When it comes to email retention, there are several common mistakes that organizations and individuals make. These mistakes can have legal, security, and operational implications. Here are eight of the of the most common mistakes:
To avoid these common mistakes, it’s advisable to establish a clear email retention policy, educate employees on best practices, invest in appropriate archiving solutions, regularly review and update retention practices, and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
1. Failure to establish a clear email retention policy
Many organizations don’t have a well-defined email retention policy in place. Without clear guidelines on how long to retain emails and when to delete them, there can be inconsistencies and potential legal risks.
2. Not complying with legal and regulatory requirements
Different industries and jurisdictions have specific regulations about email retention. Not complying with these requirements can result in legal consequences. It’s crucial to understand and adhere to applicable laws and regulations, such as data protection and privacy laws.
3. Retaining all emails indefinitely
Some individuals or organizations tend to retain all emails indefinitely, fearing they might delete something important. While it’s important to retain certain emails for legal or business purposes, keeping everything can lead to excessive storage costs, data clutter, and increased security risks.
4. Inconsistent retention practice
Inconsistent retention practices, where different individuals or departments within an organization retain emails for different periods, can create confusion and inconsistencies. It’s important to have a standardized approach to email retention to ensure compliance and efficiency.
5. Lack of proper email archiving and indexing
Without a proper email archiving system in place, it becomes challenging to search and retrieve specific emails when needed. Poor indexing and organization can make it difficult to locate critical information within a vast email database, leading to inefficiencies and potential legal issues.
6. Insufficient email security measures
Emails often contain sensitive and confidential information. Failing to implement adequate security measures, such as encryption and access controls, can expose the stored emails to unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential compliance violations.
7. Overreliance on email as a storage solution
Email systems are primarily designed for communication, not long-term storage. Relying solely on email as a storage solution can strain email servers, cause performance issues, and make it difficult to manage email retention effectively. Consider implementing dedicated archiving solutions for long-term storage and retrieval.
8. Lack of employee awareness and training
Employees may not be aware of email retention policies or the importance of properly managing and retaining emails. Insufficient training can lead to accidental deletions of critical emails or employees holding onto unnecessary emails, both of which can create legal and operational challenges.
The IAPP website has a great guide on how to draft a GDPR compliant email retention policy.
Our solutions:
ComplyKEY MailMeter is an award winning email archiving and retention system that is user-friendly and easy to implement. It can be used as a stand alone product or as part of your regulatory compliance system.