Best Email Archiving Solutions For Microsoft 365
Explore the best email archiving solutions on the market that are compatible with Microsoft 365.
Written by
Mirren McDade
Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
Quick Summary
For quick M365 archiving deployment, TitanHQ Email Archiving deploys in minutes with no on-premises hardware while pay-as-you-go pricing scales with active users. User interface feels dated compared to modern archiving platforms.
If you need multi-channel capture for compliance, AppRiver Information Archiving captures 50+ platforms including Teams and SMS with unlimited cloud storage and real-time indexing. Admin portal interface feels dated with occasional glitches in configuration changes.
When you want cloud-native simplicity, Barracuda Cloud Archiving captures real-time email copies with an Outlook Add-In providing offline access for remote workers. Search syntax requires learning specific query rules.
Email archiving for Microsoft 365 means capturing and storing emails compliantly while keeping them searchable and accessible. The challenge: choosing between solutions that prioritize simplicity, multi-channel coverage, or regulatory depth, few excel at all three.
What matters most is finding one that delivers compliance without creating operational friction, not finding an archiving platform. Some solutions promise unlimited storage but struggle with search performance. Others consolidate channels but lack eDiscovery depth. Getting it wrong means either overpaying for capabilities you don’t use or discovering mid-audit that your archives don’t meet regulatory requirements.
We evaluated 10 email archiving solutions across deployment ease, search reliability, compliance readiness, multi-channel support, and eDiscovery capabilities. We evaluated each in Microsoft 365 environments and reviewed customer experiences to identify where vendor promises diverge from operational reality.
This guide gives you the testing insights and decision framework to match the right archiving solution to your compliance requirements, team size, and Microsoft 365 environment.
Our Recommendations
Your ideal choice depends on retention scope, multi-channel needs, and regulatory requirements for your industry.
- Best For Centralized Management: TitanHQ Email Archiving Deploys in minutes with no on-premises hardware or manual configuration required.
- Best For Cost Efficiency: AppRiver Information Archiving Archives 50+ platforms including email, SMS, Teams, and social media in one location.
- Best For Performance: Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service Unlimited per-user storage removes capacity planning and unexpected cost overruns.
- Best For Advanced Features: Jatheon Cloud Archives email, IM, social media, SMS, calls, and voicemail from one platform.
- Best For Enterprise Scale: Libraesva Email Archiver Offers both cloud and on-premises deployment to match your infrastructure requirements.
TitanHQ Email Archiving (also known as ArcTitan) is a cloud-based archiving solution built for Microsoft 365 environments that need compliance coverage without infrastructure overhead. We think it’s one of the stronger options for SMBs, MSPs, and educational organizations that want reliable email retention without managing on-premises hardware. The platform deploys in minutes and scales with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which keeps costs aligned to actual usage.
TitanHQ Email Archiving Key Features
ArcTitan compresses and encrypts emails before storage, which helps keep mail server load manageable over time. The platform imports legacy PST files into a single searchable archive, so you’re not maintaining separate repositories for historical data. Single sign-on integration works out of the box with Microsoft 365, and mobile access keeps archived emails available for remote teams. Search performance is strong; TitanHQ states the platform processes 200 messages per second and searches at a rate of 30 million messages per second.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently describe this as a set-and-forget solution once configured. The search functionality gets praise for speed and accuracy, and support teams earn high marks for responsiveness during onboarding. With that said, some customers flag the interface as dated compared to newer archiving platforms. A few note that assigning email access across multiple accounts feels clunky, and switching to privileged mode for full archive searches adds friction to admin workflows.
Our Take
We think TitanHQ works best if your organization needs GDPR, HIPAA, or Sarbanes-Oxley compliance without enterprise-grade complexity. The built-in eDiscovery tools handle audit requests efficiently, and the pay-as-you-go model means you’re not overpaying during quieter periods. If you need straightforward email archiving with strong compliance coverage and fast deployment, it’s well worth considering.
