Microsoft 365 Data Retention vs Backup: Simple Risk Guide
Retention preserves; backup restores — and confusing the two is where most avoidable data loss in UK businesses begins. This guide draws the line precisely: what Microsoft 365 data retention actually does through Purview policies, labels and the Preservation Hold Library, which native windows expire and when, the five structural gaps where preservation stops and restoration starts, the failure scenarios retention cannot cover, what retention is genuinely better at, how each side is licensed and priced, and a 30-day plan to close the gap.
