Evaluating Microsoft Entra’s Native Backup: Is It Sufficient for Your Enterprise?
Microsoft has finally delivered a highly anticipated feature: the General Availability of Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery. Automatically included for tenants equipped with Entra ID P1 or P2 licenses, this new utility acknowledges the critical need for robust, customer-led identity data protection. But is this free, built-in tool enough to secure your entire identity estate?
The Advantages of the Native Entra Solution
For resolving immediate, accidental errors—such as an administrator mistakenly altering a Conditional Access policy earlier in the week—the native tool provides a solid baseline of protection. Its core benefits include:
- Automated Daily Snapshots: Captures vital directory objects, including users, groups, and Conditional Access policies.
- Immutable Storage: Prevents rogue administrators or threat actors from switching off or deleting backup points.
- Difference Reporting: Allows administrators to review exact changes between the backup and the live tenant before committing to a restore.
- Cost-Effective: Currently included at no extra charge for premium license holders.
Native vs. Third-Party: Four Critical Limitations
While the native utility is a fantastic starting point for short-term rollbacks, organizations must ask themselves four vital questions before adopting it as their sole safety net. A comparison with dedicated third-party platforms, such as Keepit, highlights significant operational gaps:
| Risk Factor | Microsoft Entra Native Backup | Dedicated Platforms (e.g., Keepit) |
|---|---|---|
| Detection Window | Limited to a 7-day retention period, failing to cover prolonged or stealthy breaches. | Offers customizable data retention for up to 99 years. |
| Infrastructure Independence | Hosted on Microsoft’s own cloud, violating the rule of separating production and backup data. | Stored on an independent, vendor-neutral cloud infrastructure. |
| Restore Flexibility | Supports in-place restoration only, limiting disaster recovery testing. | Allows cross-tenant restores for DR sandboxing and secure verification. |
| Coverage Scope | Restricted to core Entra objects and policies. | Covers Intune profiles, BitLocker keys, M365, and other SaaS applications under one console. |
Building a Resilient Recovery Strategy
Microsoft correctly positions its native tool as just one component of a broader tenant recoverability strategy. However, true disaster recovery requires the separation of duties, extended retention capabilities, and cross-platform management. Relying solely on the native tool leaves your organization exposed to systemic vendor outages and long-term intrusions.
If you are already leveraging an independent backup solution, your current strategy remains sound. If you are exclusively relying on Entra’s native capabilities, it is time to reassess your operational readiness.
About Keepit
At Keepit, we believe in a digital future where all software is delivered as a service. Keepit’s mission is to protect data in the cloud Keepit is a software company specializing in Cloud-to-Cloud data backup and recovery. Deriving from +20 year experience in building best-in-class data protection and hosting services, Keepit is pioneering the way to secure and protect cloud data at scale.
About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.
Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.