Where is your business data actually stored?

A plain-English look at data sovereignty, and how to check where your Microsoft 365 data lives.

All guides · 6 October 2026 · 5 min read

Why it matters

Your business holds information about your clients, staff and money. If it’s stored overseas, it can be subject to another country’s laws, and it can be harder to get back if something goes wrong.

Many clients, especially in health, legal, finance and government work, now ask suppliers to confirm their data stays in Australia. It’s worth knowing the answer before someone asks.

Check your Microsoft 365 data location

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin centre at admin.microsoft.com.
  2. Go to Settings, then Org settings, then the Organisation profile tab.
  3. Choose Data location.

You’ll see where each service, like Exchange (email), SharePoint and OneDrive (files) and Teams, stores your data. Most businesses that signed up in Australia will see Australia for the core services.

It’s not just Microsoft

Microsoft 365 is usually the easy part. The harder part is everything else your business uses:

  • Accounting software: where are your books stored?
  • CRM and booking systems: client details, notes and appointments.
  • File sharing apps: Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer.
  • Backups: a backup stored overseas means a copy of everything is overseas.
  • AI tools: what you paste into a chatbot may be stored, and sometimes used for training.

For each one, look for “data residency” or “data location” in the settings or the provider’s help pages. If you can’t find it, email them and ask. A good provider will give you a straight answer.

“Stored in Australia” isn’t the whole story

Data stored here by a company headquartered overseas can still be reached under that country’s laws in some cases. The United States CLOUD Act is the common example. For most small businesses, onshore storage from a reputable provider is a big step up. If your clients need more than that, it’s worth a proper conversation.

What we suggest

  1. Make a simple list of every app your business uses.
  2. Note where each one stores data.
  3. Move the important ones onshore where you can, starting with backups and client records.

If you’d like a hand with the list, send us a question. It’s free.

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