Posts tagged Email archiving
Expert offers advice on cloud storage deployments
The scalability of cloud computing has made it a prime candidate for the next generation of data storage technology, including for email archiving solutions. However, at the same time he encourages companies to “go to the cloud,” storage expert Jonathan Hoppe also offered several pieces advice in a report he authored for Data Center Knowledge.
“Cloud storage is now available to the masses as a commodity, but in order to securely and efficiently apply the technology as a business asset for enterprises and SMBs, there are several factors that define the vendors that offer enterprise-grade services,” he wrote.
Of foremost importance when deploying the cloud for any storage solution, the company must know where their data is being stored. There were likely more than a few executives across the world trying to figure out if their cloud vendor's data center was located in Japan after the recent earthquake.
He also identified the need for companies to find out the integrity of the vendor's facilities and ensure security measures are in place, among other considerations.
According to a recent IDC market analysis, the data storage market reached $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 and expansion of the market is only expected to continue.
Email management lessons borne out of hacking incident
As embarrassing as a recent altercation with the Anonymous hacking group was for an information security firm, the incident actually provided some valuable email management lessons that company chief financial officer Greg Hoglund recently shared in an interview with CSO magazine.
Anonymous set its sites on Hoglund's firm after it announced it was helping the federal government investigate WikiLeaks. The group hacked into Hoglund's and other corporate accounts and leaked thousands of emails.
The importance of email archiving was the first lesson the company learned, according to Hoglund. Storing messages that may contain confidential information in end-user inboxes is both impractical and bad for email security. Instead, Hoglund said, companies should archive old messages so they are more difficult to access for cyber criminals.
Also, Hoglund advised companies to bolster their email security with two-factor authentication. It's an inexpensive measure that is effective, he said.
Companies may be ahead of the curve when it comes to email archiving, suggests the predictions of a recent IDC report. The research firm's Worldwide Storage Software QView report revealed the data storage market, which includes email archiving solutions, reached $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Lawyer hopes to broaden scope of email case
Norman Yatooma, the attorney representing the family of a slain exotic dancer that reportedly performed at a party hosted by the former mayor of Detroit, is seeking to expand the witness list of the trial, which is centered on improperly destroyed emails.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Yatooma has requested to question current city officials and attorneys representing former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's former mistress, Christine Beatty.
That will help Yatooma prove the city destroyed emails that show Kilpatrick or other officials hindered the investigation of Tamara Greene's murder. She was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2003, shortly after allegedly dancing at the party.
“They all have a pattern and a history of dishonesty,” Yatooma said of Kilpatrick and other city officials.
In the fall, it was already determined that computers containing emails belonging to Kilpatrick and his former mistress, who was his chief of staff at the time of their affair, were improperly destroyed. The city was subsequently criticized for its lack of proper email archiving.
The city contends it responded to an eDiscovery request with all the information it had in its possession.
Data storage industry shows signs of improvement
Strong improvement shown by the data storage industry, which includes email archiving, during the fourth quarter of 2010 is expected to continue, according to IDC's Worldwide Storage Software QView report.
The market closed out 2010 with revenues of $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter, an increase of 10.6 percent compared to the same period in 2009, IDC's report revealed. That marked the fifth straight quarter in which the market has experienced year-over-year growth.
“The storage software market is in the midst of a sustained recovery, which is partly driven by new product innovations, and partly by a strong desire to address inefficiencies related to storing, protecting and managing corporate data,” Eric Sheppard, research director for IDC's Storage Software program, said.
Overall, the storage software market increased 10.3 percent to reach $12.7 billion, a much better showing than the 3.2 percent contraction it suffered in 2009.
Such sustained growth in the market could be aided by the fact that more companies are recognizing the importance of email archiving. According to a recent report from insurance trade publication American Agent & Broker, implementing robust records management is the best way to prepare for eDiscovery.
Email archiving is best preparation for eDiscovery
The threat of eDiscovery is something nearly all companies now face. By implementing a robust email archiving solution, organization that face possible litigation can ensure they are prepared to handle the challenges and pitfalls of the process.
According to a recent report from American Agent & Broker, an insurance trade publication, the most successful eDiscovery responses come from companies that are well prepared. And implementing records management, which includes email archiving, is the best way to do so, according to the report.
“Policies and systems are what protect an organization from eDiscovery risks. Especially important is having a reliable records management system in place,” the report contends.
Many companies are turning to the cloud for such needs. However, when doing so, they must ensure the solution they choose is easy to deploy, automated and doesn't interfere with employee productivity, the report warns.
Not only will email archiving prepare a company for eDiscovery, but the practice will also help the organization meet compliance, Processor reports. Without a solution, coupled with the presence of inbox quotas, employees may feel pressured to delete emails that may actually require archiving. When a solution is implemented, the onus is taken off the employee to ensure all mandates are met.