Sophos and Rubrik have officially launched Sophos Backup and Recovery Powered by Rubrik Cyber Resilience, making the integrated Microsoft 365 backup and recovery solution generally available worldwide as of June 1, 2026. The move marks a significant expansion of Sophos Central's capabilities, allowing businesses to manage their Microsoft 365 data protection alongside their existing endpoint security from a single console.

Organizations relying on Microsoft 365 for email, file storage, and collaboration have long faced a critical gap: Microsoft does not natively provide comprehensive backup for its cloud services. Instead, it operates under a shared responsibility model where customers are responsible for protecting their own data. Sophos Backup and Recovery by Rubrik directly addresses this challenge, delivering automated, air-gapped, and immutable backups designed to withstand ransomware attacks and accidental deletion.

The partnership combines Sophos' expertise in cybersecurity with Rubrik's proven data protection technology. Rubrik, known for its enterprise-scale backup and recovery solutions, provides the underlying engine for the new service. This means customers get features like policy-driven automation, instant search and restore, and robust ransomware resilience—all managed through the familiar Sophos Central interface.

Why Microsoft 365 Backup Is No Longer Optional

Data loss in cloud applications can stem from various threats: sophisticated ransomware that encrypts or exfiltrates data, malicious insiders, accidental user deletions, or even misconfigurations in third-party tools. Microsoft's built-in retention and recycle bin features offer limited protection and are often insufficient for regulatory compliance or business continuity. Security professionals consistently rank cloud application backup as a top priority, yet many organizations still assume Microsoft fully protects their data.

Sophos Backup and Recovery by Rubrik fills this void by providing:
- Automated, frequent backups of Microsoft 365 data.
- Immutable copies that ransomware cannot modify or delete.
- Fast, granular recovery to individual items or entire workloads.
- Centralized management, monitoring, and alerting.

By integrating with Sophos Central, the solution removes the friction of managing yet another dashboard. IT teams already using Sophos for endpoint detection and response, firewall management, or email security can now add backup without deploying additional infrastructure or learning a new platform.

What Does the Solution Protect?

While Sophos has not published an exhaustive list of supported workloads, typical enterprise-grade Microsoft 365 backup solutions cover Exchange Online (email, contacts, calendars), OneDrive for Business (user files), SharePoint Online (team sites and document libraries), and Microsoft Teams (channel conversations, files, and wikis). Given the Rubrik heritage, it is reasonable to expect broad coverage across these core services. Sophos has indicated that the backup service will be available for all Microsoft 365 license types, including Business and Enterprise plans, ensuring that organizations of every size can achieve cyber resilience.

Management Inside Sophos Central

Sophos Central already serves as the command center for Sophos' security portfolio—Intercept X, XDR, Email, Phish Threat, and more. Adding Backup and Recovery creates a unified experience where administrators can:
- Set backup policies and retention schedules.
- Monitor backup health and storage consumption.
- Initiate restores directly from the console.
- Correlate backup events with security alerts for faster incident response.

This consolidation reduces the operational overhead of managing separate backup tools and helps ensure that data protection is treated as an integral part of the defense-in-depth strategy, not an afterthought.

The Rubrik integration also brings enterprise-class data management features, including:
- Global search: Quickly locate emails, files, or SharePoint items across the entire organization.
- Point-in-time recovery: Roll back to any previous state within the retention window.
- Legal hold: Preserve data for compliance or e-discovery without interrupting daily operations.
- Role-based access control: Ensure that only authorized personnel can perform restores or change backup policies.

Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against Ransomware

Ransomware attacks increasingly target backup files to prevent victims from recovering without paying the ransom. Sophos Backup and Recovery by Rubrik counters this tactic with immutable backups stored in an isolated, air-gapped environment logically separated from production data. Even if an attacker gains administrative privileges to Microsoft 365, they cannot reach the backup copies, and any attempt to delete or encrypt them is blocked at the storage layer.

Sophos' 2026 Threat Report highlights a surge in attacks on cloud collaboration platforms, with adversaries exploiting weak or missing backup practices. By offering this service directly within Sophos Central, the company aims to make robust, ransomware-resistant backup accessible to organizations that might otherwise struggle with the complexity and cost of dedicated solutions.

Availability and Pricing

General availability began on June 1, 2026. The service is sold as an add-on subscription through Sophos’ global network of channel partners and managed service providers (MSPs). Specific pricing has not been disclosed publicly, but Sophos typically offers per-user, per-month licensing that scales with the number of protected seats, with volume discounts available through partners. Organizations can start a free trial to evaluate the service before committing.

Competitive Landscape

Sophos Backup and Recovery by Rubrik enters a crowded market that includes dedicated Microsoft 365 backup vendors like Veeam, Druva, AvePoint, and Acronis, as well as platforms such as Commvault and Veritas. However, the deep integration with Sophos Central and the direct pairing with Sophos’ security suite give it a unique position. For existing Sophos customers, the ability to add backup without engaging a separate vendor reduces procurement friction and centralizes support.

Rubrik’s technology also adds a layer of credibility; the company has been recognized as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Center Backup and Recovery Solutions and has a strong reputation in cyber resilience. This partnership extends Rubrik’s reach into the mid-market and SMB segments where Sophos has a significant footprint.

Looking Ahead

As cloud adoption accelerates, the need for integrated, security-focused backup will only grow. Sophos has already signaled plans to expand the Backup and Recovery service to additional SaaS applications, potentially including Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Dynamics 365, all managed through Sophos Central. The company also intends to incorporate more AI-driven anomaly detection to automatically flag suspicious data access patterns that might indicate an ongoing attack.

For Windows enthusiasts and IT professionals who rely on Microsoft 365 daily, this launch delivers a native, streamlined option to close the data protection gap without adding complexity. The combination of Sophos’ security pedigree and Rubrik’s data management excellence positions the service as a compelling choice for businesses seeking to strengthen their cyber resilience posture.