Most businesses assume Microsoft backs up their Microsoft 365 data. It doesn't — not the way most people think. Here's what Druva actually adds, and why it matters.
This is the single most common misunderstanding we see. Microsoft 365 includes retention policies, version history and a recycle bin — genuinely useful, but built for short-term recovery of accidental changes, not a full, long-term, independent backup. If a mailbox is deliberately deleted, corrupted by ransomware, or simply falls outside the retention window, that data can be gone for good without a separate backup in place.
| Microsoft's built-in retention | Druva backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Short-term accidental recovery | Long-term, independent data protection |
| Storage location | Inside your own tenant | Separate, independent copy |
| Protects against ransomware hitting the tenant itself | Limited | ✓ |
| Protects against a deliberate/malicious deletion | Limited | ✓ |
Backup software that's installed but never checked is a false sense of security — the same risk as backups that are never tested. As part of a managed setup, Cloudeli monitors that backups are actually completing, not just assumed to be running, and knows the real recovery process before it's ever needed under pressure. For the bigger picture on why "we have backups" alone isn't a full plan, see why backups and disaster recovery aren't the same thing.
Microsoft protects the infrastructure and offers retention/recycle-bin features, but under the shared responsibility model, protecting your actual data long-term is your responsibility — not an automatic, unlimited backup.
For Microsoft 365, that typically covers Exchange Online mailboxes, SharePoint Online sites, and OneDrive accounts — kept as an independent copy, separate from your live Microsoft 365 tenant.
Recovery speed depends on what's being restored and how much data is involved — a managed setup includes knowing your actual recovery time in advance, not finding out during an emergency.
Book a free backup assessment — we'll show you exactly what's protected today.
