Mailbox retention policy

A mailbox retention policy is a set of rules that defines how long email messages are retained in a mailbox before they are automatically deleted or archived. This policy helps organizations manage the storage and retention of email messages, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, reducing storage costs, and improving email management.

Here are some common components of a mailbox retention policy:

  1. Retention period: The length of time email messages are retained in the mailbox before they are deleted or archived.
  2. Retention type: The type of retention, such as:
    • Forever: Messages are retained indefinitely.
    • Fixed period: Messages are retained for a specific period, such as 7 years.
    • Event-based: Messages are retained until a specific event occurs, such as a project completion.
  3. Retention schedule: The schedule for applying the retention policy, such as:
    • Immediate: Retention policy is applied as soon as a message is received.
    • Daily: Retention policy is applied at a specific time each day.
    • Weekly: Retention policy is applied on a specific day of the week.
  4. Retention folder: The folder where retained messages are stored, such as:
    • Archive: Messages are moved to an archive folder.
    • Litigation hold: Messages are placed on hold for legal purposes.
  5. Exemptions: Messages that are exempt from the retention policy, such as:
    • Messages from specific senders or recipients.
    • Messages with specific keywords or subjects.
  6. Notifications: Notifications sent to users when their messages are about to be deleted or archived, such as:
    • Warning messages before deletion.
    • Confirmation messages after deletion or archiving.
  7. Compliance: The policy must comply with relevant regulations, such as:
    • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
    • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
    • FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) regulations.

Examples of mailbox retention policies:

  1. Company-wide policy: All company email messages are retained for 7 years, with an immediate retention period.
  2. Project-based policy: Email messages related to specific projects are retained for 2 years, with a daily retention schedule.
  3. Compliance policy: Email messages containing sensitive information, such as financial data, are retained indefinitely, with an event-based retention schedule.

When implementing a mailbox retention policy, organizations should consider the following best practices:

  1. Communicate with users: Clearly inform users about the retention policy and its implications.
  2. Configure correctly: Ensure the retention policy is correctly configured and applied to all relevant mailboxes.
  3. Monitor and review: Regularly monitor and review the retention policy to ensure it remains effective and compliant.
  4. Comply with regulations: Ensure the retention policy complies with relevant regulations and industry standards.
  5. Test and validate: Test and validate the retention policy to ensure it is working as intended.