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Epic Fusion M365 Backup Service

M365 Backup Service: Why your Microsoft 365 Data needs a second Line of Defense

Samuel Mannhart Knowledge

How secure is cloud security, really? Microsoft secures the platform, but not your data. Find out why you need an M365 backup.

The Blind Spot in the Cloud.

Microsoft 365 is the digital backbone of modern businesses. Exchange Online for email and calendars, SharePoint for document management, Teams for collaboration – the platform is powerful, reliable, and ubiquitous. But there is a dangerous fallacy lurking here: In the cloud = securely protected.

The reality is more nuanced. Microsoft is responsible for the availability and integrity of the platform itself, but not for your data. The so-called Shared Responsibility Model is clearly defined: Microsoft secures the infrastructure, and you are responsible for protecting your content.

Native Recycle Bins and Retention are not Backups.

While Microsoft 365 offers retention features and recycle bins, these are not a substitute for a true backup. They do not protect against the most common data loss scenarios:

  • Accidental or malicious deletion: The most frequent cause of data loss.

  • Ransomware and security breaches: Cybercriminals encrypt or delete data directly within M365.

  • Faulty synchronizations: OneDrive sync errors or faulty migrations can overwrite hundreds of documents.

  • Compliance requirements: GDPR, revDSG, FINMA, and other regulations require verifiable, independent backups for audit trails and data protection.

Caution: Native retention in M365 is tied to the tenant. If a security incident compromises the entire tenant, the retentions are also at risk. An independent, external backup service is the only true line of defense.
The native recycle bin and retention are not a backup

What the Epic Backup Service covers.

The Epic Backup Service backs up your entire Microsoft 365 tenant three times a day and offers unlimited retention as the standard backup policy. This means that all your data can be restored at any time.

Exchange Online: Email, Calendar, Contacts

Mailboxes are the heart of business communication. The Epic Fusion Service secures:

  • All mailboxes (user, shared mailboxes, resource mailboxes)

  • Folder structure, emails, attachments

  • Calendar, contacts, tasks

  • Permissions and delegations

Use Case: An employee accidentally deletes a folder containing two years' worth of customer correspondence
Instead of time-consuming audit log searches and manual reconstruction, we restore the folder with a single click in the Recovery Portal. And we do this to a point in time you define before the deletion.
RTO: Minutes instead of days.

SharePoint Online and OneDrive: Documents, Versions, Permissions

Document management is critical. This service backs up:

  • All SharePoint sites (team sites, communication sites)

  • OneDrive libraries for each user

  • Document versions and metadata Lists, permissions, workflows

Use Case: Faulty synchronization overwrites hundreds of documents
A OneDrive sync error or a faulty migration overwrites critical files. With the Epic Fusion Backup Service, the entire site can be restored to a point before the incident. All documents, all versions, and all permissions remain completely intact.

Microsoft Teams: Channels, Files, Chat History

Teams is more than just chat. Teams is a decision-making and documentation system. This service secures:

  • Team channels and their files

  • Personal chat history (1:1 and group chats)

  • Tabs, integrations, message history

  • Permissions and memberships 

Use Case: Employee leaves company and chat history with key client needs to be archived in a legally compliant manner
The employee had conducted important negotiations with a key client in Teams. During offboarding, this chat history must be preserved for compliance and business continuity without keeping the account active. The Epic Fusion Backup Service makes it possible to back up the chat history independently and restore it when needed.

Public Folders, Microsoft 365 Groups, Project Online and Viva Engage

Often overlooked, but critical:

  • Public Folders: Archives, shared calendars, distribution lists – often with years of history Microsoft 365

  • Groups: Mailboxes and SharePoint sites for group collaboration

  • Project Online: Project data and portfolios

  • Viva Engage: Company network and discussions 

The Epic Backup Service fully captures all these workloads. No gaps, no surprises.

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Security through Separation.

