Why You Should Backup Microsoft Teams

Online work platforms, like Microsoft Teams, have helped organizations transition to hybrid and remote work models, ensuring the efficiency of online work processes. Microsoft Teams has made it easier to organize online meetings and ensures effective communication between team members, helping them stay connected anywhere and at any time.

However, like every other solution, it has its problems, and one of the most notable problems is data protection. Although Microsoft Office 365 offers a native backup tool it doesn’t offer 100% data security. Thus, adopting other backup solutions ensures a robust system that can effectively prevent permanent data loss in data disaster scenarios.

This article explores seven reasons to back up your Microsoft Teams data whether its the general chat or one-on-one chats, enabling you to take the proper steps toward preventing data loss.

7 Reasons to Backup Microsoft Teams

Below are seven reasons why Microsoft Teams backup is essential for any business:

1. Increased Recovery Time and Lower Risk of Data Loss 

In a data disaster event where your Microsoft Office 365 environment has either experienced data loss or is compromised, having a robust backup system dramatically reduces downtime and lowers the risk of data loss. With backups, disaster recovery is quicker, allowing your company to return to normal operation quickly. Since external backups perform regular backups, there will be little to no loss if data is corrupted or accidentally deleted.

Enhanced data retention policies offered by third-party backup services further reduce the risk of data loss. These solutions typically provide more flexible and comprehensive retention options than native Microsoft 365 tools. Organizations can customize these policies to meet their specific needs, ensuring that data is retained for the appropriate duration.

2. Accidental Deletion 

Errors are prone to occur in the workspace, and one such error is the accidental deletion of crucial messages, files, or even entire channels from Microsoft Teams. Fortunately, accidentally deleting data from Microsoft Office 365 doesn’t always mean total data loss. There are two deletion methods available: soft and hard. While soft-deleted data can be recovered, hard-deleted data can’t. In such situations, you may be unable to recover the data; hence, there is a need for other backup methods. Thus, employing external data backup methods mitigates against such data loss caused by human errors.

3. Corrupted Third-party Apps 

While Microsoft Teams offers beneficial third-party support, these apps could be corrupted, putting your data at risk. Corrupted third-party apps can cause data loss in Microsoft Teams by introducing vulnerabilities that expose data to unauthorized access, manipulation, or deletion. If third-party apps lead to data loss, recovering it could be impossible because Microsoft is not responsible for such problems. Thus, it’s crucial to create additional backups when utilizing third-party applications with Microsoft Teams.

4. Company Leavers 

When an employee leaves a company, data loss on Microsoft Teams can occur for several reasons. One primary problem is that deactivating or deleting the user account from the organization’s Microsoft 365 subscription could permanently lose the employee’s data if third-party backups are not in place.

Files and chats, especially one-on-one chats, are often tied to the individual user’s account. Thus, if the employee-owned or held specific permissions for certain Teams or files, removing their account can cut you off from these resources. Moreover, suppose an employee stored files in their personal OneDrive, which were not properly shared or transferred before they left. The files and the user account could be deleted.

5. Ease of Data Migration and Recovery 

As organizations grow and expand, the need for backup solutions becomes crucial. A robust backup solution makes migrating and recovering data in Microsoft Teams easy. During migration, external backups ensure a clear and organized archive of existing data to help streamline the transition to a new environment. This could be done with a different Microsoft Office 360 platform or by integrating other collaboration platforms. Hence, you can minimize the risk of data loss or migration errors.

6. Information Compliance  with Data Retention and Regulatory Rules 

Many industries have strict regulations regarding data retention and protection, and you must comply with these legal policies. For example, some industries require companies to store data for a specific time. Such requirements will require a third-party Microsoft Teams backup to offer extra security for your data during a disaster. Also, external backup solutions often include features like audit logs and encryption that help organizations meet these regulations. This capability not only simplifies compliance but also provides peace of mind that your critical data is safe and accessible when needed.

7. Internal security risks 

Another important aspect of Microsoft Teams backup is the internal security risk. In addition to other risk factors like accidental deletion and cyber attacks, internal risks could also threaten your Microsoft Teams data. One significant risk is malicious intent from resentful employees. If they have the right access, such employees could delete or compromise data. In such cases, it could take a while for the company to notice the breach, and Microsoft Office 365 only retains deleted data for 30 to 90 days. This gives you a short window; if not detected on time, you could lose the data. However, with backup solutions, you can roll back and retrieve data after a long time, preventing permanent data loss.

Backup for M365

Storware stands out as the most cost-effective enterprise solution for safeguarding your critical Microsoft 365 data, including OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and crucially, even private channels within Microsoft Teams. Unlike other backup solutions, Storware empowers you to protect these sensitive communications, providing an extra layer of security and peace of mind.

Our agentless, Linux-based architecture ensures a lightweight and secure deployment, while advanced security features like encryption keep your data safe from unauthorized access. With Storware, you can rest assured that your business information is always protected and readily recoverable in case of accidental deletion, ransomware attacks, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Conclusion

Backing up Microsoft Teams data is a critical component of any organization’s robust data protection strategy. While Microsoft Office 365 provides some native backup capabilities, relying solely on these can leave your business vulnerable to various risks, including accidental deletions, corrupted third-party applications, and internal security threats. Adopting third-party backup solutions enhances recovery time significantly and mitigates the risk of permanent data loss.

By implementing comprehensive backup strategies, organizations can quickly recover from data disasters, safeguard against human errors, and ensure seamless data migration and recovery processes.