Backup & disaster recovery · Edmonton
Local and off-site backups with immutable copies stored in Canadian data centres, so ransomware, failed hardware or a deleted folder doesn’t become a business-ending event. Add Microsoft 365 backup, scheduled restore tests and cloud failover when you need them.
Recovery status
● Protected
Local backup
Available
Off-site copy (Canada)
Protected
Immutable copy
Locked
Microsoft 365
Covered
Last restore test
Passed
Immutable by default
Copies that can't be altered or deleted
Data stays in Canada
Off-site copies in Canadian data centres
Proven platforms
Veeam, Synology & QNAP
Local Edmonton team
On-site help when you need it
Why backups get tested the hard way
Attackers know a business with good backups can recover without paying. So they look for the backups and try to encrypt or delete them before launching the attack. A backup that sits on the same network, with the same passwords, often goes down with everything else.
That’s why every AlphaIT backup plan includes immutable copies: backups that can’t be changed or deleted for a set period, even by someone with admin access.
89%
of organizations hit by ransomware had their backup repositories targeted.
13%
of Canadian businesses impacted by cyber incidents in 2023 reported ransomware, up from 11% in 2021.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2024
88%
of Canadian ransomware victims did not pay the ransom, so recovering from backups is the plan.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2024
How business data is lost
A good backup plan covers hardware failure, human error, cyberattacks, cloud data and losing the whole office.
Servers, drives and laptops eventually fail, and the data can be trapped with them.
Attackers encrypt your files and try to destroy any backups they can reach.
Files, folders or mailboxes deleted long before anyone notices they're missing.
Deleted, overwritten or compromised cloud data past Microsoft's retention window.
Fire, flood, theft or a burst pipe takes out the office and any backups stored in it.
A green 'success' report doesn't prove the right data comes back when you need it.
Microsoft 365 backup
Not the way most people think. Microsoft keeps deleted items for a limited time, then they’re gone for good. That’s why Microsoft itself sells Microsoft 365 Backup as a separate paid product.
| What Microsoft keeps by default | What happens after | |
|---|---|---|
| Deleted email (Exchange Online) | 14 days by default, adjustable up to 30 days | The item is removed from Exchange Online |
| Deleted SharePoint & Teams files | 93 days in the recycle bin | Gone, unless a separate backup exists |
| With AlphaIT Microsoft 365 backup | Independent copies of mail, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams | Restore what you need, when you need it |
Microsoft 365 backup is an optional add-on to any AlphaIT plan. It protects you from accidental deletion, a compromised account wiping files, or a former employee’s data being lost when their licence is removed.
What you get
Backup is a separate service from our managed IT maintenance plans. The core of every backup plan is the same; then you choose the extras that match your risk and budget.
Included in every plan
Core backup
The foundation every business needs
Optional add-ons
We restore real data on a regular schedule and document the result, so you know recovery works before you need it.
Independent backup of Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams beyond Microsoft's retention limits.
If your server or office is down, critical systems can run in the cloud while the problem is fixed.
Best practice
The classic 3-2-1 rule says: keep 3 copies of important data, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy off-site. Canada’s Cyber Centre goes further for ransomware: keep backups offline or unreachable from your network, and test them on a regular schedule, for example monthly.
Our design follows both: a local copy for speed, an off-site copy in Canada, and immutable copies attackers can’t encrypt or delete, even with stolen admin passwords.
3
Your live data plus two backups.
2
For example, a local appliance and cloud storage.
1
Stored in a Canadian data centre, away from your office.
+
Locked copies ransomware can’t encrypt or delete.
Recovery objectives
How much data can you afford to lose, and how long can you be down? The answers set backup frequency, retention and cost.
RPO · Recovery point objective
If your last backup ran at midnight and the server fails at 3 PM, you lose a day’s work. Systems that change constantly, like practice management or accounting databases, need more frequent backups than a shared drive of old files.
RTO · Recovery time objective
Restoring a few files takes minutes. Rebuilding a whole server takes longer. If your business can’t stop for that long, cloud failover keeps critical systems running while the problem is fixed.
Retention & compliance
Some industries don’t just need backups, they need proof they work and that records are kept long enough.
Law Society of Alberta rules require firms using accounting software to keep an electronic backup of prescribed financial records, update it monthly and restore-test it twice a year. Records must be kept for ten full years.
Under Alberta's Health Information Act, custodians must keep safeguards that protect against reasonably anticipated threats, including loss of health information. Tested backups are part of that.
The CRA generally requires records to be kept for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to. Your backups and retention need to cover that.
AlphaIT provides IT services, not legal advice. Check your specific obligations with your regulator or advisor.
When something goes wrong
A documented recovery sequence means decisions are made calmly, in the right order, when everyone is under pressure.
Step 1
Confirm what happened and stop further damage.
Step 2
Isolate affected systems, accounts or locations.
Step 3
Decide which systems must come back first.
Step 4
Recover clean data from an uninfected backup.
Step 5
Confirm apps, permissions and data are right.
Step 6
Get staff working and document what to improve.
Cost
It depends on how much data you protect, how long you keep it and which add-ons you choose. After a free backup review, you get a written quote with the core plan and each add-on priced separately, so you only pay for the protection you need.
Why AlphaIT
We design backup together with your servers, network, Microsoft 365 and security, so recovery is planned from day one. And because we’re local, we can be on-site in Edmonton when a restore needs hands-on work.
Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Leduc & Nisku, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont and Acheson.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers before you design, replace or review your business backups.
Backup makes recoverable copies of your data. Disaster recovery is the plan for getting your business running again after a serious event: which systems come back first, how, and who does what.
Not in the way most people expect. Exchange Online keeps deleted email for 14 days by default (up to 30), and SharePoint keeps deleted files in the recycle bin for 93 days. After that, they’re gone. Microsoft sells Microsoft 365 Backup separately, and we offer Microsoft 365 backup as an add-on.
Keep 3 copies of important data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy off-site. We add immutable copies on top, because ransomware now targets backups directly.
A backup that can’t be changed or deleted for a set period, even by someone with admin access. If ransomware or an attacker gets into your network, they can’t encrypt or wipe it. Immutable backups are included in every AlphaIT plan.
Your local backup stays in your office for fast restores, and off-site copies are stored in Canadian data centres.
It can encrypt backups that are reachable from your network with ordinary credentials. That’s why we keep immutable copies and separate backup access from your everyday accounts.
Regularly. Canada’s Cyber Centre gives monthly as an example. Law firms using accounting software must restore-test their financial-records backup twice a year. Scheduled restore tests with written results are available as an add-on.
It depends on how much recent work you could recreate. Busy databases and practice-management systems need more frequent backups than files that rarely change. We set the schedule for each system.
Both. A local copy restores quickly for everyday problems. An off-site copy protects you if the office or the local backup is lost. Every AlphaIT backup plan includes both.
Disaster recovery as a service lets critical systems run in the cloud if your server or office is unavailable, so staff can keep working while the problem is fixed. It’s an optional add-on.
Long enough to meet your obligations. The CRA generally requires records to be kept for six years, and law firms must keep prescribed financial records for ten years. We set retention to match.
It depends on how much data you protect, how long you keep it and which add-ons you choose. We give you a written quote after a free backup review.
Free backup review
We’ll review what you back up, where it’s stored, who can delete it, Microsoft 365 coverage and how long recovery would take, then give you a clear plan and a written quote. No obligation.
780-318-0149
4144A 97 St NW #232, Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y6