Strengths
- Deploys in minutes with no on-premises hardware required
- Pay-as-you-go pricing scales with active users
- Built-in compliance support for GDPR, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and eDiscovery
- Legacy PST import consolidates historical email into one searchable location
- Mobile access for remote and distributed teams
Cautions
- Customers note the interface feels dated compared to newer platforms
- Reviews mention that cross-account email access requires extra admin steps
AppRiver Information Archiving
AppRiver Information Archiving is a cloud-based platform that captures communications across 50+ channels, including email, SMS, Teams, and social media for Microsoft 365 environments. It’s a strong option for organizations with multi-channel compliance requirements that need everything in one searchable archive. The archiving technology is powered through a partnership with Global Relay, which is one of the more established names in compliance archiving.
AppRiver Information Archiving Key Features
The platform indexes communications in real time across diverse channels. We found the data classification and message flagging tools helpful for narrowing eDiscovery scope quickly. Policy controls let you define retention rules and archiving durations without complex configurations. Secure file sharing with third parties works without SFTP or external drives, which simplifies auditor access during compliance reviews. Storage is unlimited, removing capacity planning from the equation entirely.
What Customers Say
Support teams get consistently high marks for responsiveness and helpfulness. The quarantine functionality and daily digest emails work reliably, and users appreciate the sandbox for previewing suspicious content safely. However, customers report the admin portal feels dated and could use simplifying. License changes and updates sometimes lag or introduce glitches, and mail filtering rules lack operator support for combining multiple conditions in a single rule.
Our Take
We think AppRiver fits organizations archiving beyond just email. If your compliance requirements span Teams, SMS, and social media, the 50+ channel coverage handles that well. Something to be aware of is that AppRiver was acquired by Zix in 2019 and subsequently by OpenText in 2021, so the product now sits under the OpenText Cybersecurity umbrella. It’s worth confirming current licensing and support arrangements directly with the vendor.
Strengths
- Archives 50+ platforms including email, SMS, Teams, and social media
- Unlimited cloud storage eliminates capacity planning
- Real-time indexing and message classification accelerate eDiscovery
- Secure third-party file sharing without SFTP setup
- Responsive support team
Cautions
- Users report the admin portal feels dated and could benefit from modernization
- Reviews flag that license updates and configuration changes sometimes process slowly
Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service
Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service is a cloud-native platform that captures unmodified email copies in real time for Microsoft 365 environments. We think it’s a strong pick for MSPs and organizations with distributed or hybrid workforces, largely because of a feature most archiving tools don’t offer: offline archive access through the Outlook Add-In with local cache.
Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service Key Features
Emails archive at send and receive time with extensive indexing for fast retrieval. The multi-level tagging system is useful for audit preparation and eDiscovery, and granular retention policies let you flag critical data for extended storage or export without manual sorting. The standout feature is the Outlook Add-In with local cache, which gives remote and hybrid workers offline access to archived emails without waiting for connectivity. Storage is unlimited per user, which removes capacity planning and unexpected cost overruns. Barracuda has also recently updated the end-user interface with a more modern look and sidebar navigation.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently praise the search functionality and retrieval speed. Support earns high marks for responsiveness, and users report the platform just works once configured. The cloud-native approach means one less server to manage. Something to be aware of is that the search query syntax has some quirks; you need to structure OR conditions before AND conditions, which trips up new users until they learn the pattern.
Our Take
We think Barracuda fits best if your workforce operates remotely or hybrid. The offline access capability via the Outlook Add-In addresses a real gap that other archiving tools miss. Tamper-proof records keep auditors satisfied, and unlimited per-user storage means you won’t face surprise costs as your archive grows.
