GDPR-Compliant Backups for Small Businesses | Practical UK Guide

Author

Paul .
September 11, 2025

Many small businesses across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire handle personal data daily. GDPR doesn’t mandate specific tools, but it does expect you to protect personal data, keep it accurate, and restore it quickly if something goes wrong. That’s why backups - separate from Microsoft 365 retention - are essential.

What GDPR actually expects from backups

  • Availability and integrity: You must be able to restore personal data “in a timely manner” after an incident.

  • Protection against loss: Put technical and organisational measures in place to prevent accidental loss, corruption, or unauthorised access.

  • Evidence: Be able to show your approach - policy, scope, retention, and restore tests.
    Plain English: if ransomware hits or a SharePoint folder is deleted, you should recover quickly and prove you planned for it.

Backup vs retention in Microsoft 365 (and why both matter)

  • Retention = governance (versions, deletion windows).

  • Backup = a separate, secure copy for recovery when the primary data is lost or locked.

  • Common risks: Recycle bins emptied; ransomware encrypts files; retention windows aren’t aligned to legal/HR needs.

  • Action: Use retention for governance and third‑party backups for resilience.

What “good” looks like for SMEs (a quick checklist)

  • Scope: Mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams files

  • Frequency: Daily baseline; increase for critical data

  • Storage: Encrypted, immutable; UK/EU region preferred

  • Retention: Start at 30 days; extend for HR/finance/legal as needed

  • Security: MFA on admin accounts; least‑privilege service accounts

  • Testing: Quarterly restore tests with notes/screenshots

  • Documentation: Policy, schedule, responsibilities, approvals

Immutable backups explained (and why they help with GDPR integrity)
Immutability prevents backups being altered or deleted for a set time. That protects against ransomware and human error. Using encrypted, immutable storage ensures your backups remain trustworthy - crucial for the GDPR integrity principle.

Step-by-step: set up a GDPR‑aligned Microsoft 365 backup

  1. Identify where personal data lives (mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams).

  2. Choose coverage to include all in-scope locations.

  3. Set schedule and retention (start with 30 days; align to any regulatory needs).

  4. Enable encryption and immutability on the backup storage.

  5. Lock down access: MFA, conditional access, least privilege.

  6. Document policy and log the first successful backup.

  7. Run a test restore (mailbox item + SharePoint folder) and record evidence.

Evidence you’ll want for GDPR and client assurance

  • Backup policy + change log

  • Restore test records (dates, screenshots, outcomes)

  • Access control summary (MFA, roles, approvals)

  • Vendor details (storage region, encryption, immutability settings)

FAQs

  • Is OneDrive a backup?
    No. It’s part of Microsoft 365’s productivity and retention features. Use retention + separate backups.

  • How long should we keep backups?
    Start at 30 days; extend for HR/finance or contractual reasons.

  • Where should backups be stored?
    Encrypted, immutable storage in the UK/EU where possible.

  • How often should we test?
    Quarterly at minimum; more often for high‑risk data.

Book a free backup review. We’ll check coverage, retention, and run a quick restore test so you can evidence compliance confidently.