Email archiving solutions, policies critical to compliance

Contributed by Debbie Howlett (Thursday, July 22, 2010) | Category : Email litigation and compliance

Companies can avoid potential fines and sanctions related to regulations by tailoring their email archiving and other solutions to meet requirements. With increased scrutiny on companies of all kinds coming from the federal government and regulatory authorities, organizations must do everything they can to comply with these mandates, according to Network World.

A majority of the regulations pertaining to data compliance have mandated retention schedules and encryption requirements meant to protect any files containing the personal data of customers. Furthermore, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure mandates that companies "maintain and produce on demand not only paper records but any and all electronically stored information during the discovery phase of litigation," according to the news provider.

Federal regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, HITECH Act and various PCI compliance regulations require different levels of data-leak prevention, but all mandate companies to direct substantial resources toward protecting data and using the best solutions available to ensure compliance.

As more regulations come forward and companies plan for solution upgrades, the email archiving market will likely expand greatly in coming years. In fact, market research firm the Radicati Group recently reported email archiving would grow to a $6.1-billion-per-year industry by 2013.