diff --git a/src/cli/backup/backup.go b/src/cli/backup/backup.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..270277125
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/backup/backup.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package backup
+
+import (
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+)
+
+// AddCommands attaches all `corso backup * *` commands to the parent.
+func AddCommands(parent *cobra.Command) {
+	parent.AddCommand(backupCmd)
+}
+
+// The backup category of commands.
+// `corso backup [<subcommand>] [<flag>...]`
+var backupCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "backup",
+	Short: "Backup your application data.",
+	Long:  `Backup the data stored in one of your M365 applications.`,
+	Run:   handleBackupCmd,
+	Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+}
+
+// Handler for flat calls to `corso backup`.
+// Produces the same output as `corso backup --help`.
+func handleBackupCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	cmd.Help()
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/cli.go b/src/cli/cli.go
index 6932b952f..99eb3a22a 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.go
+++ b/src/cli/cli.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/backup"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/repo"
 )
 
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ func Handle() {
 	corsoCmd.Flags().BoolP("version", "v", version, "current version info")
 
 	repo.AddCommands(corsoCmd)
+	backup.AddCommands(corsoCmd)
 
 	if err := corsoCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		fmt.Println(err)
diff --git a/src/cli/repo/repo.go b/src/cli/repo/repo.go
index ea53db890..42a0ae3d1 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/repo.go
+++ b/src/cli/repo/repo.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package repo
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -86,14 +85,3 @@ func getM365Vars() m365Vars {
 		tenantID:     "todo:tenantID",
 	}
 }
-
-// validates the existence of the properties in the map.
-// expects a map[propName]propVal.
-func requireProps(props map[string]string) error {
-	for name, val := range props {
-		if len(val) == 0 {
-			return errors.New(name + " is required to perform this command")
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/src/cli/repo/s3.go b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
index 10c85484a..584336774 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/s3.go
+++ b/src/cli/repo/s3.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/utils"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/repository"
 	"github.com/alcionai/corso/pkg/storage"
 )
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ func makeS3Config() (storage.S3Config, storage.CommonConfig, error) {
 		storage.CommonConfig{
 			CorsoPassword: corsoPasswd,
 		},
-		requireProps(map[string]string{
+		utils.RequireProps(map[string]string{
 			storage.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID:     ak,
 			"bucket":                      bucket,
 			storage.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: secretKey,
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/utils.go b/src/cli/utils/utils.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..911d434aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/utils/utils.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package utils
+
+import "errors"
+
+// RequireProps validates the existence of the properties
+//  in the map.  Expects the format map[propName]propVal.
+func RequireProps(props map[string]string) error {
+	for name, val := range props {
+		if len(val) == 0 {
+			return errors.New(name + " is required to perform this command")
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/repo/repo_test.go b/src/cli/utils/utils_test.go
similarity index 63%
rename from src/cli/repo/repo_test.go
rename to src/cli/utils/utils_test.go
index b16604497..09f56b305 100644
--- a/src/cli/repo/repo_test.go
+++ b/src/cli/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -1,21 +1,23 @@
-package repo
+package utils_test
 
 import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/suite"
+
+	"github.com/alcionai/corso/cli/utils"
 )
 
-type CliRepoSuite struct {
+type CliUtilsSuite struct {
 	suite.Suite
 }
 
-func TestCliRepoSuite(t *testing.T) {
-	suite.Run(t, new(CliRepoSuite))
+func TestCliUtilsSuite(t *testing.T) {
+	suite.Run(t, new(CliUtilsSuite))
 }
 
-func (suite *CliRepoSuite) TestRequireProps() {
+func (suite *CliUtilsSuite) TestRequireProps() {
 	table := []struct {
 		name     string
 		props    map[string]string
@@ -31,6 +33,6 @@ func (suite *CliRepoSuite) TestRequireProps() {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, test := range table {
-		test.errCheck(suite.T(), requireProps(test.props))
+		test.errCheck(suite.T(), utils.RequireProps(test.props))
 	}
 }