%20(1).png)
Your Microsoft 365 Data Is One Deletion Away From Being Gone Forever
Most businesses assume Microsoft 365 protects them. It doesn't - not fully. Microsoft is responsible for uptime, not your data. That responsibility sits with you. DS365 Backup closes that gap — automatically, securely, and affordably.
30%
of organisations experienced
Microsoft 365 data loss in 2024
81%
of IT professionals have encountered M365 data loss first-hand
60%
of organisations have no strategy for protecting M365 data
14 days
is the default period that Microsoft retains deleted Exchange Online emails
The Hard Truth...
Does Microsoft Back Up Your Data?
Microsoft 365 is built for availability and collaboration - not data protection. Under Microsoft's shared responsibility model, keeping your data safe and recoverable is explicitly your obligation, not theirs. Here's the proof, in their own words:
"In the event of an outage, you may not be able to retrieve Your Content or Data that you've stored… We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services."
— Microsoft Service Agreement, Section 6(b)
Native Retention Limitations
What Microsoft Actually Provides
Recycle Bins
EXCHANGE ONLINE EMAIL
Deleted emails can only be recovered for 14 days (default) post-deletion.
ONEDRIVE & SHAREPOINT
Files & folders have a 93 day retention period before they are gone for good.
Version History: Limited
OneDrive and SharePoint retain file versions, but only for a set number of versions — overwritten data is lost.
No Long-Term Retention
Microsoft does not provide long-term, independent backup storage. Compliance holds are not backups.
Departed Users = Lost Data
When a licensed user is removed, their mailbox and OneDrive data can be lost within 30 days.
Email Security, Explained.
Here’s three of the most common email security threats we help protect you against.
Real Risk Scenarios
How Businesses Lose Their Data
Accidental Deletion
A staff member permanently deletes a critical email thread or folder. By the time it's noticed, the retention window has closed.
🗑
Staff Departure
An employee leaves the business. Their account is deactivated and licence removed — taking years of emails and files with them.
👤
Ransomware Attack
Ransomware encrypts files synced to OneDrive or SharePoint. Without an independent backup, recovery is near impossible.
🔒
Overwritten Files
A critical document is overwritten or corrupted. Version history has a finite limit — previous versions may no longer exist.
♻
Expired Retention
Data is deleted but the loss isn't discovered until months later — well past Microsoft's native recovery window.
⏱
The Solution
Introducing DS365 Backup for Microsoft 365
DS365 Backup is Crystal IT's fully managed Microsoft 365 backup solution — giving your business automated, independent, and comprehensive protection for every workload that matters. Set and forget. We handle the rest.
_edited.png){kind=small}
DS365 User Backup
Complete protection for every user's communication, collaboration, and file data across the Microsoft 365 suite.
Exchange Online — Emails, Calendars, Contacts & Tasks
OneDrive — Personal cloud file storage
Microsoft Teams — Chats, Channel Posts & Files
Microsoft 365 Groups — Group data and conversations
_edited.png){kind=small}
DS365 SharePoint Backup
Dedicated protection for your organisation's most important shared content and business-critical document repositories.
SharePoint Sites & Sub-Sites
Document Libraries, Folders & Files
Lists, Items & Columns
Site Permissions & Access Controls
¹ Unlimited storage and retention applies to DS365 User Backup, covering mailbox (Exchange Online), OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Groups data. DS365 SharePoint Backup storage is provisioned in 500 GB annual blocks. Additional blocks are available and will be charged accordingly if the included allocation is exceeded. Crystal IT will notify you if your usage approaches the threshold.
Feature Summary
What You Get — And Why It Matters
Feature | What It Does | Business Outcome |
|---|---|---|
⚡ Automated Backups (up to 12×/day) | Continuously backs up your Microsoft 365 data on a set schedule — no manual intervention required. | Near-zero data loss window. Even if something goes wrong today, you recover from this morning's backup. |
🔍 Granular Restore | Restore a single email, a mailbox folder, a specific file, or an entire site — at any point in time. | Fast, precise recovery without restoring unnecessary data. Minimises downtime and business disruption. |
📁 Unlimited Storage & Retention | No caps on how much data is stored or how far back you can restore. | Full historical archive for compliance, audits, disputes, and long-term operational resilience. |
🔐 Military-Grade AES-256 Encryption | Data is encrypted in transit and at rest using AES-256-bit encryption and TLS/SSL standards. | Your backed-up data is secure, private, and inaccessible to unauthorised parties — including in transit. |
☁ Independent Cloud Storage | Backup data is stored in a separate, independent cloud environment — completely outside Microsoft's infrastructure. | If Microsoft experiences an outage or is compromised, your backup remains safe and accessible. |
🔎 Advanced Search & Recovery | Lightning-fast search across 20+ criteria. Saved searches with email alerts. No limitations or timeouts. | Quickly locate archived data for HR investigations, compliance requests, or legal hold requirements. |
Backup Frequency
How Often We Back Up Your Data
📧
Emails
12×
PER DAY
📁
OneDrive
1×
PER DAY
📜
SharePoint
3×
PER DAY
💬
Teams
3×
PER DAY
👥
Groups
3×
PER DAY
📅
Contacts / Calendars
1×
PER DAY
Why DS365?
Six Reasons to Protect Your Business Today
🤖
Fully Automated
Set once and forget. Backups run automatically in the background, every single day.
⚡
Fast Recovery
Recover a single email or an entire mailbox in minutes — not hours or days.
🔒
Enterprise Security
AES-256 encryption, MFA support, and SOC2-compliant data centres as standard.
∞
No Limits
Unlimited storage. Unlimited retention. No hidden fees. No storage caps. Ever.
🌐
Independent Storage
Your data is stored separate from Microsoft - safe from outages, deletions, or breaches.
🤝
Managed by
Crystal IT
Backed by over 27 years of trusted IT expertise. We monitor, manage, and support you.
Don't Wait for a Data Loss Event to
Take Backup Seriously
DS365 Backup for Microsoft 365 is a simple, affordable, and professionally managed solution that gives your business the data protection it needs — and the peace of mind you deserve. Get started today by completing our short enquiry form and a member of the Crystal IT team will be in touch promptly.