Are mail messages backed up on office 360 outlook

In Office 365, Outlook messages are indeed backed up, but the extent of the backup depends on the specific configuration and settings. Here's what you need to know:

  1. Exchange Online: If you're using Exchange Online (part of Office 365), your email messages are automatically backed up by Microsoft. Exchange Online uses a distributed architecture, which means that multiple copies of your emails are stored across different servers. This ensures that your emails are protected against data loss in case of a server failure or other disaster.
  2. Outlook.com: If you're using Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail), your emails are also backed up by Microsoft. Outlook.com uses a similar distributed architecture to Exchange Online, which provides redundancy and ensures that your emails are protected.
  3. Local backups: When you use Outlook on your local machine, your emails are stored on your device. You can also configure Outlook to backup your emails to an external hard drive or cloud storage service, such as OneDrive or Google Drive. This provides an additional layer of protection against data loss.
  4. Retention policies: Office 365 has retention policies that automatically delete emails after a certain period. For example, emails older than 30 days may be deleted. You can configure retention policies to suit your organization's needs.
  5. Data loss prevention: Office 365 also has data loss prevention (DLP) policies that can help prevent accidental deletion or modification of emails.

To check if your Outlook messages are backed up:

  1. Log in to your Office 365 account and go to the Outlook web app.
  2. Click on the gear icon () and select "View all Outlook settings."
  3. Scroll down to the "Mail" section and click on "Mailbox settings."
  4. Look for the "Retention policies" section, which will indicate the retention period for your emails.

Keep in mind that while Office 365 provides automatic backups, it's still important to regularly back up your emails to an external location to ensure maximum protection against data loss.