Email Archival
Email archival is the process of securely storing email messages and their attachments in a way that ensures they can be retrieved searched and preserved for long-term use. Unlike simple backups, email archiving is designed not only for data recovery but also for compliance, legal discovery, and knowledge management.
Key Features
Centralized Storage
› Emails are collected and stored in a central repository, independent of the user's mailbox.
› This ensures that even if a user deletes an email, it's still preserved in the archive.
Search and Retrieval
› Advanced indexing allows quick searching by keywords, sender, date, or attachments.
› Useful for internal investigations, audits, or finding old correspondence.
Compliance and Legal Requirements
› Many industries (finance, healthcare, government, etc.) have strict rules about data retention.
› Email archives provides an immutable (unchangeable) record, which is admissible in legal proceedings.
Storage Optimisation
› Archiving moves older or less frequently accessed emails out of primary mail servers.
› This reduces mailbox size, improves server performance, and lowers storage costs.
Security and Integrity
› Archived emails are stored with encryption, access controls, and tamper-proof mechanisms.
› Ensures confidentiality and prevents unauthorised alteration.
Benefits of Email Archival
- › Regulatory Compliance: Meets data retention laws like GDPR, HIPAA, FINRA, etc.
- › eDiscovery & Litigation Support: Quickly locate and present relevant emails for legal cases.
- › Business Continuity: Emails remain accessible even if servers crash or accounts are lost.
- › Productivity: Employees can retrieve old emails without overloading live servers.
- › Data Protection: Prevents loss of critical communications due to accidental deletion.
Email Archival vs Backup
› Backup: Focuses on short-term recovery from system failures or accidental deletions.
› Archival: Focuses on long-term preservation, compliance, and easy search/retrieval.