Microsoft 365 backup
Spanning backs up Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Microsoft keeps deleted items only for a limited time; a separate backup lets us restore a mailbox, a folder or a single message from before a mistake, a departed employee's cleanup or an attack.
We back up every active user, shared mailboxes, and room and equipment mailboxes. Accounts with nothing to protect, such as sync and break-glass accounts, are left out so you are not paying to back up nothing.
Google Workspace backup
Offices on Google Workspace are backed up with Axcient x360Cloud, covering Gmail and Drive.
Computer file backup
Windows computers on our backup plan run Datto endpoint backup, part of Kaseya 365, with a policy we built for office work. It keeps 90 days of versions of:
- everything under the user folders (Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures)
- Outlook data files (PST)
- every file in the OneDrive folder, because OneDrive sync can stop without warning and leave the cloud copy out of date
- Chrome, Edge and Firefox profiles, so bookmarks and saved settings come back with the files
Network drives are not included here; they are backed up at the server.
Server and image backup
Servers and critical computers get full image backups with MSP360, stored offsite in Backblaze B2 cloud storage. An image brings back the whole machine, including the operating system, programs and settings, and can be restored onto new hardware.
Rescue backups
When a computer is failing, we take an image of it before it dies, recover what is needed onto its replacement, and delete the image 30 days after the job closes.
Retiring a server
When we replace a server, the old server's backups are kept for about 45 days. If you need its history for longer, we can keep it for a monthly fee; otherwise the backups are deleted.
Disaster recovery plan
For each client we record what is backed up, where it is stored, how long it is kept and what gets restored first. The plan covers the events small offices actually face: a lost or stolen laptop, a deleted mailbox, a dead server, ransomware, and an office you cannot get into.
With Microsoft 365 and cloud files, most staff can keep working from any computer on the first day. A server restored from an image takes the longest, which is why the plan names what comes back first.
Common questions
Does Networking Now back up Microsoft 365?
Yes. Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams are backed up with Spanning, separately from Microsoft's own recycle bins, so a mailbox or folder can be restored from before a mistake or an attack.
Doesn't Microsoft already back up our email?
Microsoft keeps deleted items for a limited time and protects its own service, but it does not keep a separate long-term copy you control. A deleted mailbox, a folder emptied weeks ago or mail encrypted by an attack needs a separate backup to bring back.
How long are computer backups kept?
Ninety days. Each computer on our backup plan backs up its user folders, Outlook data files, photos, the files in OneDrive and its Chrome, Edge and Firefox profiles, with 90 days of versions.
What happens if ransomware hits our office?
We isolate the affected computers, find out what was touched, and restore from backups taken before the attack: Microsoft 365 data from Spanning, files from the computer backups, and servers from their image backups stored offsite.
Talk to Networking Now
Call or email and we will set up a time to look at your office. Remote support runs 8 AM – 6 PM Eastern, Monday to Friday.