Recycle bins empty after 93 days. Deleted email can be recovered for only 14 days by default. Laptops get lost, servers fail and ransomware doesn't ask permission. ECSG stacks four independent recovery layers — from a one-click file restore to bringing a failed server back as a virtual machine.
Microsoft keeps the service running. Protecting your content from deletion, malicious changes and ransomware is a shared responsibility — and the built-in recovery windows close faster than most people expect.
Recycle bins, version history and deleted mailboxes all expire. A file deleted four months ago is usually gone for good.
Limited retentionNot everything lives in OneDrive. Local files, applications and settings disappear with a lost or broken laptop.
EndpointsWhen an on-site server fails, everything that runs on it stops — until it's repaired or rebuilt.
DowntimeFrom everyday mistakes to a full server failure — here's what each layer does, what it's built for and how long it keeps your data.
It isn't a backup on its own — but it's the fastest way to fix everyday mistakes: a folder deleted by accident, a file overwritten, an email removed too quickly. Most of these are solved in minutes, right inside Microsoft 365.
Microsoft's native backup service for SharePoint, OneDrive and Exchange, inside the Microsoft 365 data boundary — with restore points far beyond the built-in recovery windows.
Protects the entire laptop or desktop — files, applications and settings — not just the folders that sync to the cloud. Backups are encrypted and sent directly to the Datto Cloud.
For businesses with on-site servers — or that won't settle for cloud-only backup. A dedicated appliance in your rack backs up servers and virtual machines and can run a failed server as a virtual machine, so your team keeps working while it's repaired. Copies are also sent offsite.
With an on-site appliance, a server failure becomes a planned repair instead of a business emergency.
Hardware breaks, an update goes wrong or ransomware hits.
The incidentThe latest backup starts as a virtual machine on the appliance — or in the cloud.
Instant recoveryUsers reconnect to the virtual server and get back to business.
Within hoursThe original server is repaired or replaced without urgency.
No rush decisionsData is restored to the repaired server during a maintenance window.
Planned returnNo single tool covers everything. That's why the layers work together.
| Scenario | 1 · M365 built-in | 2 · M365 Backup | 3 · Datto Endpoint | 4 · On-site appliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File deleted or overwritten, noticed within days | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Same file, noticed four months later | — | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| SharePoint site or OneDrive deleted or damaged | Partial | Yes | — | — |
| Email permanently deleted | Partial | Yes | — | — |
| Ransomware encrypts cloud files | Partial | Yes | — | — |
| Laptop lost, stolen or failed | — | — | Yes | — |
| Ransomware hits a single PC | Partial | Partial | Yes | — |
| On-site server fails | — | — | Partial | Yes |
The modern backup standard — designed so that no single failure, mistake or attack can take every copy of your data.
Your live data plus at least two backups.
Stored on two different types of storage.
At least one copy outside your office.
One copy that can't be changed or deleted — not even by an attacker.
Zero errors on tested restores. A backup is only real once it's restored.
We map where your data lives — Microsoft 365, laptops, servers — and what an hour of downtime costs you.
Data map · Downtime costWe match the layers to your recovery goals: how far back you need to go and how fast you need to be back.
Retention · Recovery speedWe configure retention, deploy agents, install the appliance if needed and watch every job for failures.
Daily job monitoringWe run scheduled restore tests and document the results, so you know your backups work.
Tested restoresMicrosoft keeps the service running and includes limited recovery tools, but those windows close quickly. Protecting your data from deletion, malicious changes and ransomware is a shared responsibility — exactly what these layers address.
Not necessarily. Most businesses start with layers 1–3 for Microsoft 365 and endpoints. Layer 4 is for companies with on-site servers or that want a local copy under their control. We size the plan during the assessment.
Both run in your rack and offer instant recovery. Synology is a cost-effective option with full local control and offsite replication. Kaseya BCDR adds automated screenshot verification and the ability to run your servers in the Datto Cloud if the whole office is unavailable. We recommend one based on your servers, recovery goals and budget.
Yes, at every layer. Microsoft 365 Backup restores to new URLs or folders, Datto restores files to other devices or whole systems to new hardware, and the on-site appliance restores servers to a different host or runs them as virtual machines.
Single files take minutes. Small SharePoint sites (under ~1 TB) return in under 20 minutes with express restore points. A failed on-site server can run as a virtual machine on the appliance within hours.
The layers are separate by design. Microsoft 365 Backup uses append-only storage, Datto uses its own cloud, and the on-site appliance uses isolated credentials, immutable snapshots and offsite copies. One breach doesn't compromise every layer.
We'll map where your data lives, check what's really being backed up and explain in plain language which layers you have — and which you're missing. No obligation.
Secure. Reliable. Human.
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