Strengths
- Unlimited per-user storage removes capacity planning concerns
- Outlook Add-In with local cache provides offline archive access
- Tamper-proof retention for compliance and legal holds
- Fast search with extensive indexing
- Cloud-native deployment with no on-premises server management
Cautions
- Reviews mention the search syntax requires learning specific query rules
- Customers note the interface, while recently updated, still has room for improvement
Intradyn
Intradyn is an archiving and eDiscovery platform for Microsoft 365 that captures email, Teams chats, SMS, and social media with unlimited cloud storage. We were impressed by the platform’s proven reliability; some customers report running it successfully for over a decade without data loss. It targets organizations with federal, state, and industry compliance requirements, with a particularly strong presence in North America.
Intradyn Key Features
Intradyn indexes emails in real time using journaling, POP3, IMAP4, and secure variants. A free crawler tool handles historical data ingestion, which simplifies onboarding from legacy systems. Teams chat archiving comes included at no extra cost, with optional SMS and social media capture through third-party partners. Search capabilities cover 100+ languages and include review, redaction, and automated legal hold. Identity integrations span Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, Okta, and openLDAP with SAML and MFA support. Deployment options include AWS cloud, virtual appliance, and a purpose-built Dell hardware appliance.
What Customers Say
Customers describe Intradyn as one of the most reliable solutions they’ve used. The search interface earns praise for being powerful and intuitive, and support requests are rare because the product simply works. When issues do arise during upgrades, customers report support responds quickly and resolves problems effectively.
Our Take
We think Intradyn fits best for organizations with strict regulatory requirements across multiple communication channels. The free crawler tool for historical migration is a nice touch that reduces onboarding costs, and the 100+ language search coverage makes it a strong option for multinational organizations. If your compliance needs span email, Teams, and SMS with automated legal hold, it’s well worth considering.
Strengths
- Teams chat archiving included at no extra cost
- Free crawler tool for historical data migration
- Search covers 100+ languages with review, redaction, and legal hold
- Proven reliability with decade-long customer deployments
- Multiple deployment options including cloud, virtual appliance, and hardware
Cautions
- SMS and social media archiving require third-party partner integrations
- Users report that upgrades occasionally introduce issues requiring support engagement
Jatheon Cloud
Jatheon Cloud is an AWS-hosted archiving platform that captures email, instant messages, social media, SMS, calls, and voicemails for Microsoft 365 environments. We think it’s one of the stronger options for regulated industries like healthcare, finance, government, and education that need multi-channel archiving from a single platform. The channel coverage is broad, which is good to see for organizations that need compliance across more than just email.
Jatheon Cloud Key Features
Jatheon captures data in real time from Exchange, Office 365, Gmail, Groupwise, and IBM Lotus. Instant message archiving covers WhatsApp, Teams, and Google Chat, with optional SMS, call, and voicemail capture available for organizations that need it. Retention policies are customizable with automatic deletion schedules, and the advanced search works well for eDiscovery. Migration tools simplify onboarding from legacy systems, and the platform supports compliance with HIPAA, SOX, FINRA, GDPR, and a range of other regulatory frameworks.
What Customers Say
Customers describe the cloud transition as cost-effective and painless. The interface works well for users with no prior archival tool experience, which reduces training overhead. Support gets positive marks for accommodating special requests and providing 24/7 availability. With that said, customers note that uploading large archive files requires workarounds through support rather than built-in tooling.
Our Take
We think Jatheon works best for regulated industries archiving beyond email. If your compliance requirements include WhatsApp, Teams, SMS, and voice communications, the channel coverage handles that without bolting on separate tools. The user-friendly interface is a plus for teams new to archiving, and the AWS infrastructure provides scalable storage that grows with your organization.
Strengths
- Archives email, IM, social media, SMS, calls, and voicemail from one platform
- Captures WhatsApp, Teams, and Google Chat for IM compliance
- AWS infrastructure with scalable storage
- User-friendly interface reduces training time
- 24/7 technical support included
Cautions
- Reviews flag that large archive file uploads require support workarounds
- Customers note that legacy data migration can involve friction during setup
Libraesva Email Archiver
Libraesva Email Archiver offers both cloud and on-premises deployment for Microsoft 365 and Exchange environments. We think it’s a strong fit for MSPs and ISPs that need multi-tenant architecture with flexible deployment options. The platform creates secure 1:1 email copies with certified time-stamping for GDPR compliance, which is a feature that stands out for organizations with strict data sovereignty requirements.
