When managing your business email through platforms like Microsoft 365, you might wonder if keeping detailed records of email activity—known as email logs—is necessary to comply with UK data protection rules such as UK GDPR. Essentially, email logs capture information about sent and received emails, including timestamps, sender and recipient addresses, and sometimes metadata about delivery status. While UK GDPR does not explicitly require you to keep email logs, maintaining them can be crucial for demonstrating compliance, investigating security incidents, and managing data subject access requests.
Why email logs matter for your business
From a practical standpoint, email logs help you track communication flows, identify potential data breaches, and support audits or investigations. For example, if a customer requests proof of consent or challenges the accuracy of their data, having email logs can provide evidence that communications were sent or received as claimed. Without these logs, you risk longer investigation times, potential regulatory scrutiny, and damage to customer trust.
Additionally, email logs contribute to managing cyber risks. Phishing attacks and ransomware often use email as an entry point. Logs can help your IT team or provider spot unusual patterns, such as unexpected bulk emails or repeated delivery failures, which might indicate a compromise. This supports quicker incident response and helps reduce downtime or data loss, which can be costly for SMEs.
A typical SME scenario
Consider a UK-based company with around 50 employees using Microsoft 365 for email. One day, a staff member reports not receiving an important client email. Without email logs, the IT team struggles to verify if the email was sent, caught by spam filters, or deleted accidentally. This delays customer response and risks harming the business relationship. A managed IT provider with access to email logs can quickly check delivery records, confirm what happened, and advise on next steps, restoring communication and confidence.
Practical checklist for managing email logs and compliance
- Ask your IT provider: Do they retain email logs, and for how long? Are logs accessible for audits or investigations?
- Check your Microsoft 365 settings: Ensure that audit logging and message trace features are enabled and configured appropriately.
- Review your data retention policies: Align email log retention with your overall data governance and UK GDPR requirements, balancing business needs with privacy.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA): Protect access to email accounts and logs to prevent unauthorised access.
- Verify backup procedures: Confirm that email data and logs are included in regular backups, stored securely, and can be restored promptly.
- Document access controls: Keep a clear record of who can view or manage email logs within your organisation and IT provider.
- Include logging requirements in supplier assessments: When selecting or reviewing IT providers, specify expectations around email log management and incident support.
Next steps
While email logs are not a strict UK GDPR mandate, they play a key role in supporting compliance, security, and operational resilience for UK SMEs. If you are unsure about your current setup or want to improve your email management practices, consider discussing your needs with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor. They can help you implement effective logging, access controls, and retention policies tailored to your business context and compliance obligations.