For UK small businesses aiming for ISO 27001 certification, having a straightforward and reliable way to archive emails is essential. Email archiving means securely storing copies of all your business emails in a way that they can be quickly retrieved during an audit or investigation. This is not just about compliance; it also protects your business from data loss and supports operational continuity.
Without proper email archiving, your business risks losing important communications due to accidental deletion, cyberattacks, or technical failures. This can lead to downtime, reduced staff productivity, and difficulties proving compliance with data protection rules like the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Customers and partners expect you to handle their data responsibly, so a robust archiving system also helps maintain trust.
Typical scenario for a UK SME
Consider a UK company with around 50 employees using Microsoft 365 for email. They receive a request from their auditor to produce emails related to a specific project from six months ago. Without a proper archiving strategy, the IT team scrambles to recover emails from individual mailboxes or backups, causing delays and stress. A managed IT provider familiar with Microsoft 365's compliance tools can set up automated email archiving policies that capture and retain emails securely, indexed for easy search. This means during audits, the company can quickly provide the required information without disrupting daily work.
Practical checklist for email archiving readiness
- Ask your IT provider: Do you use Microsoft 365's built-in archiving and retention policies? How do you ensure emails are tamper-proof and searchable?
- Check retention settings: Verify that your organisation's email retention policies align with ISO 27001 and UK GDPR requirements, typically retaining emails for at least six years depending on your sector.
- Confirm access controls: Ensure only authorised personnel can access archived emails, with multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled.
- Review backup and recovery: Ask how archived emails are backed up and how quickly they can be restored if needed.
- Test search capabilities: Perform regular test searches for specific emails or date ranges to confirm the archive is working as expected.
- Document policies: Maintain clear, written policies on email retention and archiving as part of your overall information security management system (ISMS).
- Supplier due diligence: Include email archiving requirements in your IT supplier questionnaires and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure accountability.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Many SMEs overlook configuring Microsoft 365's archiving features properly or rely solely on user-managed folders, which are vulnerable to accidental deletion. Another risk is not regularly reviewing retention policies, leading to either premature deletion or excessive data storage that complicates audits. Finally, failing to secure access to archived emails increases the risk of data breaches.
To prepare effectively for ISO 27001 audits and maintain good data governance, it's advisable to work with a trusted managed IT provider who understands UK compliance standards and Microsoft 365's compliance tools. They can help design, implement, and maintain an email archiving solution tailored to your business needs, ensuring you can demonstrate control and readiness without unnecessary complexity.