Email Archiving vs Backup
Backups restore systems after a failure. Archives are the long-term, immutable system of record for compliance and eDiscovery. You usually need both — here's the difference.
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What is the difference between email archiving and backup?
A backup is a short-term, recoverable copy of data used to restore systems after a failure, deletion, or ransomware event — optimized for recovery, typically retained for days or weeks. An email archive is the long-term system of record: immutable (WORM), indexed, and policy-governed, retained for years to satisfy compliance and eDiscovery. Backups answer 'can we recover?'; archives answer 'can we prove and produce?' Most regulated organizations need both, because a backup is not tamper-evident, searchable, or defensible as evidence.
Key capabilities
Why you need an archive (not just backups)
- Backups expire on rotation; archives retain the record for the full required period
- Backups aren't indexed for legal search; archives make eDiscovery fast and defensible
- Backups can be altered or deleted; WORM archives are tamper-evident
- Regulators require a retained, retrievable, immutable record — a backup isn't enough
Frequently asked questions
Is email archiving the same as backup?
No. A backup is a short-term recovery copy; an archive is the long-term, immutable, searchable system of record kept for compliance and eDiscovery. They solve different problems and most organizations need both.
Can I use backups for eDiscovery?
Backups are poorly suited to eDiscovery — they aren't indexed for legal search, aren't tamper-evident, and usually expire on rotation. An archive lets you search, hold, and produce records defensibly.
Do I still need backups if I have an archive?
Yes. Backups protect against system failure and ransomware (recovery); archives provide the compliant, retained, searchable record (governance). They are complementary.
See email archiving in action
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