Rubrik & Sophos launch advanced Microsoft 365 resilience tool

Rubrik and Sophos have entered a strategic partnership to offer a new Microsoft 365 backup and recovery solution optimised for Managed Detection and Response customers.

The collaboration introduces Sophos M365 Backup and Recovery Powered by Rubrik, which enables organisations to recover Microsoft 365 data, including Teams, OneDrive, Exchange, and SharePoint, from within the Sophos Central platform. Sophos Central is currently used by over 75,000 MDR (Managed Detection and Response) and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) customers.

Integration for resilience

This integrated solution is designed to help IT and cybersecurity teams bolster their defences against cyber threats such as ransomware, account compromise, insider threats, and data loss across Microsoft 365 applications. Sophos Central currently integrates telemetry from more than 350 sources, employing deep learning and language models to monitor and respond to threats across endpoints, cloud, networks, identity, email, and business applications.

Joe Levy, Chief Executive Officer of Sophos, said the partnership addresses the ongoing challenges faced by organisations in the digital era.

We are reshaping what it means to stay operational in a world shaped by constant digital disruption. This is the future of cyber resilience: an intelligent, adaptive partnership that ensures organisations remain secure, responsive, and uninterrupted. By combining Sophos' prevention-first approach with Rubrik's unwavering recovery capabilities, we empower businesses to withstand attacks and maintain continuity, even under pressure.

Sophos will offer this backup and recovery capability as an add-on for its MDR and XDR customers. The integration brings Rubrik's protection and recovery technology into the Sophos Central platform, giving organisations additional tools for secure data recovery in the face of accidental or malicious data loss. The new offer aims to provide flexibility and enhanced operational resilience for users already invested in Sophos security solutions.

Industry context

The need for more robust protection for Microsoft 365 data is highlighted by recent research. According to The State of Ransomware report by Sophos, nearly half of organisations impacted by ransomware incidents paid a ransom to restore their data. Only 54 per cent of affected companies restored their data using backups, pointing to a gap in effective resilience strategies. Further data suggests that 60 per cent of Microsoft 365 tenants have experienced account takeovers and 81 per cent have encountered email compromise. Compromised global admin credentials are a specific risk, as attackers can sometimes manipulate data retention policies to permanently delete critical information.

Bipul Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-founder of Rubrik, said the complex threat environment requires comprehensive strategies that cover both prevention and recovery.

The reality of today's threat landscape demands a holistic approach to cyber resilience. With AI-enabled attacks and sophisticated breaches on the rise, organisations need more than just prevention; they need the ability to recover rapidly and reliably. Our partnership with Sophos delivers this critical capability directly within a platform security teams already use and trust, raising the bar for Microsoft 365 resilience.

Features and benefits

Sophos MDR and XDR customers are set to benefit from a range of security and recovery capabilities. Rubrik will provide secure, immutable backups for Microsoft 365 data using air-gapped storage, WORM locks, and customer-held encryption keys. Additional security measures such as multifactor authentication and data locks help prevent unauthorised tampering, even if credentials have been compromised.

The solution enables restoration of Microsoft 365 content - emails, OneDrives, SharePoint sites, Teams channels, and more - to original or alternative users, including inactive accounts. Rubrik's software will automatically detect users, sites, and mailboxes for protection, apply appropriate policies, and support delegated administration, all while being fully integrated with Sophos Central to minimise administrative overhead.

Both companies stated their commitment to supporting organisations in maintaining operational confidence despite evolving risks. The new joint solution is intended to provide customers and partners with the means to recover from cyber threats with minimal disruption.

The offering will be made available through Sophos' channel partner network in the coming months.