The Benefits of Email Compliance in a Business
Email has become the standard method of correspondence used by businesses sending important and sometimes confidential messages. Such sensitive information needs to be archived for possible future use in order to comply with eDiscovery requests, specific regulations as well as the company's email compliance policies.
Email correspondence is used for both internal and external affairs therefore it is important that a copy of all emails is archived for possible future needs relating to legal, compliance and human resource issues. A company must also be in a position to respond to eDiscovery requests at short notice.
Why a company needs email archiving
Existing regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and the FRCP treat emails as being equal to paper-based documents in terms of valid and legal documentation presented in a court of law and are therefore admissible during an eDiscovery request.
eDiscovery is the process of locating, securing and using documentation from a company's archives in a legal setting, so a company must have the ability to procure the necessary documents with the confirmation that these have not been tampered with. Failure to abide by procedures could result in court fines and other financial burdens, as well as a failing reputation.
How email archiving should be implemented
For security, maintenance and resource reasons, email archives should not be archived on the mail server but should have their own localized server that is specific to the task.
Having your emails archived on a separate database ensures more protection for the archives should the server crash, as well as lightening the load on the server. When archiving is another process that the email server is meant to handle, its resources are being stretched to capacity risking poor performance in both tasks. A dedicated email server and a dedicated archiving server render the upkeep of both machines a simpler and cleaner process.
Moreover, separate backups of both servers ensure a safer environment, as by having the archived emails on a separate server, should the email server crash all is not lost since the archived emails would be accessible and easily recoverable meaning that work can be resumed from a certain point.
Email archiving compliance
In industries and countries where regulations require organizations to monitor user activity and keep audit trails, a system that records, logs and retains a database of user activity, or other secure methods such as encryption will ensure that emails have not been tampered with as this would render them inadmissible in a court of law. An auditing facility is also important for compliance purposes.
Log files and counts must prove that all emails (including their attachments) are being captured and can be searched for, found and viewed in their original format. Advising users that their emails are being recorded and archived will act as a deterrent to any abuse of the system.
Email archiving is becoming a standard practice in today's businesses as the implementation of a successful email compliance policy could save a company a lot of time, money and resources, and provide guarantees that it is in a position to respond to eDiscovery processes and fulfil the requirements of compliance regulation which the company must adhere to.
Related Tags: ediscovery, email compliance, email archiving, email compliance policies
Jesmond Darmanin is a freelance writer who is passionate about business IT issues and recommends the use of email archiving software for email compliance and eDiscovery requirements.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers P.c.'s "super Six"
BOSTON, MASS. As part of the Massachusetts Super Lawyers segment in its November 2008 issue, Bost - Getting Your Deposit Back on a House You Don't Buy
With the decline in our real estate market, many people have been deciding not to go through with t - Revised-real Estate Investment Broker
REVISED-Real Estate Investment Broker Truly you can say a significant event in a person's life is t - Orange, Fullerton and Costa Mesa California Restaurant Lawyer Pours Over the New Calorie Count Menu Law for California Restaurants
If you eat out for lunch or dinner anywhere in California, including Ventura, Murrieta, Anaheim, Sa - Draft Tarp Bailout Forms for the $700 Billion Dollar Troubled Asset Relief Program
NEWS - SUGGESTED TARP BAILOUT FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE One of the first forms that Banking Lawyers a - California's Water Bank and the Drought in California - a California Water Law Attorney Conclusion - We're Dry Out Here
Here in the desert cities of Palm Springs, CA, Joshua Tree, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Indian Wel - A Palm Desert & San Diego California Broadcast Lawyer Disrobes the Cbs Janet Jackson Super Bowl Halftime Wardrobe Malfunction Fine
In 2004 as people watched with great interest the Super Bowl halftime show in towns across America, - Coachella Valley & Imperial Valley Agricultural Attorney Looks at the New Country of Origin Labeling Law (cool) and How it Will be Applied
No matter where you live in California, whether it is in a farming or agricultural area or city suc - San Diego, Orange County & Palm Springs California Hotel, Restaurant & Bar Lawyer on the Risks of Serving Alcohol to Minors in Drinking Establishments
Every hotel, restaurant, bar and nightclub in California is warned repeatedly how dangerous it is t - California Food & Wine Attorney Analyzes the New Country of Origin Labeling Law (cool)
If you live anywhere in California, whether it is in farming areas such as the Central Valley, the
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) for Local Government
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 requires public authorities to establish a system of - The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Collection agencies - being the target of one can be an unpleasant experience. Nevertheless, that u - How to Prepare for an OSHA Investigation
I. Purpose and Application of OSHA1. History and Applicability of OSHAThe Occupational Safety & He - Are Social Networking Sites Violating Children's Online Privacy Protection Act?
Never before in our nation's history has a technological revolution skirted governmental regulation - The Modern Medical Office: Balancing Success, Technology, and HIPAA
The medical field has always depended on technology for improving patient care. Thanks to advances i - Earned Monopolies: Are They Really Bad? Re-Thinking Our Anti-Trust Laws
There are many types of Monopolies in Business, Commerce and Industry. Most of the Monopolies that w - Conduct your own background checks!!
Today, numerous companies conduct background checks, including several firms that offer their servic - Taxi 'Recap' - The Short Version; Part 2
"Our focus [is] on taxi operators who intend to exit the industry and...is certainly about ensuring - Ignoring ADA Could Cost Your Business a Bundle
The Americans with Disabilities Act is broken into titles. Title II is what is presently a great pro - Lawsuit Cash Advance
Automobile accidents are more and more common with the increasing number of vehicles on the road. In