Libraesva Email Archiver Key Features
Native mailbox connectors integrate cleanly with Microsoft 365 and Exchange, and the Outlook Add-In works across Windows and Mac for direct archive access. AES256 encryption and anti-tampering protection keep archived data secure throughout retention. Legal hold functionality addresses litigation requirements. Storage options are flexible, supporting local disks, network shares, and S3-compatible object storage. Libraesva preserves folder structures from mailboxes and PST files during import, and the platform offers over 80 distinct access permissions along with a dedicated Privacy Officer role.
What Customers Say
Customers highlight the simple setup process, especially with Microsoft 365 SSO integration. Support response times earn consistent praise. MSPs and service providers appreciate the multi-tenant architecture and full API for automation. However, some customers report the search functionality takes time to learn, and shared mailbox permissions require manual sync rather than automatic configuration.
Our Take
We think Libraesva fits organizations needing deployment flexibility. If your environment requires on-premises archiving or you operate as an MSP managing multiple tenants, the architecture handles both scenarios well. The certified time-stamping for GDPR is a genuine differentiator, and the full API makes it a good option for providers looking to integrate archiving into their existing workflows.
Strengths
- Cloud and on-premises deployment to match infrastructure requirements
- Multi-tenant architecture with full API for MSPs
- AES256 encryption and certified time-stamping for GDPR compliance
- Outlook Add-In for Windows and Mac
- Over 80 distinct access permissions with dedicated Privacy Officer role
Cautions
- Users report the search functionality has a learning curve for new users
- Reviews mention that shared mailbox permissions require manual sync
Mimecast Cloud Archive for Email
Mimecast Cloud Archive for Email is a cloud-native platform that unifies Microsoft 365 email data with automated retention and eDiscovery capabilities. We think it’s best suited for organizations with active legal and compliance teams that need strong case management and audit trails. The platform extends Microsoft 365’s native archiving rather than replacing it, which is a practical approach for environments already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Mimecast Cloud Archive for Email Key Features
Mimecast collects emails from multiple collection points, retaining originals and metadata. The automated retention management reduces manual overhead while maintaining compliance. Legal hold and case management tools let you map archives to specific users or groups for investigations. No-delete protection prevents accidental or intentional data loss. The platform recently added unified search across additional collaboration platforms including Slack, along with AI-driven insights for sentiment analysis and multilingual support. Export options now include CSV, DAT, PDF, JSON, EML, and PST formats.
What Customers Say
Customers praise the search filters and ability to retrieve emails going back years. Mobile access works well, and journaling runs reliably once configured. Support earns marks for helpfulness, and regular tenant reviews help ensure full value from the platform. Something to be aware of is that customers report the admin interface feels confusing, with settings scattered across multiple locations. Search can also run slow on large archives, which adds friction during time-sensitive requests.
Our Take
We were impressed by the case management and eDiscovery tooling, which is clearly built for organizations dealing with active litigation workflows. The no-delete protection is a strong compliance feature, and the recent addition of AI-driven insights shows Mimecast is investing in the product. If your environment needs strong eDiscovery and audit trails alongside broader Mimecast security, it’s well worth considering.
Strengths
- No-delete protection prevents accidental or malicious data loss
- Case management tools for eDiscovery investigations
- Automated retention management reduces compliance workload
- Recent AI-driven search and sentiment analysis features
- Journaling runs reliably with minimal interruption
Cautions
- Customers note the admin interface scatters settings across multiple locations
- Reviews flag that search can run slow on large archives
Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive
Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive is a cloud-based solution for Microsoft 365 and Exchange that captures internal, outbound, and inbound emails in real time. We think it’s a good fit for small to medium businesses that want archiving bundled with email security under one vendor, rather than managing separate tools. The archive supports up to 10-year retention with unlimited storage.
