microsoft 365 does not protect your data…. why?

its your data so why would microsoft be responsible for protecting it?

Microsoft 365 is the backbone for businesses of every size. Emails, documents, contracts, customer records and communications all handled by Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams. And for most businesses the assumption is the same. Microsoft runs the platform, so surely Microsoft is responsible for the data inside it?

That assumption is wrong, and it leaves businesses exposed. But there is a solution and its called Dropsuite.

1️⃣ So What Does Microsoft Actually Cover?

Microsoft operates under a shared responsibility model. In other words: Microsoft guarantees the availability and security of the infrastructure and that the platform stays online, servers stay functioning and access is available.

Microsoft 365 guaranteed monthly uptime in the UK is 99.9% per service, not across the whole tenant. If Microsoft fails to meet this, you receive service credits under the SLA.

2️⃣ What Does Microsoft Not Cover?

Microsoft does not recover your data if something goes wrong on your side such as a ransomware attack encrypting every document in your SharePoint environment, a member of staff accidentally deleting a folder or a compromised account permanently removing shared files or mailbox data.

3️⃣ The Risks To Your 365 Data

Ransomware:
Cyberattacks against UK businesses continue to rise every year, and ransomware is now capable of reaching deep into Microsoft 365. Once it hits your tenant, it can encrypt or corrupt files across SharePoint and OneDrive and Microsoft provides no native rollback for this kind of breach. If you don’t have an independent backup stored outside the compromised environment, recovery isn’t a quick fix measured in hours. It becomes a long, painful process measured in weeks. For most businesses, that level of downtime simply isn’t survivable.

Accidental Deletion:
Human error remains the leading cause of data loss in cloud platforms. One accidental click can wipe out records that took years to build. Microsoft’s own safeguards such as recycle bins and version history are limited, time‑bound, and don’t protect against every type of mistake. When something is deleted beyond those boundaries, it’s gone for good.

UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018:
These apply to any personal data stored in Microsoft 365. That information carries the same legal obligations as every other system your organisation uses. If personal data is lost or becomes unrecoverable because of a cyber incident or deletion event, you may be required to notify the ICO. And if you’re operating without independent backup or data‑protection controls, that gap alone can be viewed as evidence of inadequate technical measures under the regulation.

Cyber Insurance:
Commercial insurers are steadily raising the bar on what they expect before offering cover. Independent, off‑site data protection is increasingly a mandatory requirement rather than a nice‑to‑have. Organisations that can’t demonstrate it are seeing premiums climb sharply and in many cases, cover is being reduced or refused entirely at renewal.

4️⃣ How To Protect Your Data

Dropsuite by NinjaOne provides something Microsoft 365 simply doesn’t: a true, independent, full‑scope backup and rapid recovery solution for your 365 data.

Microsoft 365 has retention, not backup. Once data ages out or is deleted, it’s gone. Dropsuite creates a separate, immutable backup outside your tenant, protecting you from:

• Ransomware encryption spreading through SharePoint/OneDrive

• Accidental deletion and human error

• Malicious insider actions

• Data loss during offboarding (deleted mailboxes are still fully recoverable)

This is the single biggest gap in Microsoft 365, and Dropsuite closes it

Full coverage across Microsoft 365 workloads:

• Exchange Online (mail, calendar, contacts)

• SharePoint (sites, libraries, lists)

• OneDrive (all files/folders)

• Teams (channels, chats, shared files)

This includes granular restore of individual items, folders, or entire mailboxes/sites

Granular, point‑in‑time recovery:

• Individual emails, files, folders, or Teams messages

• Entire mailboxes or SharePoint sites

• Data from deleted users

• Specific versions or snapshots from any point in time

This is critical for ransomware, corruption, or accidental overwrites

Unlimited storage and long‑term retention:

• Unlimited storage

• Unlimited retention

• No ingress/egress fees

• Free backup of deleted users

This is ideal for compliance, legal discovery, and regulated industries

Compliance‑ready archiving & legal hold:

• Immutable email archiving

• Journaling-based capture

• Legal hold

• eDiscovery search

• Chain‑of‑custody‑preserving exports

This supports UK GDPR, DPA 2018, FCA, HIPAA, SOC2, ISO 27001 and more

Military‑grade security:

• AES‑256 encryption at rest and in transit

• Multi‑factor authentication

• SOC2, ISO 27001, SSAE‑16, FISMA‑compliant data centres

Automated, “set‑and‑forget” backups:

• Up to 12 times per day for email

• Multiple times per day for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams

No manual intervention, no maintenance overhead

5️⃣ How Much Does This Cost

Anything that protects your business is an investment rather than “just another cost” and Dropsuite starts from only £3.00 per user per month, so it won’t break make the FD spit out her coffee!

Get in touch with us today if you would like to know more or have any questions

020 8770 0007 | info@s50.co.uk