8 Reasons Why Admins Should Back up Microsoft Teams Data

25 Jun 2024

2 min read

Anju George

Microsoft Teams has quickly become an essential tool for workplace communication and collaboration, supporting over 320 million users as of 2024. With its widespread adoption comes an increased risk of data loss. Statistics show that nearly 70% of businesses close within a year of experiencing significant data loss, with the global average cost of a data breach being around $4.45 million.

As per their terms of service, Microsoft is not responsible for backing up your Teams data and they recommend using a third-party cloud backup solution for backing up your data. You don't have to take our word for it; here is an extract from their Services Agreement (Section 6. b).

“We strive to keep the Services up and running; however, all online services suffer occasional disruptions and outages, and Microsoft is not liable for any disruption or loss you may suffer as a result. In the event of an outage, you may not be able to retrieve Your Content or Data that you’ve stored. We recommend that you regularly backup Your Content and Data that you store on the Services or store using Third-Party Apps and Services."

Therefore, IT administrators are responsible for ensuring that their organizational Teams data is backed up regularly so that business data is always available.

This article explores the reasons why admins should back up Microsoft Teams data.

1. Accidental deletion/user error

Accidental deletions are a frequent issue in digital collaboration environments. In Microsoft Teams, users might mistakenly delete messages, files, or entire channels. For example, an employee might delete an important project channel while attempting to clean up old and irrelevant channels. It is also common for users to unknowingly overwrite correct data with incorrect data.

While you can restore deleted Teams channels within 30 days of deletion, deleted messages cannot be recovered. Regular backups ensure that deleted items can be recovered even after the default retention period ends.

2. Data loss due to third-party app integrations

Microsoft Teams integrates with hundreds of third-party applications, enabling organizations to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and access additional tools not natively available within the app.

While third-party app integrations enhance Teams' functionality, they also introduce risks. Corrupted apps can cause data loss by exposing vulnerabilities, leading to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or even deletion.

Microsoft is not responsible for data loss caused by third-party applications. Therefore, recovering such data can be difficult without a backup solution in place.

3. Employee exits

When employees leave a company, the deactivation or deletion of their user accounts from the organization's Microsoft 365 subscription can lead to significant data loss in Microsoft Teams. This issue arises primarily because the data associated with these accounts, such as files and chats, is often directly tied to the individual user.

Loss of files and chats: One-on-one chats and files owned by the departing employee can be lost if their account is deactivated without proper data transfer procedures in place.
Permissions issues: If the employee held specific permissions for certain teams or files, removing their account could result in losing access to these resources.
Personal OneDrive files: Employees might store important files in their personal OneDrive, which may not be shared or transferred properly before they leave. If their user account and personal OneDrive are deleted, these files can be permanently lost.

Therefore, having a third-party cloud backup solution is essential to ensure that all information associated with departing employees is safely transferred and retained.

4. Insider threats

Internal security risks, such as malicious intent, pose significant threats to Microsoft Teams data. A resentful employee or contractor with the right credentials can delete or compromise data, often unnoticed until it's too late. Microsoft 365 retains deleted data for only 30 to 90 days, providing a limited recovery window. If malicious activity isn't detected within this period, data could be permanently lost.

Implementing a robust backup solution can help companies safeguard their data against internal risks, preventing irretrievable losses.

5. Compliance and legal requirements

Many industries have strict regulations for data retention and protection, which often require organizations to store data for extended periods and safeguard it from unauthorized access and loss.

Microsoft Teams' default retention capabilities might not meet all regulatory needs. Third-party backup solutions provide enhanced features to ensure compliance:

Extended data retention: Third-party backup solutions can retain data for longer periods than Microsoft Teams' default retention settings, meeting industry-specific regulations.
Audit logs and encryption: Third-party backup tools offer audit logs and encryption, essential for tracking data access and ensuring confidentiality.
Disaster recovery: Third-party backup solutions offer robust disaster recovery options, ensuring critical data is easily recoverable after a data loss incident.

Thus, a backup solution can be used to archive Teams data more efficiently than manually downloading data.

6. Cybersecurity threats and data breaches

While Teams is a secure platform, no system is entirely immune to cyberattacks. Microsoft Teams faces various cybersecurity threats like ransomware, phishing, and malware attacks. These risks can lead to unauthorized access, data manipulation, or data loss. A comprehensive backup strategy ensures that your mission-critical data is not lost during a cyberattack, minimizing downtime and monetary loss.

For example, in the event of a ransomware attack that encrypts your data, having a backup allows you to access a safe snapshot of your data from a point in time before the attack, ensuring business continuity by minimizing operational disruptions.

With SysCloud's Backup Data Insights feature, admins can easily recover from ransomware and other cybersecurity attacks.

SysCloud automatically inspects data being backed up so that admins can take control of infected files and delete them to prevent ransomware propagation. In the unlikely event of ransomware encryption, admins can restore data from a safe backup snapshot.

Learn more about Backup Data Insights.

7. Business continuity

Microsoft Teams is integral to daily operations, and any data loss can severely impact productivity. Disasters like hardware failures, cyber-attacks, or natural calamities can cause significant data loss. Routine updates or migrations can also lead to data corruption or loss.

Implementing a reliable backup solution for Microsoft Teams ensures:

Swift data recovery: Regular backups allow for quick restoration of data, minimizing downtime.
Disaster recovery: Provides a safety net during disasters, ensuring minimal disruption.
Operational resilience: Maintains workflows and communication channels, enabling business continuity and meeting Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

8. Limitations of native retention

Microsoft Teams’ default data retention policies can vary based on organizational settings. Typically, these policies are designed to manage data lifecycle within a predefined timeframe. For example, messages and files can be set to be retained for a specific period before they are automatically deleted. However, these retention settings are often not sufficient for organizations with more extensive data retention needs.

Short retention periods: The default retention period for deleted items in Microsoft Teams is often limited, commonly ranging from 30 to 90 days. After this period, data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered without a third-party backup solution.
Lack of granular restore options: Native tools do not always provide granular recovery options. For instance, recovering specific files or messages might not be straightforward and often requires restoring larger data sets or entire accounts, which can be inefficient and time-consuming.
Limited historical data: For compliance and auditing purposes, organizations often need to retain historical data for extended periods, sometimes spanning several years. Microsoft Teams’ native capabilities might not meet these requirements, leading to potential compliance and legal risks.
No protection against third-party failures: Data loss can occur due to failures or errors in third-party applications integrated with Teams. Native retention solutions do not typically cover data loss due to third-party integrations.

Given these limitations, third-party cloud backup solutions like SysCloud offer several advantages including extended retention, granular recovery, comprehensive coverage, and enhanced data protection features.

9. Conclusion

Backing up Microsoft Teams data is not just a precaution but a necessity. It protects against accidental deletions, data corruption, and security threats while ensuring legal compliance and business continuity.

10. SysCloud backup for Microsoft Teams

Using SysCloud, administrators can back up Microsoft Teams and the native Microsoft 365 apps connected to the team. Both public and private teams can be backed up with SysCloud. Admins can back up specific teams whenever required (using the On-demand backup feature) or enable the Auto backup feature to back up new teams automatically. SysCloud has recently added support for backing up Teams Chat as well.

Learn more about SysCloud backup for Microsoft Teams.

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