Proofpoint Essentials Email Archive Key Features
The platform indexes emails as they flow through, with search capabilities that extend into attachments. Configurable permissions allow end users to search their own archives without admin involvement, which reduces the support burden for IT teams. Legacy imports from Exchange bring historical data into the same searchable repository. An optional analytics module adds visibility into archive usage. Multi-domain support handles organizations with complex email environments, and the cloud-native design means automatic updates with no manual patching.
What Customers Say
Customers praise the intuitive interface and ease of user management. Adding and removing users, managing domains, and running log searches all work smoothly. Support earns high marks for responsiveness and priority issue resolution. With that said, some customers report the archiving capabilities feel limited compared to dedicated archiving platforms, which is worth considering if archiving is your primary requirement rather than a secondary add-on.
Our Take
We think Proofpoint Essentials works best for SMBs wanting archiving bundled with email security. If your organization needs basic retention and search without advanced eDiscovery, the combination simplifies vendor management. Something to be aware of is that the archive is only available as part of the Proofpoint Professional license package, not as a standalone product.
Strengths
- Unlimited storage with up to 10-year retention
- Self-service access lets users search their own archives
- Intuitive admin interface for user and domain management
- Multi-domain support without extra configuration
- Bundles with Proofpoint email security for simplified vendor management
Cautions
- Users report archiving features feel limited compared to dedicated platforms
- Archive only available as part of the Professional license package
Smarsh Professional Archive
Smarsh Professional Archive is a cloud-based platform that captures communications from 100+ channels, including Microsoft 365, Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, and Bloomberg for regulated industries. We think it’s one of the strongest options for financial services, public sector, and other compliance-heavy organizations that need daily supervision workflows alongside archiving. The channel coverage is among the broadest we’ve seen in this category.
Smarsh Professional Archive Key Features
Smarsh provides native capture across email, chat, and collaboration tools with instant access via intuitive dashboards. The supervision features help compliance teams meet regulatory requirements with configurable alert workflows and a policy library that comes included to accelerate setup. Custom channel support via APIs extends coverage beyond the standard 100+ integrations, which is useful for organizations using niche or emerging communication tools. The platform supports SEC Rule 17a-4 WORM storage and FINRA Rules 4511 and 3110 for defensible recordkeeping.
What Customers Say
Customers praise the smooth onboarding experience from sales through implementation. The search function works well for daily use, returning accurate results for audits and internal reviews. Documentation supports self-service users who prefer to work independently. However, customers report the interface feels dated and can slow down everyday tasks. Some users also note that alert loading sometimes hangs, which affects daily compliance review volumes.
Our Take
We think Smarsh fits best for financial services and public sector organizations with active supervision requirements. If your compliance team needs to review communications daily with configurable alerts and policy enforcement, the tooling handles that workflow well. The 100+ channel coverage with API extensibility is one of the broadest options available, which is good to see for organizations with diverse communication environments.
Strengths
- Captures 100+ communication channels with native integrations and API extensibility
- Supervision features with configurable alerts for daily compliance workflows
- Smooth onboarding experience from sales through implementation
- Strong documentation for self-service setup
- SEC 17a-4 and FINRA compliance support built in
Cautions
- Reviews mention the interface feels dated and can slow down admin tasks
- Customers note that alert loading sometimes hangs during compliance reviews
Trustifi Cloud Email Archive
Trustifi Cloud Email Archive is a cloud-based platform for Microsoft 365 that combines archiving with AI-driven threat protection and Data Loss Prevention. We think it’s a strong option for organizations that want archiving and email security unified under one vendor, reducing the complexity of managing separate tools. The AI-powered threat detection adds value beyond what most standalone archiving platforms offer.
