Google Workspace is not a backup
It's a common and dangerous assumption: because your email and files live in Google's cloud, they're safe. In reality, Google is responsible for the availability of its platform, not for recovering data you delete, an employee wipes, or an attacker encrypts.
Google's own terms make this clear. The shared-responsibility model means protecting your data is your responsibility, and for most UK SMEs, that means adding independent backup.
Where data actually gets lost
Accidental deletion is the most common cause, a folder dragged to the bin, a shared drive tidied up, an account closed when someone leaves. Google's retention windows are short and, once they pass, the data is gone.
Then there's malicious action and account compromise. A phished account or a disgruntled leaver can delete data deliberately, and ransomware increasingly targets cloud files too.
What good backup looks like
Independent backup stores a separate, secure copy of your Google Workspace data, Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, Contacts and Calendar, outside Google, on a schedule that suits your business.
The features that matter most:
- Automated daily backups with no manual effort
- Granular recovery of a single email, file or a whole account
- Sensible retention that meets your needs
- Protection that survives account deletion and ransomware
Getting it right for your SME
For a small business, the cost of good backup is tiny next to the cost of losing client data or grinding to a halt for days. The key is to set it up once, test that recovery actually works, and then forget about it.
That's exactly what we do for clients: add independent, tested backup for Google Workspace so a bad day stays a small one.
We implement and test this as a managed service, see Google Workspace backup services for what is covered.
