Highest levels of security and transparent costs: Tips for choosing the right managed email service

Spam, virus, phishing, legal requirements: in order to protect their business communications, IT managers need to have staying power. Fulfilling all current requirements with systems run in-house takes a huge effort and a lot of resources. Managed cloud services provide relief. Thanks to flexible packages, users only need to pay for the services they actually use. But when it comes to selecting the right service provider, decision-makers are better off taking a closer look.

One major advantage of managed email services over in-house security solutions is in the combination of multiple antivirus technologies. Some services, such as Retarus E-Mail Security, check emails using up to four virus scanners. Moreover, intelligent spam and phishing filters guard against unwanted emails. It is crucial for businesses that this protection does not lead to delays. Incoming messages must be analyzed and delivered by the security provider without requiring any interim storage.

Tailored SLAs for data processing

It is important to take a closer look at the location of the data centers and the transparency that each service offers. Where will the data end up and which data privacy regulations will it be subject to? Many international providers place the data entrusted to them in the cloud, without specifying an exact server location. Customers should, however, have the option of a binding commitment through service level agreements (SLAs) with regard to where and according to which laws and regulations their data will be processed. For instance, it is absolutely essential for globally active companies to comply with differing national laws governing their subsidiaries in various countries. Retarus offers data processing in local data centers in seven locations. Customers have the option of concluding one centralized contract via company headquarters, which reflects all specific data processing requirements that the local subsidiaries may have. Not having to negotiate separate contracts for each country reduces costs and is a prerequisite for a speedy and smooth migration.

Compliance and data security according to international standards

Country-specific requirements also play a significant role in compliance: GLBA, HIPAA, HITECH, FINRA, PCI, FERPA, FACTA or the EU Data Protection Directive, to name just a few. Long-term, tamper-proof archiving of email correspondence constantly provides new challenges. Companies are well-advised to choose a provider like Retarus, who has in-depth knowledge of industry-specific parameters. Thus, all external and internal email correspondence will not only be archived both in a tamper-proof manner and in compliance with legally required storage time frames, but it will also be logged without gaps. Any stored email can be easily retrieved in fractions of a second. Emails and attachments should be protected by the customer’s own encryption key. If a service offers this option, then even the service provider has no chance to view the data. Due to definable access rights even customer administrators can access the archive only when applying the four-eyes principle.

Pay per Use ensures transparency

Customers should always have total control over the processing of their data by means of an administration portal. The portal should also be able to provide meaningful reports and analyses, which allow a detailed overview of the email communication across the company and the services performed by the service provider at all times. Costs arising from the services should, in the best case, be easy to allocate to individual cost centers. In contrast to on-premise systems, services such as Retarus Managed E-Mail Security are highly flexible and scalable. This allows companies to concentrate on their core competencies, while still reacting quickly to changing needs. And the effort and costs are always based on the current demand.