A fundamental principle of backup security: The backup must not be stored where the original is located. The Epic Fusion Backup Service consistently adheres to this principle.

AWS as your default Storage

By default: AWS S3 storage:

  • Cloud diversity: Your backups reside independently of Microsoft infrastructure. An outage or security incident in the Microsoft cloud will not affect your backups.

  • Immutability: AWS S3 offers write-once, read-many (WORM) storage. Ransomware cannot encrypt or delete backups.

  • Scalability: Unlimited capacity for growing data volumes without infrastructure investments.

Bring your own Storage (BYOS) for strict Compliance

For companies with stringent data retention requirements:

  • Swiss data storage: Banks, insurance companies, and regulated industries can integrate S3-compatible storage in Switzerland or the EU.

  • Full control: Backup data remains in the desired jurisdiction and under your control.

  • Compliance verification: Audit trails and access control for regulatory requirements.

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User-friendly Recovery.

A backup is only as good as its restore. The Epic Fusion Backup Service offers two complementary recovery methods for maximum flexibility and minimal downtime.

Teams Agent (User Access ReCenter)

End users can restore their own data directly in Microsoft Teams – without a ticket, without waiting:

  • Cloud diversity: One click in the Teams interface

  • Retrieved file version found

  • Restore initiated

  • Relieves the burden on IT

  • RTO: Minutes instead of hours

Recovery Portal

A web-based recovery portal is also available for convenient search and recovery:

  • Intuitive search function

  • Point-in-time recovery

  • Preview before restore

  • Audit logs for compliance

For more complex recovery scenarios, such as site-wide restores or tenant-level operations, requests are submitted in a structured manner via the Epic Fusion Helpdesk. IT administrators benefit from proactive notifications of backup issues and SLA-backed support for critical restores. License management is conveniently handled through the Marketplace and is complemented by regular backup health reports.

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Best Practices for optimal Protection.

A backup is only as good as its restore. The Epic Fusion Backup Service offers two complementary recovery methods for maximum flexibility and minimal downtime.

1. Regularly test Restores

Perform random sample restores at least quarterly. A backup that hasn't been tested isn't a backup.

2. Align Retention with Compliance

Unlimited retention is the default – but check deletion obligations (GDPR data minimization) and adapt policies accordingly.

3. Prioritize critical Workloads

Not all data is equally time-critical. Define key workloads (e.g., VIP mailboxes, ongoing projects) and prioritize their backup.

4. Define Roles and Processes

Self-service via Teams agent and recovery portal for user data, structured helpdesk process for critical admin restores.

Next Steps: Truly secure your Microsoft 365 Data.

Microsoft 365 is powerful, but not self-healing. The Epic Fusion Backup Service offers complete protection for all M365 workloads, including Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Public Folders, Groups, Project Online, and Viva Engage, with triple daily backups. Data is stored in independent cloud storage on AWS Standard or, optionally, on your own storage, meeting even the strictest compliance and jurisdiction requirements. Self-service recovery via the Teams agent and the Recovery Portal allows end users to restore data independently, reducing recovery time from hours to minutes. The service is complemented by SLA-backed helpdesk support for critical restores, proactive notifications, and regular compliance reports.

Truly secure your Microsoft 365 data

Prepare your second Line of Defense.

Building a structured Microsoft 365 backup strategy does not have to happen all at once. A phased approach has proven effective in practice.

  1. Step assessment workshop: Analyze your tenant, identify critical workloads, and clarify requirements related to compliance, RPO/RTO, and data retention.

  2. Step pilot rollout: Start with a single department or workload at your own pace, without risk or obligation.

  3. Step go-live and enablement: Targeted onboarding for IT managers and clear user guidance for self-service via Teams agent and the Recovery Portal..

Do you know how well your M365 data is truly protected? Contact us for a free audit or to develop a backup strategy.

Prepare your second line of defense
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Samuel Mannhart, Teamlead Cloud Services, Senior Cloud Consultant

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