André Kannemeyer, Chief Technology Officer at Duxbury Networking

Research has found that nearly half of IT leaders (49%) mistakenly believe that Microsoft automatically backs up their Microsoft 365 configurations. Furthermore, 68% of companies face cyberattacks daily, most often targeting the very data they assume is protected. For South African companies, especially those strapped for specialist IT support, that mismatch between assumption and reality can mean devastating downtime, compliance breaches, and reputational damage.

This is exactly why the newly launched Sophos M365 Backup and Recovery, powered by Rubrik, is such a critical advance. It fills a glaring gap in cyber resilience by providing businesses with reliable, granular backup for Microsoft 365, built from the ground up for security. Given that 70% of M365 tenants have experienced account takeovers and 81% have encountered email compromise, this solution arrives at an opportune time.

The offering

With immutable protection, all backup data is stored in a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) format and secured with encryption keys held by the customer. Even if attackers gain access to credentials, they cannot alter or erase backup copies.

The platform also delivers granular, rapid restores. Whether it is a single Teams channel, an entire mailbox, or deleted OneDrive content, IT teams can recover it quickly with minimal disruption, even if the user account is no longer active.

Everything is managed through Sophos Central, which brings backups and cyber defence into one interface. This unified approach reduces complexity for lean teams working across campuses, branches, or remote sites, while enabling faster and more consistent response when incidents occur.

Why South African enterprises must rethink backup

Ransomware, insider error, or configuration mishaps in Microsoft 365 can bring operations to a halt, sometimes with irreversible consequences.

In this context, a backup that combines enterprise-level security with simplified deployment becomes a defensive cornerstone and now a strategic lever for business continuity.

What this means for Duxbury partners

For Duxbury’s channel network, this offers a powerful value-add:

• Elevated service capability: Offer endpoint, firewall, MDR, and now integrated M365 resilience without bolting on extra tools.
• Recurring value: Backup services drive predictable maintenance cycles and create deeper customer engagement.
• Operational efficiency: One centralised console (Sophos Central) means less admin, fewer consoles to master, and faster delivery of services.

Cyber resilience is no longer just about stopping attacks but pivoting when things go wrong. With Sophos and Rubrik uniting to secure Microsoft 365, Duxbury is bringing enterprise-grade backup where it is needed most in South Africa.