Email Archiving with Google Workspace and Google Apps Vault - A Good Idea?
Until October 2020, Google Workspace (previously known as Google G-Suite) was a communication and collaboration environment that facilitated digital teamwork in various ways. However, in most scenarios, the Google Apps Vault (Workspace's local data management tool) may not meet the compliance requirements of a professional email archiving system. Therefore, it would be logical for your company to use a third-party archiving solution alongside Google Workspace.
Why Should Emails Be Archived?
In many companies, emails are the preferred method for transmitting business data and information. Therefore, a company's email inventory will contain a large amount of critical information, such as contracts, invoices, employee data, and purchase orders, and all of these must be stored properly.
Depending on the country and industry, there may be different legal requirements regarding the storage of emails for extended periods to ensure that the data they contain is available for use permanently. This applies especially to sectors subject to strict regulations, such as healthcare and finance, as well as government and educational institutions where sensitive personal data is often sent and received via email.
Failure to comply with email archiving laws can have serious consequences: for example, non-compliance with archiving duties can result in fines and other penalties, and even in some cases, lawsuits under civil law. Another example: In a lawsuit where emails are used as evidence or where data subjects assert their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, your company may need to quickly and efficiently search through its entire email inventory. This is much easier with a professionally managed email archive.
Email Archiving and IT Strategy
As privacy regulations become increasingly strict (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in California, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)), along with compliance regulations, in light of the growing popularity of electronic correspondence, every company should be proactive in its email archiving approach. Professionally archiving work-related emails is not only the cornerstone of a comprehensive email management concept; it should also be part of any IT strategy. In conclusion, with archiving, you can ensure that all your emails, including file attachments, are completely stored in a tamper-proof manner and always available.
Is Email Backup Enough?
Email archiving and email backups are important tools in terms of business continuity, but they do not exclude each other. As a rule, backups protect data (ideally including the email archive itself) for medium and short-term periods, allowing this information to be restored as needed. They also ensure access to critical systems and data in case of system failure or ransomware attacks. In contrast, archiving ensures that emails are stored for many years in an original, easily searchable, and permanently accessible format.
How Does Email Archiving Work with Google Workspace?
Google Workspace offers its users Google Apps Vault, a software tool for information management and e-discovery. Therefore, Workspace users with a valid Apps Vault license (see below) can store large volumes of data, including not only emails but also files from other Workspace applications such as Google Drive, Chat, Groups, and Meet, for as long as they want.
Who Can Use Google Apps Vault?
Google Apps Vault licenses for each company employee are included in the "Business Plus" and "Essentials" Workspace packages, as well as the "Enterprise" and "Education" versions. However, if you have chosen more cost-effective "Frontline," "Business Starter," or "Business Standard" plans, you will need to purchase Apps Vault user licenses monthly for each employee whose emails are to be archived.
With Google Apps Vault, you can cluster, organize in hierarchies, visualize, and export all the data you create and process within your workspace according to subject. Administrators with appropriate privileges can search stored data by user account, organizational unit, date, or specific keywords.
Authorized users can use Google Apps Vault to view past logs, assign privileges, and manage user accounts. This can be helpful in situations where you need quick access to critical information stored in the archive, such as investigations, audits, and lawsuits. In our technical review titled "Advantages of an Independent Email Archiving Solution for Google Workspace Users," we provide detailed information on everything you need to pay attention to, including the role played by "retentions" and the risks that can arise if you do not define storage rules.
What Are the Limitations of Google Apps Vault for Email Archiving?
With Google Apps Vault, your company can store emails and file attachments for extended periods. According to Google, by accepting the data processing addendum and the standard contract terms for Google Workspace and Cloud Identity, you will meet the adequacy and security requirements defined under the EU's GDPR. In the United States, by accepting Google's modified contract for resellers, you become "HIPAA compliant."
However, due to the inherent weaknesses and security vulnerabilities in the solution, it is difficult to generalize whether Google Apps Vault can meet your storage and availability requirements. These include, for example, limited export functions and the risk of data loss in cases where users or licenses are deleted. In our technical review, we look at what is behind these issues and analyze some other security vulnerabilities you might encounter.
In Conclusion
Email archiving is an important component of a company's IT strategy and information management policy. Google Apps Vault, as the local tool provided by Workspace for managing data and information, can be a valuable assistant in this context. However, it comes with certain security vulnerabilities that may lead to compliance and legal issues, and choosing an independent third-party software specializing in email archiving may be better.
If you need detailed information about the disadvantages you may encounter with Google Apps Vault and in which areas Google Workspace users can benefit from third-party software, we recommend our technical review.
If you want to learn more about why protecting and keeping your emails accessible is important for you as a Google Workspace user, check out the related blog articles:
- Email Archiving - A General Overview for IT Decision Makers
- Why Your Emails Are Not Automatically Secure in the Cloud?
- Why Should IT Managers Care About Email Archiving?
- Archiving Emails with MailStore Server: Email Archiving from Google Workspace
Source: Email Archiving Options for Google Workspace Users (mailstore.com)