Gmail Backup and Recovery

HOW CAN GMAIL BE LOST? 

Gmail can be lost due to human error, sync errors, accidental deletions, malicious acts, and malware. Gmail can also be lost when an account is accidentally or maliciously deleted.

• Human error and accidental deletions. 
  “Tidying up” by emptying the Gmail Trash, incorrectly configuring a Gmail migration from one account to another, deleting an email by accident and finding it’s gone forever due to storage limitations…losing Gmail through human error is not uncommon. While Google “soft delete” (Trash) then “hard delete” (Trash emptied or 30 days + 25 days) reduces the impact of human error on Gmail loss, it doesn’t eliminate human error. Even admins are human, and could delete a Gmail account in error.
• Sync errors. 
  It’s possible that Gmail can be lost due to sync errors. For example, a failed sync with Outlook may lead to data loss. “Resynchronizing with Google overwrites local data with data stored on Google’s servers, rather than just performing a two-way sync. This means that, in rare cases, you might lose recent changes made in Outlook, such as a contact you just edited, if the change hasn’t had a chance to sync with the cloud.”
• Malicious acts. 
  Insider attacks from a user, such as moving all Gmail to and then emptying Trash, can make it impossible to recover their Gmail. Insider attacks from a rogue admin can do even more wide-ranging damage if they delete Gmail and Drive accounts. Google can’t tell that the permitted act is malicious, and Gmail can be wiped out at compute speed.
• Malware. 
  Malware can potentially delete Gmail, spoof a sender to make it seem as if the Gmail is trusted — or make Gmail inaccessible unless you pay the ransom. Even strains of malware, like Locky, that are thought to be successfully blocked by anti-virus updates evolve and pose new risks.