Trustifi Cloud Email Archive Key Features
Trustifi archives emails with retention management and eDiscovery tools for audit and legal requests. The AI-powered threat detection identifies phishing attempts and can disable compromised accounts automatically. DLP rules and AES encryption protect sensitive data in transit and at rest. Multiple data centers provide redundancy, and compliance reports generate automatically. Deployment for Microsoft 365 environments runs quickly with minimal disruption, and the admin console handles configuration without requiring deep technical expertise.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently rate support as exceptional, comparing it favorably to enterprise-level vendors. When issues arise requiring patches, the team responds and ships fixes quickly. Feature requests get taken seriously and often make it into the product, which is good to see. With that said, customers note the admin interface has many advanced options that take time to learn. Some features are only available on higher-tier plans, which can feel limiting for smaller organizations.
Our Take
We were impressed by the combination of archiving and active security in a single platform. If your environment needs DLP, encryption, and threat protection alongside compliance retention, Trustifi reduces the number of vendors you need to manage. The support team’s responsiveness and willingness to act on feature requests suggests a vendor that’s actively investing in the product.
Strengths
- Combines archiving with AI threat detection and DLP in one platform
- Support team earns exceptional ratings with fast patch delivery
- AES encryption and multiple data centers for redundancy
- Quick Microsoft 365 deployment with minimal disruption
- Feature requests frequently added to the product roadmap
Cautions
- Customers note the admin interface has many options that take time to learn
- Reviews flag that some features are restricted to higher-tier plans
Other GRC And Compliance Services
Email archiving with granular search and retention policy management
Unified archiving platform for compliance and audit readiness.
On-premises and cloud archiving for SMBs with easy management and eDiscovery.
What To Look For: Email Archiving Solutions Checklist
When evaluating email archiving solutions, we’ve identified six essential criteria. Here’s the checklist of questions you should be asking:
- Deployment and Integration: Does it deploy without on-premises infrastructure? How quickly can you get operational? Does it integrate natively with Microsoft 365 or require additional configuration?
- Search Performance and eDiscovery: Can you search across millions of emails in seconds? Does it support full-text search of attachments? What eDiscovery features does it provide for audit and legal investigations?
- Multi-Channel Support: Does it archive only email or Teams, SMS, social media as well? How many channels does it support? Are additional channels available for extra cost?
- Compliance and Retention Policies: Does it support your regulatory requirements, GDPR, HIPAA, FINRA, SOX? Can you define granular retention policies? Does it provide audit-ready reports?
- Storage and Pricing Model: Is storage unlimited or capped? How is pricing calculated, per user, per gigabyte, per organization? Do migration costs apply to legacy data import?
- User Experience and Admin Overhead: Can end users search their own archives without admin involvement? How much ongoing administration does the platform require? Is the interface intuitive or require significant training?
Weight these criteria based on your environment. Compliance-heavy organizations prioritize audit-ready reporting and multi-channel coverage. Distributed organizations need strong search and remote access capabilities. MSPs need multi-tenant architecture and reasonable per-user costs.
How We Compared The Best Email Archiving Solutions For Microsoft 365
Expert Insights is an independent editorial team that researches, tests, and reviews cybersecurity and IT solutions. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products. Our Editor’s Scores are based solely on product quality. Before testing, we map the full vendor market for each category, identifying all active vendors from market leaders to emerging challengers.
We evaluated 11 email archiving platforms across deployment ease, search performance, eDiscovery capabilities, compliance readiness, multi-channel support, and operational usability. Each product was deployed in a controlled Microsoft 365 environment where we assessed onboarding workflows, search reliability, alongside retention policy configuration and day to day operational stability.
Beyond hands on testing, we conducted extensive market research and reviewed customer feedback and interviews where possible to validate vendor claims against operational reality. We spoke with product teams to understand compliance roadmaps, integration capabilities, and known limitations. Our editorial and commercial teams operate independently. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products.
This guide is updated quarterly. For full details on our evaluation process, visit our How We Test & Review Products.
The Bottom Line
Your ideal email archiving solution depends on organization size, compliance requirements, and whether you need multi-channel coverage.
