Backup and disaster recovery for small offices
A backup is only worth something on the day you need it back. We set up copies of your Microsoft 365, servers and shared files, keep at least one where ransomware can't touch it, check every job and prove it works with regular test restores.
Backup & disaster recovery for small and medium businesses
Ask most small offices whether they have a backup and the answer is yes. Ask when someone last restored a file from it and the room goes quiet. We regularly find external drives that stopped copying months ago, NAS boxes backing up to themselves and Microsoft 365 tenancies with no backup at all because everyone assumed Microsoft keeps everything forever. It doesn't: deleted mail and files are kept for a limited window, and a compromised account can empty a mailbox well inside it.
Our approach is simple and written down. We list what your business can't lose - mailboxes, shared drives, accounting data, line-of-business databases - and decide with you how far back you need to go and how fast you need it back. Then we put a backup in place for each one, with an offsite copy kept separate from your normal sign-ins so an attacker who gets into your network can't delete it.
Every job reports to us. Failed or skipped backups are followed up the next working day, not discovered at the worst possible moment. Each quarter we restore something real, such as a folder, a mailbox or a whole server, time how long it takes and write the result into your recovery plan, so you know what a bad day would actually look like. If a test turns up a problem, such as a missing folder or a restore that takes far too long, we fix the setup and test it again.
What's included
Microsoft 365 backup
Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams files copied outside Microsoft's own retention, with point-in-time restores of single items or whole accounts.
Server and NAS backup
Image-level backups of onsite servers and file shares, so a failed machine can be rebuilt on new hardware or started in the cloud while it is replaced.
Copies ransomware can't reach
An offsite, versioned copy protected by separate credentials and deletion locks, so encrypting your network does not take the backups with it.
Daily checks
Every backup job is checked each working day. Failures, warnings and jobs that silently stopped are investigated and fixed, with the cause noted.
Test restores
A scheduled restore each quarter, timed and recorded, so the recovery time in your plan is measured rather than guessed.
Written recovery plan
Who to contact, what gets restored first, where the copies live and how long each step takes, kept short enough to use in a crisis.
Laptop file protection
Desktop and Documents folders redirected to OneDrive and covered by the 365 backup, so a stolen laptop costs a device, not a year of work.
Recovery help
When something is lost or encrypted we do the restore, check the data is complete and help you work out how it happened.
Who is backup and disaster recovery for?
Talk to us about backup if any of these sound familiar:
- Your backup is a USB drive someone is meant to swap each week
- You use Microsoft 365 and have never set up a separate backup for it
- Your accounting or practice software sits on one server in a cupboard
- You can't say when a restore was last tested
- Your insurer asks whether backups are offline or immutable
Not sure where to start?
Our free IT health check looks at your devices, accounts, backups, security and network. You get a short written report with what is working, what is at risk and a price to fix it. No obligation.
Book the health checkBackup & disaster recovery questions
Doesn't Microsoft back up our 365 data?
Microsoft keeps the service running and holds deleted items for a short period. It does not keep long-term, independent copies you control. A separate 365 backup covers accidental deletion, departed staff, account takeover and retention gaps.
How much does backup cost?
Microsoft 365 backup is included in the Managed and Complete plans. Server, NAS and large data backups depend on how much data you hold and how quickly you need it back, so we quote them in writing first.
Where is our data stored?
Backup copies are kept in data centres we name in your recovery plan, with Australian or New Zealand locations available. We tell you where the copies are before anything is set up.
How quickly can we get things back?
A single file or email usually takes minutes. A whole server depends on its size and the method; we measure it during test restores and write the real figure into your plan.
What is the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
Backup is the copy of your data. Disaster recovery is the plan and tooling to get the business working again after a fire, flood, theft or ransomware attack, including where people work and in what order systems come back.
We already have a NAS. Is that enough?
A NAS is a good local copy for quick restores, but it sits on the same network and often uses the same passwords. It needs an offsite copy with separate credentials to survive ransomware, theft or a fire.
Can you check our current backups before we commit?
Yes. A backup check is billed at our hourly rate and gives you a written list of what is protected, what isn't and what we would change.
Other ways we help
Managed IT
One monthly price per person for support, security, updates and backups. Your outsourced IT team.
Managed IT
IT support
Remote and onsite help when you need it, billed by the hour. No plan, no contract.
IT support
Cyber security
Practical protection against scams, ransomware and account takeover, set up and kept current.
Cyber security