| Introduction | | | | have a usage and retention policy on your Instant |
| As the digital age pervades both our personal and | | | | Messaging? Typically not, but you should. In litigation |
| business lives, compliance measures are beginning to | | | | this is also requested and can be even more |
| follow. Messaging is receiving increased scrutiny. | | | | damaging due to the informal and unedited style of |
| Recent measures now hold employers accountable to | | | | composition. A quality archival system will store |
| produce specific data (i.e. emails, instant messages, | | | | Instant Messages on the same system as the emails. |
| attachments) from several years back, upon request. | | | | Content would be accessible the same as email during |
| Effective archival and retrieval technologies are now | | | | queries. |
| becoming paramount to meeting compliance. New | | | | - Scheduled Email Purging - Policy and procedures can |
| regulations usually require change and expense, | | | | be implemented for regular systematic deletion of |
| without a contribution to the bottom line. However, | | | | emails on user accounts (i.e. delete all after 90 days). |
| here is a way that archival compliance can become a | | | | This will assure your email server/ storage |
| strategic advantage for you. | | | | performance. Users will continue to have access to |
| Our Current Environment | | | | the archived messages for retrieval and review from |
| Here are some facts to consider about how we | | | | the archive system, but without the ability to alter. |
| manage our data, and then let's review how | | | | - Periodic Internal Audits - The archival technology |
| compliance can become a complementary asset. | | | | provides robust search tools to locate data. Specific |
| - Email is now moving a significant portion of a | | | | terms, dates and expressions can be queried. Routine |
| company's data. The communications and | | | | message reviews should be performed to assure |
| attachments are often intellectual property or IP (i.e. | | | | that company policies and data protection are intact. |
| contracts, marketing plans, employment agreements | | | | This is far better to be in a proactive mode. |
| and product designs, etc.). It is estimated that 70% | | | | - Know How You Stand - If your company is |
| of a company's IP is within the email system, so we | | | | subpoenaed for information, within minutes you can |
| should consider this our vault. | | | | know how you will fare in litigation. Do you have a |
| - Clearly, email volume is growing. Server and storage | | | | smoking gun or reason to request a dismissal? |
| performance is continually requiring more resource. | | | | - Rapid Recovery in Case of Disruption - In cases of |
| Staffs are reluctant to delete email, or attachments, | | | | business continuity or recovery, restoring an email |
| in case they may need a document later, resulting in | | | | server from nightly incremental backups can be |
| growing user accounts. | | | | lengthy and sketchy. An archival system assures |
| - Disruption of the email service is now crippling to a | | | | rapid recovery and full accountability within minutes. |
| company. One day of downtime has a striking effect | | | | - Get the Word Out to Employees - A company's |
| on lost productivity and direct cost. | | | | communication to their employees of new policies will |
| - Routine incremental backups of the email system, | | | | have an overseer effect. Once they have the |
| typically nightly, leave wide gaps of exposure for | | | | awareness of the tools and detection capabilities to |
| missing, deleted or altered emails. An email database | | | | be implemented, most violations cease and your risk |
| restoration becomes lengthy and fragmented with | | | | decreases. |
| lingering recoil of missing data and synchronization. | | | | Final Thoughts |
| - All email that runs through a company's system | | | | Weigh the alternatives and you will begin to see how |
| belongs to the company, and equally the company is | | | | this particular compliance requirement could be |
| responsible for the content. The message is that | | | | beneficial to your operations, and deliver competitive |
| there is no 'personal email' and we need to know | | | | advantage. Compliance requires us to take action. |
| what is crossing your network from a liability | | | | Don't rationalize that nightly backups will be adequate. |
| perspective. | | | | This could be a risk that costs your company in |
| How Compliance Can Become An Advantage | | | | image, litigation and dollars. It will also continue to add |
| The mandate to store and retrieve email and instant | | | | cost to your current operation to maintain inadequate |
| messages is alive, but here are seven benefits you | | | | coverage. Implement a comprehensive archival |
| can realize upon deployment. | | | | system and you can manage your email environment |
| - Expedient capture - with an archival system ALL | | | | effectively and strategically. |
| emails and IM messages are captured, and written, | | | | We are frequently asked about outsourcing the email |
| unaltered, to a different system, within the minute | | | | archival function as an option. Keep in mind that if |
| they are received or sent. As the archival device is | | | | outsourced, you are still the responsible party in any |
| exclusive to message capture and retention, there is | | | | litigation regardless of how your outsourced solution |
| no resource contention on the email system. | | | | performs. |
| - Instant Messaging is Now Equal to Email - do you | | | | |