Backing up emails is a practical step that helps UK businesses manage their data responsibly and supports compliance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Email often contains personal data—such as customer details, employee information, or supplier communications—that must be protected and retrievable if needed. Having reliable email backups means you can restore important information quickly if it's accidentally deleted, corrupted, or lost due to cyberattacks like ransomware.
Why this matters for UK SMEs
For a small or medium-sized business, losing access to emails can cause significant disruption. Staff may be unable to respond to customers, process orders, or handle complaints promptly, damaging productivity and trust. From a compliance perspective, the UK GDPR requires organisations to ensure personal data is accurate, available, and protected against loss or damage. If you cannot recover emails containing personal data, you risk breaching these principles, which could lead to regulatory scrutiny or fines from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
A typical scenario
Imagine a UK SME with around 50 employees that relies heavily on email for customer service and invoicing. One day, a staff member accidentally deletes a batch of emails containing recent orders and client contact details. Without a backup, these emails are lost, causing delays and confusion. However, a managed IT provider had set up daily email backups stored securely offsite. They quickly restore the missing emails, allowing the business to continue operating smoothly and maintain compliance with data protection rules by preserving the integrity and availability of personal data.
Practical checklist for your business
- Ask your IT provider: How often are emails backed up? Are backups stored separately from your live email system?
- Check backup scope: Do backups include all email accounts and archives, including mobile devices?
- Review restoration procedures: How quickly can emails be restored in an emergency? Is there a tested disaster recovery plan?
- Verify security controls: Are backups encrypted and access-restricted to authorised personnel only?
- Internal checks: Confirm who has access to email data and backups, and ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on email accounts.
- Compliance readiness: Maintain records of backup schedules and restoration tests to support audit requests or ICO enquiries.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Relying solely on local or manual backups can leave your email data vulnerable to hardware failure or human error. Some businesses overlook backing up mobile email access or shared mailboxes, which can cause gaps in data recovery. Additionally, not testing backups regularly means you might only discover problems when it's too late to fix them quickly.
Backing up emails is a straightforward but essential part of managing data responsibly under UK GDPR. It reduces the risk of data loss, supports business continuity, and helps demonstrate compliance during audits or investigations.
If you're unsure whether your current email backup approach is sufficient, consider discussing it with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor. They can assess your needs, recommend practical improvements, and help you implement a robust backup and disaster recovery strategy tailored to your business.