{
  "timestamp": "2025-02-05T14:31:43.582882",
  "content": "Search Free Trial Get Demo Top 6 Risks  Guidance When Considering O365 As an Archiving Solution April 14, 2021 We will just use Office365 for our search requests from now on. As more and more companies move from hosted Exchange to Office365, this has become an increasingly common phrase. While O365 is a useful tool and has an attractive value proposition, it is recommended that organizations check their true requirements before using it as a legitimate archiving solution. Generally, the whole point of the archive capability is to provide a search and data retrieval functionality that is immutable, trustworthy, and certifiable  in most cases  in court. As adoption rates of Office 365 continue to strengthen, specifically for archiving capabilities, IT Security  Compliance teams must consider key associated risks. Office365 does not allow for journaling to itself While this might not seem like something of utmost importance, O365 lacks the basic functionality for journaling to itself. Why? The destination must be off premises from the tenant ID and must be a destination that is immutable and external from the Tenant itself. Even Microsoft doesnt trust its own repository to be immutable  it cant be  since administrators and other power users can delete, purge and otherwise manipulate messages  this doesnt pass audit requirements. Office365s eDiscovery features are incredibly limited and doesnt search on- premises datasets When search requests are executed, they are only done based on existing mailboxes, which of course would not uncover any emails previously deleted or purged, or what the spam filters deleted. In many litigation cases, organizations will need to see years worth of emails upfront. Unfortunately, O365 limits your search results to default amounts set by Microsoft  and this is not sufficient for most large-scale litigation. Journaling upline from these factors ensures that all data is captured and is legitimately available as an organization needs it. Microsoft will make recommendations to continue running Exchange to continue to journal to  if you dont have an archiving appliance or service Organizations seeking active cloud migration from on- premise will face challenges around keeping old archives. Many teams have metadata and other content that must be kept and integrated  and Office 365 does not provide this integrated capability. It is important to consider from a budgetary perspective, as third-party solutions will be required. Office365s Golden Copy Is Not Compliance Friendly The journaling process captures an email message as soon as it is sent or received, ensuring it has not been deleted or edited. This method creates a copy of record or golden copy which can be used in the eDiscovery process. In the case of O365, users have access to delete and purge mail which poses a risk throughout the journaling process, allowing for potential gaps in data consistency, handling or chain of custody. Search  Discovery is Slow Slow and steady doesnt always win the race. Organizations need their data now and they need it fast. Many undergoing audits will need access to all records in real-time and having to wait for prolonged periods will inevitably cause delays, longer audit cycles and potential increased budgetary consequences. Sometimes an eDiscovery request within the Microsoft portal can take days. The streamlined Issues of O365 Apply to Other Collaboration Platforms Teams, OneDrive, and Sharepoint, namely. All data sets are subject generally to the same discovery and retention rules. Global retention policies cannot be set across all data sets in Azure, data sets cannot be deduplicated, and organizations cannot classify, move and otherwise apply compliance actions against these same datasets in Azure. Key Takeaways Office365 should not be the end allbe all for an organizations email archiving solutions, and third- party archiving solutions, like Data443s business- ready Data Archive Manager, are a necessary addition to Office365 capabilities. Data Archive Manager, unlike Office365, provides superior indexing technology, allowing users to perform simple or highly detailed Boolean searches using full-text keywords or key phrases. In addition to eDiscovery and audit capabilities, Data Archive Manger de-duplicates all email messages, attachments, file systems, SharePoint, and social media, then compresses the data prior to storing it to an on-premise appliance, SAN, NAS, or cloud-based hosted storage solution. Contact us to learn more today. Try it for Free Instant Data Classification Cyren URL Category Chacker Prev ARALOC Web Publisher UI Rewrite Data443s Antivirus Protection Manager Proactively Safeguarding Your Business Next Company Partners Resources Investor Relations Products Freeware Demo Solutions Contact Us Privacy Management Service by Data443",
  "analysis_type": "product",
  "analysis": "**Office 365 Archiving: Limitations and Solution with Data443's Data Archive Manager**\n\n**Introduction:**\nOffice 365 is a popular choice for many organizations, but its archiving capabilities have significant limitations, particularly concerning security and compliance. This explanation outlines these issues and presents Data443's Data Archive Manager as a robust solution.\n\n**Limitations of Office 365 for Archiving:**\n\n1. **Journaling Inability:**\n   - Office 365 cannot journal to itself, meaning it can't create an immutable copy of emails within its system. This is crucial for legal cases where tamper-proof data is required. Microsoft's system allows admins to delete or alter messages, compromising audit integrity.\n\n2. **eDiscovery Limitations:**\n   - The eDiscovery feature only searches existing mailboxes, excluding deleted or purged emails. This limitation is problematic for large-scale litigation where historical data retrieval is essential.\n\n3. **Lack of Integration:**\n   - Office 365 doesn't integrate well with on-premises data, complicating transitions for companies with existing archives. This necessitates third-party solutions, increasing costs.\n\n4. **Non-Compliant Golden Copy:**\n   - Office 365's \"Golden Copy\" isn't reliable for compliance as users can still delete or purge emails, breaking the chain of custody and rendering emails inadmissible in court.\n\n5. **Slow Search and Discovery:**\n   - eDiscovery requests can take days, delaying audits and increasing costs. Real-time access is critical for efficient compliance processes.\n\n6. **Collaboration Platform Issues:**\n   - Platforms like Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint face similar discovery and retention policy challenges, without global policies or deduplication.\n\n**Solution: Data443's Data Archive Manager**\n\nData Archive Manager addresses Office 365's limitations, offering:\n\n1. **Superior Indexing:**\n   - Enables fast and detailed Boolean searches, crucial for rapid data retrieval.\n\n2. **De-Duplication and Compression:**\n   - Reduces storage needs by eliminating duplicate data and compressing files.\n\n3. **Immutable Storage:**\n   - Ensures data integrity with secure storage options, including on-premise appliances, SAN, NAS, or cloud storage.\n\n4. **Comprehensive Integration:**\n   - Works seamlessly with existing systems and data sources, including emails, attachments, file systems, and social media.\n\n**Security Features and Benefits:**\n\n- **Immunity from Tampering:** Data is stored immutably, preventing unauthorized alterations.\n- **Real-Time Access:** Expedited search and discovery processes reduce delays in audits and litigation.\n- **Cost Efficiency:** Reduces storage costs through deduplication and compression.\n\n**Compliance and Certification:**\nData Archive Manager is designed to meet regulatory requirements, ensuring audit readiness and legal admissibility of data.\n\n**Integration with Existing Systems:**\nIt fits into current security frameworks, enhancing overall data management without disrupting existing workflows.\n\n**Security Best Practices:**\n- Use immutable storage solutions.\n- Regularly audit and test archiving processes.\n- Train users on data handling to prevent unintentional deletions.\n\n**Technical Specifications:**\n- Stores data on-premise, SAN, NAS, or cloud.\n- Supports multiple platforms and data types.\n\n**Conclusion:**\nWhile Office 365 offers many benefits, its archiving limitations can pose significant risks. Data Archive Manager provides a secure, compliant, and efficient solution, ensuring robust archiving capabilities beyond Office 365's native features."
}