Microsoft 365 Retention Policies

In today's world, organisations are dealing with an unprecedented amount of data on a daily basis. This data can be in the form of emails, documents, images, videos, and much more. In order to ensure that this data is managed efficiently, it is important to have a proper retention policy in place. In this post, we will discuss why and how to set up Microsoft Office 365 Retention Policy via the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center, along with its pros and cons.

Why set up Microsoft Office 365 Retention Policy?

A retention policy is a set of rules that define how long data should be retained and when it should be deleted. Setting up a retention policy helps organisations meet their regulatory and legal requirements. It also helps in reducing the clutter in their mailbox and storage space. By deleting unnecessary data, it can also help in reducing the risk of data breaches and data leakage.

How to set up Microsoft Office 365 Retention Policy via the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center?

Setting up a retention policy in Microsoft Office 365 can be done via the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center. The following are the steps to set up a retention policy:

Log in to the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center
Create a Retention Policy.

Once you are logged in, go to the “Information Governance” section and select “Retention”.
Next, select “Create a retention policy” and provide a name and description for the policy.

Define the Retention Settings. In the next step, define the retention settings. You can choose from the following options:

Retain items forever
Retain items for a specific period of time
Retain items until a specific date

You can also define the following additional settings:
Delete items that have reached the retention period
Allow users to delete items before the retention period
Automatically delete items from the recycle bin

Apply the Retention Policy. Once you have defined the retention settings, you can apply the policy to the required locations, such as mailboxes, SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, etc.
Review and Save the Policy and click “Save” to save the retention policy.

Pros and Cons of Microsoft Office 365 Retention Policy

Pros:

Helps in meeting regulatory and legal requirements
Reduces clutter in mailbox and storage space
Reduces the risk of data breaches and data leakage
Provides granular control over data retention
Allows for customisation of retention settings for specific locations

Cons:

May result in the loss of important data if not set up properly
Requires proper planning and implementation to ensure that the retention policy does not interfere with day-to-day operations
May cause delays in accessing data that needs to be retained

Conclusion

Setting up a retention policy in Microsoft Office 365 is an important step towards effective data management. It helps in reducing clutter, meeting legal and regulatory requirements, and reducing the risk of data breaches and data leakage. However, it is important to plan and implement the retention policy carefully to ensure that important data is not lost and that day-to-day operations are not affected. With proper planning and implementation, a retention policy can be a valuable tool in ensuring effective data management.

Useful links:

Microsoft 365 Compliance Center: https://compliance.microsoft.com/
Microsoft 365 Retention Policies: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/retention-policies

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