This article is for small businesses that keep their files in OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox or Google Drive and assume that means they are backed up. It explains what these services protect you from, where the gaps are, and what to add.
What sync actually does
A sync service keeps the same set of files in step across your devices and the cloud. Change a document on your laptop and the change appears on your phone and in the cloud a moment later. Delete a file and it disappears everywhere.
That is very useful. It means a lost or broken laptop is no longer a disaster, because the files are also in the cloud. For many small offices it has quietly replaced the old habit of saving everything to one PC.
Why sync is not the same as a backup
A backup is a separate copy of your data, kept apart from the original, that you can go back to when something goes wrong. The key word is separate.
Sync is designed to copy every change, good or bad, everywhere, as quickly as possible. So when something goes wrong, sync spreads it:
- A file deleted by mistake is deleted everywhere.
- A document saved over with the wrong version is overwritten everywhere.
- Files encrypted by ransomware on one PC are replaced with the encrypted versions in the cloud.
- A folder removed by someone leaving the business goes for everyone.
What the services do give you
To be fair, OneDrive and SharePoint include some safety nets. Deleted files go to a recycle bin for a limited period. Previous versions of a document are usually kept, so you can roll back a single file. OneDrive can also restore a whole library to an earlier point in time, within a limited window.
These features are genuinely helpful for small mistakes noticed quickly. They are not designed for problems you only notice weeks later, for a deliberate deletion by someone with access, or for an account that has been removed altogether.
The problems a real backup solves
- You notice a missing folder two months after it was deleted.
- A member of staff leaves and their account, with their OneDrive, is removed.
- Ransomware encrypts files and the damage is synced before anyone notices.
- A criminal who takes over an account deletes data on purpose.
- You need an old version of a file for a dispute or an audit.
In each case, a separate backup, kept outside the account and with older versions, gets you back to where you were.
What a sensible setup looks like
For most small offices the answer is to keep using the cloud for everyday work, and add a proper backup behind it. That means:
- A backup of email, OneDrive and SharePoint, stored separately from your Microsoft 365 account.
- Backups that keep older versions for long enough, usually months rather than days.
- Daily checks that the backups ran, so a failure is noticed quickly.
- An occasional restore test, so you know the data really comes back.
A widely used rule of thumb is three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy away from the office. Your cloud files plus a separate cloud backup, and perhaps a local copy of the most important data, meets that easily.
What about files still on PCs?
Sync only protects the folders it is set to sync. Files saved to a PC’s own drive, a desktop that is not included, or a local folder used by specialist software are not covered at all. It is worth checking each PC for these, because they are often the files people cannot work without.
Questions to ask yourself
- If a folder was deleted a month ago, could we get it back?
- If someone left and their account was removed, would we lose their files?
- If ransomware hit tomorrow, where is our clean copy?
- When did we last actually restore something from backup?
If the honest answer to any of these is “not sure”, your files are synced, not backed up.
The short version
OneDrive and similar services are excellent for sharing and for everyday safety. They are not a backup. Keep using them, and add a separate backup with older versions, checked daily and tested now and then.
Want to know whether your files could really be recovered? See how we handle backups or call 01252 686 513.
