Microsoft 365 backup and recovery, with tested restores.
Third-party backup of your Microsoft 365 data, because Microsoft's own retention isn't a backup, and most businesses find that out too late.
Backup at a glance
- Microsoft 365 backup
- From Professional
- Retention
- Unlimited
- Restores
- Tested
- Disaster recovery test
- Yearly, Fortified
What Microsoft keeps, and where it stops.
Microsoft runs a resilient service and gives you several ways to undo a mistake. Each one has a time limit, and none of them is a separate copy that you control.
Deleted items can be recovered for 14 days by default, up to 30 if an administrator extends it. A deleted mailbox is kept for 30 days, then permanently removed.
Files
Deleted SharePoint and OneDrive files sit in the recycle bin for 93 days. A whole library can be rolled back to any point in the last 30 days.
People who leave
When a user is deleted, their OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default, then moves to a recycle bin that only an administrator can restore from, for a further 93 days. After that the files are gone.
Figures are Microsoft's published defaults, checked October 2026. Sources and the detail are in our guide, Does Microsoft back up your Microsoft 365 data?
A separate copy, kept without a time limit.
Backup is part of the Professional and Fortified plans, and can be added to a Tailored plan.
Microsoft 365 backup, unlimited retention
Third-party backup of your Microsoft 365 data, held outside Microsoft's own retention windows. Included from Professional.
Tested restores
A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a backup. Ours are tested.
Annual disaster recovery test
Fortified adds a disaster recovery test every year, alongside the quarterly vCIO review.
Where the backups live
Encrypted backups of covered systems, hosted in Australia and confirmed in writing per vendor in your data-locations table.
Still running a server? Its backups get checked too.
A managed server includes monitoring, patching and backup verification for a published monthly rate.
Where backup sits in the plans
- EssentialBackup available as an add-on under TailoredAdd-on
- ProfessionalMicrosoft 365 backup with unlimited retention$99 / user
- FortifiedAdds an annual disaster recovery test$129 / user
- Managed serverMonitoring, patching, backup verification$175 / server
Five questions to ask about any backup.
Ask them of us, of your current provider, or of whoever set up the backup you already have.
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| What exactly is covered? | Your Microsoft 365 data on Professional and Fortified. Managed servers have their backups verified. |
| How far back can you go? | Retention is unlimited on the Professional plan and above. |
| Where is the copy held? | On a third-party backup platform, encrypted, hosted in Australia and confirmed in writing per vendor. |
| When was a restore last tested? | Restores are tested as part of the service. Fortified adds an annual disaster recovery test. |
| Who can get at it? | Technicians working under named accounts with multi-factor authentication and session logging. You can ask for the access logs for your environment. |
Read before you decide.
How to choose a managed IT provider: 12 questions to ask before you sign
What to ask about scope, response times, access, data and exit terms, and what a good answer sounds like.
Read the guideThe Essential Eight, explained in plain English
The eight strategies, the four maturity levels, who it applies to, and what ASD is changing.
Read the guideDoes Microsoft back up your Microsoft 365 data?
How long deleted email and files really stay recoverable, and where a separate backup takes over.
Read the guideSee your IT clearly. Twenty minutes, no obligation.
A short call to understand your setup, your risks, and whether we're the right fit. You'll leave with at least one useful recommendation, even if you never speak to us again.