RETENTION & COMPLIANCE POLICIES

At UserCompute, we recognise the importance of effective data governance in maintaining compliance and mitigating risks. Microsoft 365 provides robust tools for managing data retention through retention labels and policies.

1. Defining Retention Labels and Policies in Microsoft 365 Compliance Centre

• Retention Labels: These labels allow you to classify content at the item level, such as emails or documents. You can apply labels manually, automatically based on conditions (e.g., sensitive information types), or through auto-labelling policies. 

• Retention Policies: These policies apply retention settings at the container level, such as Exchange mailboxes or SharePoint sites. They enable you to retain, delete, or retain and then delete content after a specified period. 

By defining and applying these labels and policies, you can ensure that your organisation’s data is managed in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.

2. Legal Hold and eDiscovery Considerations

For scenarios involving legal investigations or compliance audits, Microsoft 365 offers features like eDiscovery holds and litigation holds.

• eDiscovery Holds: These holds preserve content that may be relevant to an eDiscovery case. You can place holds on Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, and Microsoft Teams data. It’s important to note that applying a hold may take up to 24 hours to take effect. 

• Litigation Holds: These holds preserve all mailbox content, including deleted items and original versions of modified items. They are typically used to ensure that content is preserved for legal purposes. 

It’s crucial to understand the differences between these features and apply them appropriately to ensure compliance and support legal investigations.

3. Balancing Compliance with User Productivity

While it’s essential to implement retention and compliance policies to meet legal and regulatory requirements, it’s equally important to balance these policies with user productivity.

• User Education: Educate users about the importance of data retention and compliance policies to ensure adherence to these guidelines. This can help them understand the rationale behind these policies and encourage compliance.

• Flexible Policies: Implement flexible retention policies that accommodate different types of content and user needs. For example, you might apply stricter retention settings to financial documents while allowing more flexibility for other types of content.

• Regular Reviews: Regularly review and update your retention and compliance policies to ensure they remain aligned with evolving legal requirements and business needs.

By carefully considering these factors, you can establish a compliance framework that protects your organisation while enhancing user productivity.

Implementing effective retention and compliance policies is a critical component of building a secure and compliant Microsoft 365 environment. If you need assistance with configuring these policies or have questions about compliance requirements, please don't hesitate to contact our support team.