Why do you need to back up your cloud email?

You may be surprised to learn that cloud backup is not included in your email provider’s services. While Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer robust infrastructure, they do not take responsibility for protecting your emails from data loss. This makes business continuity solutions and independent cloud backups essential.

Cyber Threats & Data Loss Risks

• 94% of organisations experience email-related security threats, including phishing and ransomware. (Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 2023)
• 1 in 3 companies suffer data loss from SaaS applications due to accidental deletion, cyberattacks, or software errors. (Aberdeen Group)
• 75% of ransomware attacks target email systems as an entry point. (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, CISA)

Cloud Providers’ Only Provide Limited Responsibility

• Microsoft and Google follow a “shared responsibility model”, meaning they protect infrastructure but not customer data.
  Microsoft recommends using third-party backup solutions to prevent data loss. (Microsoft Service Agreement)
• Google Workspace retains permanently deleted emails for only 30 days, after which they are unrecoverable.
  Backing up cloud email in the UK is crucial for several reasons, particularly for businesses and organisations. Here are the key factors:

So what are the key reasons as to why you should back up your cloud email?

Data Protection and Compliance

• GDPR Compliance: Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organisations must ensure the protection, availability, and recoverability of personal data. Email often contains sensitive information, and having a backup ensures compliance by enabling swift recovery in the event of data loss.
• UK-Specific Regulations: Organisations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government often have additional compliance requirements, such as FCA or NHS data handling standards, which may mandate backup solutions.

Ransomware and Cybersecurity Threats

• Protection Against Ransomware: Cloud email services like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace are not immune to ransomware attacks. Backups enable recovery of email data without resorting to paying a ransom.
• Malicious Deletion: Employees or cybercriminals can intentionally or accidentally delete critical emails. Backups protect against such risks.

Retention Policies vs Backup

• Limitations of Built-In Retention: While services like Microsoft 365 offer retention policies, they are not true backups. Retention only preserves data within a predefined framework, whereas backups create independent copies for long-term safety.
• Archiving Gaps: Retention policies may fail to protect against corruption or accidental overwrites, whereas backups can restore previous versions.

Disaster Recovery

• Service Outages: If the cloud provider experiences an outage, your emails may become temporarily inaccessible. A local or third-party backup ensures business continuity.
• Data Loss from Provider Issues: Although rare, cloud providers can suffer data loss due to system errors, updates, or breaches. Independent backups mitigate this risk.

Litigation and Legal Holds

• E-Discovery: Organisations often need to produce email records during legal proceedings. A backup system ensures quick and complete access to the required data.
• Compliance Holds: Backups ensure that legal holds on data are maintained even if users delete emails.

Ownership and Control

• Independence from Providers: Backups give you control over your data, allowing easier migrations or changes to other providers without relying solely on the original vendor’s recovery processes.

Geographical Considerations

• Data Residency: UK organisations may need to store backups locally to meet data residency requirements. Cloud providers may store data in multiple regions, which could raise compliance concerns.
• Brexit Considerations: Post-Brexit data transfer regulations add another layer of complexity, making local backups a safer option.

Backing up cloud email is no longer optional—it’s an essential safeguard against cyber threats, compliance failures, and data loss. Whether for business continuity, security, or regulatory compliance, an independent backup ensures your data remains protected, accessible, and under your control.