Most small firms think they're protected because files sync to the cloud. They're not. Here's what the three layers of real data protection look like — and what each one actually covers.
Every Klearlogic managed client has all three layers in place. Each does a different job. None of them replace the others.
OneDrive syncs your desktop, documents, and user profile folders to Microsoft's cloud. It's convenient — if your laptop dies, you can sign into a new one and your files reappear. That's genuinely useful.
But sync is not backup. If you delete a file, the deletion syncs. If ransomware encrypts your local files, that encryption propagates to the cloud copy within minutes. OneDrive versioning gives you some history, but it has retention limits and it doesn't cover everything.
We configure OneDrive for all managed clients and we're clear about what it does and doesn't do. It's a working convenience layer, not your safety net.
This is the most important habit we instill in every client: anything that matters lives on the server, not the desktop. OneDrive doesn't touch your file server. If your QuickBooks company file, CCH data, or client document library sits on a local drive or desktop and something goes wrong — it's gone.
The server is the single source of truth. It's where shared drives, practice management data, and any file that more than one person touches should live. This isn't just about backup — it's about making sure Datto is protecting the right things.
We document this policy with every client during onboarding and we verify it. If we find critical data living somewhere it shouldn't, we say so before it becomes a problem.
Datto takes image-based snapshots of your server — the entire machine, including the operating system, applications, and all data — at regular intervals throughout the day. Those snapshots are stored locally on a Datto appliance and replicated to Datto's cloud.
Image-based means you can restore anything — a single file, a folder, or the entire server exactly as it was at a specific point in time. If ransomware hits at 2pm on a Tuesday, we restore to the 1:50am snapshot and you've lost minutes, not everything.
Datto's backups are immutable — ransomware cannot reach or encrypt them. And we verify restores, which means we actually test that your backup works before you need it, not after.
| Capability | OneDrive Sync | Local External Drive | Cloud-Only Backup | Datto (what we deploy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User files & desktop | ✓ | Maybe | Maybe | ✓ |
| Server & shared drives | ✗ | Maybe | Maybe | ✓ |
| OS + applications | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ransomware-proof | ✗ | ✗ | Partial | ✓ Immutable |
| Point-in-time restore | Limited | ✗ | Varies | ✓ |
| Offsite / cloud copy | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ Local + cloud |
| Full machine recovery | ✗ | Slow / manual | Slow | ✓ Minutes to hours |
| Verified / tested restores | ✗ | ✗ | Rarely | ✓ We test these |
The difference between "we have backup" and "we have Datto" is measured in hours of downtime and dollars of data loss.
We recommend the right Datto tier based on your server footprint, recovery time requirements, and budget. All tiers include local + cloud redundancy.
The flagship Datto product. Full image-based backup with a local appliance for fast restores and cloud replication for disaster recovery. The right choice for most of our managed clients with an on-premises server.
Same image-based approach as SIRIS in a smaller form factor. A good fit for firms with a single small server or where the SIRIS footprint is more than needed. Still includes local + cloud redundancy.
Microsoft does not adequately back up your M365 data. Exchange email, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive content needs its own backup layer. Datto Cloud-to-Cloud covers this — separate from your server backup.
We'll review your current backup setup in 20 minutes and tell you exactly what's covered and what isn't. No charge, no pressure.
Schedule a Free Backup Review →