Think Your SaaS Data Is Safe? The Hidden Risks of Google Workspace & Microsoft 365

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications have become the backbone of modern business operations, yet many organizations underestimate just how vulnerable their SaaS data really is. According to the State of SaaS Backup and Recovery Report 2025, 87% of IT pros reported experiencing SaaS data loss in 2024, with human errors being the most common reason. What’s more alarming is that only 14% of organizations feel confident in their ability to recover lost SaaS data within minutes. For businesses relying on cloud applications like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, losing access to critical emails, documents and files can be catastrophic, resulting in financial losses, regulatory non-compliance and operational downtime.

Many organizations assume their SaaS data is fully protected by their cloud providers. However, SaaS providers like Microsoft and Google don’t guarantee complete data protection. Under the shared responsibility model of cloud security, while cloud providers focus on infrastructure security, users are responsible for their data integrity. That means if data is lost due to accidental deletion, cyberattacks or malicious insiders, recovery may not be possible — unless businesses take proactive steps to secure their data.

In this article, we’ll debunk some common myths about SaaS data protection and reveal the harsh realities of relying solely on built-in recovery options. We’ll also explore why a third-party backup solution like Backupify is essential to ensure business continuity and prevent permanent data loss.

SaaS myths debunked: The harsh realities of SaaS data protection

Data loss and corruption in SaaS environments are more common than most businesses realize. Phishing attacks, ransomware and insider threats can compromise business-critical data in an instant. Notably, various studies show that the frequency, sophistication and financial impact of cyberattacks will continue to rise in the coming years, leaving organizations more vulnerable than ever. According to Statista’s Market Insights, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to skyrocket in the coming years, rising from $9.22 trillion in 2024 to $13.82 trillion by 2028.

Cyberthreats aren’t the only culprits behind data loss. A single accidental deletion, a misconfigured automation or a disgruntled employee with malicious intent can wipe out critical files, emails or entire accounts. Unfortunately, many IT teams assume their cloud provider has their back when it comes to recovering this lost data — until they realize the hard way that they don’t.

The shared responsibility model: Your data, your problem

Here’s a fundamental truth many businesses overlook: Just because your data is in the cloud doesn’t mean it’s fully protected. Cloud providers operate under a shared responsibility model, which means they secure the infrastructure, but you are responsible for protecting your data.

Let’s break it down:

What cloud providers cover:

• Infrastructure security (network, physical data centers, uptime, etc.)
• Built-in redundancy to prevent system-wide failures
• Compliance with global security standards

What cloud providers don’t cover:

• Protection against accidental or malicious deletions
• Data loss due to ransomware or cyberattacks
• Long-term retention and point-in-time recovery options

Essentially, if your data is lost or corrupted due to user error, a cyberattack or intentional deletion, your cloud provider is not responsible for recovering it. Many businesses don’t understand this until it’s too late.

To ensure comprehensive protection of your SaaS data, you need a dedicated backup solution that can guarantee you instant recovery — and that’s where Backupify steps in.

From risk to resilience: Why businesses worldwide trust Backupify for SaaS backup

Backupify provides enterprise-grade SaaS backup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, ensuring that your critical business data is always recoverable — no matter what happens. Designed to eliminate the gaps left by cloud providers, Backupify offers comprehensive protection so you can restore lost data quickly and avoid costly downtime.

What makes more than 40,000 organizations trust Backupify with their data?

• Automated, daily backups: Backupify automates the backup process to ensure your data is always protected. With daily point-in-time backups, you never have to worry about missing critical files, emails or documents.
• Quick and easy data recovery: When disaster strikes, speed matters. Whether you need to recover a single email or an entire account, Backupify allows you to restore data in just a few clicks.
• Protection against accidental deletions, malicious activity and ransomware: Human errors happen. Malicious insiders exist. Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Backupify ensures that even if your data is deleted, encrypted or corrupted, you can painlessly restore a clean version.
• Long-term retention for compliance and legal requirements: Many industries require businesses to retain data for years to meet compliance and legal obligations. Backupify provides long-term, secure data retention at a fraction of the cost of alternative options, ensuring businesses remain compliant.

Backupify vs. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace native archiving

Many businesses assume that Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace’s built-in archiving solutions, such as Microsoft Purview and Google Vault, are enough to protect their data. However, these tools are designed primarily for legal and compliance purposes, not for full backup and recovery. Let’s explore why IT professionals can’t afford to rely solely on native archiving and how Backupify offers a superior solution.

1. Data retention constraints: Costly, rigid and risky

• Soaring storage costs: Microsoft and Google have considerably increased their storage pricing, making data retention expensive, especially for organizations with large datasets. Often, this means that businesses are forced to choose between paying more or deleting critical information.
• Inflexible retention policies: Native archiving follows strict, predefined retention rules that don’t align with every organization’s compliance needs. This lack of flexibility creates legal risks for businesses under regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
• Inactive user data challenges: Managing former employee data is complex and expensive. Microsoft and Google often require businesses to retain costly inactive accounts or delete them permanently, leading to security, compliance and operational risks.

How Backupify solves this: Backupify provides flexible storage and retention policies, allowing businesses to retain data on their terms. You can archive inactive user data at a fraction of the cost compared to other options.

2. Accessibility and recovery: Slow, complex and limited

• Cumbersome data retrieval: Native archiving solutions have limited search functionality and slow export processes, making it difficult to locate and restore specific files.
• Lack of granular restore: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace archives are not designed for quick recovery.
• Risk of data corruption: Exporting archived data from native tools can result in format issues, data corruption or incomplete records, increasing the risk of business disruptions during audits or investigations.

How Backupify solves this: Backupify offers instant search and point-in-time restore, allowing IT teams to quickly recover emails, files or entire accounts in just a few clicks.

3. Archiving is not a backup.

4. Security risks: Why relying on a single vendor is dangerous

If your entire data security strategy depends on a single provider (Google or Microsoft), you have no fallback option in case of service outages, misconfigurations or internal failures.

How Backupify solves this: With Backupify, your data is stored independently from Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace in the immutable Datto Cloud, which is purpose-built for backup and recovery. It ensures that even if your primary SaaS provider fails, your data remains intact and recoverable.

Backup and recovery gaps can cost you big: Secure your SaaS data before it’s too late

Here’s what every IT leader should do today to strengthen their SaaS data protection strategy:

• Step 1: Assess your current SaaS backup strategy.

Are you relying solely on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace’s built-in retention policies? If so, you’re at risk. Review your existing backup approach to identify potential gaps before they lead to critical data loss.

• Step 2: Understand the risks.

Accidental deletions, insider threats and ransomware can wipe out critical business data in seconds. Consider the financial, operational and compliance risks your organization faces without a true backup solution.

• Step 3: Implement a third-party backup solution.

A dedicated SaaS backup like Backupify ensures automated backups, rapid recovery and long-term data retention, keeping your business resilient against unexpected data loss.

• Step 4: Test your recovery plan.

A backup is only as good as its recovery process. Regularly test your restores to ensure you can quickly recover lost data when it matters most.

Take complete control of your SaaS data protection with Backupify

Relying on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace alone for data security is a critical mistake that could cost you time and money. Without a reliable third-party backup solution like Backupify, businesses risk losing vital data to accidental deletions, cyberattacks and retention policy gaps — with no way to restore it. With Backupify, you get automated, reliable backups and lightning-fast recovery, ensuring your SaaS data remains secure, accessible and compliant — no matter what happens.

Don’t leave your business-critical data vulnerable. Request a free demo today to see how Backupify can protect your business.