Email is used by companies for contracts, quotations, invoices, customer communication and operational records. Losing mailbox data can therefore create significant business problems.
Why can email data be lost?
- A user may accidentally delete messages.
- An account may be compromised.
- An email client may be misconfigured.
- Storage or hardware can fail.
- Data may be deleted when an employee leaves.
Is backup the same as archiving?
No. Backup is primarily designed to restore data after loss, while archiving is generally focused on long-term retention and access.
Backup strategy
Companies should determine which mailboxes are backed up, how frequently backups are created, how long they are retained and how restoration is performed.
Is a local copy enough?
No. A user’s computer can fail, be lost or become affected by malware.
Conclusion
Business email backup is an important part of continuity planning. Backups should not only be created but also tested to make sure data can actually be restored.