Email Archiving Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide

What is Email Archiving?

Email archiving is a system for storing and preserving email communications in a format that can be stored, searched and retrieved. Organizations deploy email archiving solutions for several reasons, including:

• Business continuity 
• Internal audits and investigations.
• E-discovery for legal requirements
• Compliance.
• Intellectual property documentation and protection.

Email archiving is a quick, dependable, and easily scalable solution for email storage that controls the load on the mail servers for improved performance. With email archiving, one can instantly store old emails that are not needed while preventing the permanent deletion of emails.

However, email archiving can help more than just easily find emails and increase server speeds. Email archiving is also necessary for compliance and security purposes for organizations wishing to safeguard against unwanted data breaches.

It's a rising problem as organizations lost $2.4 billion because of BEC scams in 2022. Without necessary action, the numbers could increase further in 2023.

 

What Is the Purpose of Archiving Emails?

Many IT teams prioritize email archiving because of its added benefits. You can improve your cyber security strategy with the correct email archiving practice and ensure you don't face unwanted data and email compromise. Here are a few reasons why organizations should consider improving the way they handle archiving emails:

1. Compliance

Organizations have to follow strict rules for their information management. With email archiving, one can easily protect their email archiving against tampering redundancy with email storage.

2. E-discovery

 Electronic discovery (E-discovery) involves collecting information in electronic format for audits, litigation, and other formal processes. With email archiving, the organization can increase data protection against other subpoenas.

3. Storage management

Storing old emails in repetition can take up unwanted space. However, one can avoid these complications and ensure better performance with the right email archiving methodologies.

4. Inbox Restoration

 A cyberattack can be a bit challenging for companies to recover from. However, with email archiving, recovering data becomes simpler and more effective.

 

Email Archive Compliance Laws

Email archiving compliance laws generally cover the requirements for the minimum time required for electronically stored information (ESI) and the proper practices to ensure its safeguard against unwanted access.

There can be some differences in the compliance of these laws, depending on the following:

• Industry sectors
• Federal and state laws
• closed system interaction for emails

However, the information shared in this piece does not necessarily qualify as authorized advice. It’s best to consult a professional before taking a formal decision for your email archiving strategies.

 

What to Consider When Choosing an Email Archiving Solution

There's a difference in the overall benefits email archiving strategies offer. Therefore, choosing the right option for your next professional use makes a major difference. To simplify the process, here are some factors that make a good solution.

Search and Retrieval

Searching and retrieving older emails can be challenging for organizations without easy access. There’s a higher need for these search and retrieval solutions for litigation, audit, or other cases. However, the best solution for search and retrieval is generally the shortest one, organizing and presenting email data in a searchable way.

Ease of Deployment

Organizations should consider how easy it a solution is to deploy. An organization without a dedicated IT team doesn't have professionals handling these issues. Therefore, managed email archiving services are the most suitable for them. Additionally, companies should prioritize companies that store older emails and information without risking new ones.

Data Security

Emails with sensitive information get compromised in most cyber attacks. The attackers want valuable organizational information provided in these emails.

Compatibility

An email archiving service with a compatible service provider is much needed because organizations cannot adjust their systems based on their clients. As a professional service provider

Cloud-Based or On-Premise

The service model of the email archiving company also makes a massive difference in the overall client experience. Customers should confirm if the service provider has an on-premise or cloud-based service. We believe a hybrid service provider is the most suitable for every organization.

Archiving Process

 The archiving process determines the effectiveness and scalability of email archiving. Therefore, clients should confirm their service provides the best options based on the organization's needs.

 

On-Premise vs. Cloud Email Archiving

Email archives first started getting stored via magnetic tapes and other affordable media. However, with technological development, market trends have changed. Email archiving via cloud storage is a more popular option and is now extensively adopted by companies for the following reasons:

• Greater efficiencies
• Falling costs
• Cloud vs. On-premises archiving
• And many others.

With the changing trends in the market, its demand will further increase as more companies adopt digital solutions for their business.

Companies readily move their information and emails to cloud-based email archiving to reduce their on-site data storage and infrastructure footprint.

Such a move can lower costs because cloud storage reduces the overall functioning costs of any business. It also increases the security of organizations against cyberattacks. Moreover, companies can also access the information quicker and get better results for data management.

For instance, many companies have already transformed their system to Office 365, which is an even better choice for business owners.

Cloud-based email archiving is reliable, easier to manage, and much more affordable. However, choosing between a 100% digital business model vs. one with a hybrid email archiving approach for suitable compliance can be daunting.

 

Cloud vs. On-Premises Secure Email Gateway Comparison

Transferring emails to cloud storage requires monetary and time resources. Therefore, commercial clients prefer a streamlined approach to reduce data loss and increased expenditure. Here are some of the most common approaches the clients can choose from/

• Update all the email information on the cloud and remove all on-site data storage
• Change all the data information.
• Transfer all information falling under your retention policy and all crucial information

 

ArcTitan: the Email Archiving Solutions you Need

Email archiving plays a vital role in the protection and effectiveness of data storage against threats. These archived emails boost the server speed, provide more accessible retrieval options, and more.

To manage email retention requirements and achieve archiving compliance while minimizing risk, organizations need powerful yet easy-to-use solutions. These solutions must be able to simplify email retention and archiving tasks while reducing the cost and complexity of archiving compliance management. That's where ArcTitan can help.

Because many organizations need to keep their emails for several years to meet regulations, good practice & corporate governance standards, email archiving is essential. As email usage continues to grow, a cloud email archive provides infinite scalability. Some of the key features include :

• Office 365-Integration
• Easy To Set-Up
• Cost-Friendly Deployments
• Remote access to archived emails
• Automated Lightening Fast Email Search

So, we've told you why choosing the right compliance email archiving solution is so important for your business. The next step is to get set up and test out the best option for your business. Try ArcTitan email archive compliance today!