If deployment speed and simplicity matter most, TitanHQ Email Archiving deploys in minutes with solid compliance coverage and responsive support. Best for SMBs with straightforward archiving needs.
If you need multi-channel coverage across Teams and SMS, AppRiver Information Archiving captures 50+ platforms in one archive. Strong for organizations with diverse communication requirements.
If you support distributed or hybrid teams, Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service delivers offline archive access through Outlook Add-In that competitors don’t offer.
If you operate in regulated industries requiring multi-channel archiving, Jatheon Cloud archives email, instant messages, SMS, and voice from one platform with proven compliance support.
If your organization has active legal and compliance teams, Mimecast Cloud Archive for Email provides case management and eDiscovery tools built for litigation workflows.
Read the individual reviews above to dig into compliance requirements, multi-channel needs, and the search experience that fits your environment.
FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Email Archiving Solutions (FAQs)
Email archiving is an effective way of cataloguing and managing the emails that are in your account. These solutions are capable of storing and indexing emails (and related attachments) for a set period of time – as compliance rules dictate.
In many cases, email archiving is used for regulatory and customer service needs. You can easily find all previous interactions with a customer to ensure you can understand their concerns. Email archiving solutions are also useful for disaster recovery, litigation purposes, and managing your records.
Email archiving solutions take a systematic approach to saving and protecting the data carried in email communications, allowing for safe and speedy retrieval of the data. This process is a critical component in many business settings as it helps to make sure that any important information delivered via email is readily available for future reference, legal matters, and to demonstrate compliance with necessary regulations. Email archiving solutions work by capturing email content either directly from the email application itself or during transport, with the messages then stored securely and indexed in order to simplify future searches.
For organizations looking to improve their overall cybersecurity, email archiving solutions are highly useful tools for safeguarding sensitive information against a variety of potential threats. These solutions provide a secure repository for data storage, thereby minimizing the risk of unauthorized access of data loss. It also helps by monitoring email communications, which makes it far easier to detect possible security threats and prevent breaches.
The features and capabilities you prioritize in whichever solution you consider will vary depending on your organization’s specific requirements, but some to consider include the following:
- Compliance. If you are operating in a regulated sector, you want to ensure that your archive solution is compliant. In many cases you will need to be able to prove this compliance through comprehensive auditing and reports. Many archiving solutions will have features to make this as easy as possible.
- Customization. Your solution should offer you a good deal of customizability to ensure that it works for you. High levels of customization in an email archiving solution gives organizations the flexibility and control required to adapt the archiving process to their unique business context, policies, and compliance standards.
- Navigation. It is also important that your solution has a comprehensive and effective eDiscovery tool. Otherwise, you will spend just as much time searching for the information you need.
- Security. You need to ensure that your archiving solution protects your data effectively. Data should be encrypted with a robust protocol. This may be detailed by regulatory frameworks.
Email archiving for Microsoft 365 offers several key benefits:
- Compliance: Helps organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements for data retention.
- Storage Management: Frees up space in primary mailboxes, improving performance and reducing storage costs.
- eDiscovery: Facilitates efficient searching and retrieval of emails for legal or investigative purposes.
- Business Continuity: Ensures access to historical email data even in the event of outages or data loss.
It is important to archive a variety of data from Microsoft 365, including:
- Emails
- Attachments
- Calendar items
- Journaling data
- Teams chat data
To ensure compliance, consider these factors:
- Retention policies: Define how long data needs to be stored.
- Legal hold: Implement processes to preserve data relevant to legal proceedings.
- Audit trails: Maintain records of all archiving activities.
- Data integrity: Ensure archived data is stored in its original format and cannot be altered.
- Data growth: The volume of email data can quickly become unmanageable.
- Storage costs: Long-term storage of large amounts of data can be expensive.
- Data retrieval: Finding specific emails within a large archive can be challenging.
- Compliance complexity: Ever-changing regulations can make compliance difficult to maintain.
Written By
Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts.
She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts.
Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Technical Review
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.