Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, is a communication and collaboration environment that supports digital collaboration in a variety of ways. Google Vault is an eDiscovery and information governance tool for Google Workspace. Workspace data for users can be stored, held, searched for, and exported using Vault. These are among the types of information that Vault may store:
- Gmail messages
- Drive files
- Google Chat messages (history turned on)
- Meet recordings and associated chat, Q&A, and polls logs
- Google Groups messages
- Google Voice for Google Workspace text messages, voicemails and their transcripts, and call logs
- New Google Sites
- Classic Hangouts messages (history turned on)
Do emails need to be archived?
Emails are frequently used in businesses as the preferred method of data and information communication. As a result, a company’s email inventory will likely contain a sizable quantity of important data. This includes contracts, invoices, employee information, and purchase orders, all of which need to be securely archived.
Different legal requirements may be applicable when emails are processed; and the data they contain is retained for a long time such that it is permanently available, depending on the country and industry sector. This is especially true for industries with strict regulations, like the healthcare and financial sectors, as well as for organizations like the government and educational institutions where emails are frequently used to send and receive sensitive personal data.
The legal ramifications of not adhering to email archiving regulations can be severe. For instance, failing to comply with your archiving obligations may result in fines, other penalties, and in certain cases, civil legal action. With the aid of a professionally managed email archive, this is much simpler.
Email archives vs Email back-ups
Email backups and email archiving are both crucial tools for business continuity, but they are not exclusive to one another. In general, backups secure data in the medium to short term (ideally, including the email archive itself) so that it can be restored as needed. They make sure that even in the case of a system failure or a ransomware attack, access to business-critical systems and data is possible. In contrast, archiving makes it possible to retain emails for many years in a way that is accurate to the original, simple to find, and always accessible.
Google Vault is not a backup
While Vault is a great tool for keeping track of, archiving, looking for, and exporting the email, hangout, and disk data at your school, it is not a backup or disaster recovery system. Data can be stored for as long as you need it and deleted when you no longer require it, but once deleted, it cannot be recovered. Furthermore, it’s crucial to realize that there is no electronic recovery from Vault to Google Workspace. Vault should be used primarily for eDiscovery and Compliance requests and investigations.
If you are unsure about how to proceed through any of the facets of Google Vault, Onsite Helper is more than happy to help you. Speak with our specialist today!
How Does Google Vault’s Email Archiving Work?
Users of Google Workspace get access to Google Vault, a piece of software for data management and eDiscovery. As a result, Workspace users with a valid Vault license (see below) are able to store enormous volumes of data, including emails as well as files from other Workspace applications like Google Drive, Chat, Groups, and Meet, for any period of time.
Who can access Google Vault?
The “Business Plus” and “Essentials” Workspace packages, as well as the “Enterprise” and “Education” editions, all provide licenses for Google Vault for each employee of the firm. The “Frontline,” “Business Starter,” and “Business Standard” plans, which are more reasonably priced, require you to pay monthly for Vault user licenses for each employee whose emails will be stored.
All of the data you create and manage within your workspace can be grouped by subject, organized into hierarchies, visualized, and exported using Google Vault. Data can be searched for by administrators with the necessary permissions according to user accounts, organizational units, dates, or specific keywords.
To access historical records, assign privileges, and manage user accounts, authorized users can use Google Vault. This can come in handy if you ever need to swiftly access important information stored in the archive for investigations, audits, or legal proceedings.
Conclusion
Email archiving is a crucial part of an organisation’s information management and IT strategies. In this situation, Google Vault, Workspace’s built-in data and information management tool, can greatly help. Make sure you check your location’s regulations when it comes to data storage. The last thing you want is for compliance and legislative issue to arise. That said, it’s also another option to use a third-party email archiving software if Google Vault doesn’t quite meet your needs.
