of the protection status, any exceptions found and the recovery actions that were successfully tested.