Exchange Online backup overview

M365 Security Plus provides a built-in backup and recovery framework for Exchange Online, enabling administrators to protect mailbox data and restore it when needed. This eliminates dependence on native Microsoft retention limits and reduces recovery time after accidental deletions, misconfiguration, or data loss events.

The Exchange Online backup module is organized across the following sections:

• Backup settings: Configure backup schedules, select the mailboxes to protect, and define retention policies for your Exchange Online data. Backup settings let you automate recurring backups and control how long backup data is retained.
• Restore: Restore Exchange Online mailbox data at a granular level, including individual mailboxes, folders, or items to a specific point in time. Restore operations can target the original mailbox or an alternate destination without affecting other mailbox data.
• Operation history: Review a timestamped log of all restore and export operations performed within the product. Operation history supports auditing and compliance requirements by providing a complete record of activity across all configured backup jobs.
• Backup add-on usage: M365 Security Plus licenses Exchange Online backup based on the number of user mailboxes backed up. This section displays your total, used, and remaining license counts and allows you to remove licenses assigned to individual mailboxes or all mailboxes in a tenant.
• Backup repository: Configure the storage locations used to retain Exchange Online backup data. M365 Security Plus supports local, NAS, and shared storage repositories. This section covers how to add, edit, and manage the repositories used across your backup schedules.

How the feature works

M365 Security Plus follows a defined workflow to capture Exchange Online mailbox data, store it securely, and restore it when needed.

• Application configuration: M365 Security Plus connects to Exchange Online using the required permissions to identify the mailboxes to be protected.
• Automated backup: Runs backups at scheduled intervals and captures mailbox states and content. Each backup is stored as a separate version, enabling recovery to a specific point in time.
• Granular recovery: Restores individual mailboxes, folders, or items without impacting other mailbox data.
• Backup storage: Stores backup data in configured repositories to preserve data integrity and ensure reliable access during restore operations.
• Audit-ready reports: Records all backup and recovery operations to support auditing and compliance requirements.

Tips

To get the most out of the Exchange Online backup feature, consider the following recommendations:

• Schedule backups during non-business hours to minimize performance impact.
• Store backups in secure repositories to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.
• Maintain multiple restore points to protect against delayed detection of issues.
• Periodically test recovery operations to validate backup integrity.
• Restrict recovery actions to trusted administrators using role-based access control.
• Enable multi-factor authentication for administrators to secure backup and recovery operations.
• Configure retention settings to automatically purge backups that exceed your organization's compliance requirements and prevent storage exhaustion.