E-mail mismanagement puts organizations at risk

E-mail is arguably the single largest source of information creation for most organizations. Yet for the majority, email is poorly managed – if at all. According to recent research performed by AIIM, email has become the biggest content security concern for corporate America.

The study reveals that only 49% of survey respondents are “very” or “quite confident” that they can, if challenged, demonstrate that their electronic information is accurate, accessible, and trustworthy. Thirty three percent are “slightly confident” and 19% of the 652 respondents are “not confident” at all.

Organizations are at risk when they don’t retain important e-mails as records. E-mails should only be kept according to their value for the organization. Many organizations also underestimate compliance and e-discovery costs. In the survey, only 38% said they are “very” or “quite confident” that emails related to documenting commitments and obligations made by staff are recorded, complete, and retrievable. Thirty-two percent of the respondents are “slightly confident” and 30% are “not confident” at all.

IDC’s latest update to their “Expanding Digital Universe Report” estimates that we will have 10 times more electronic information in 2011 than in 2006, which could mean 10 times more emails in your inbox and on your mail server. Another survey by AIIM, Cohasset Associates, and ARMA shows that 40% of organizations still do not include electronic records in their retention schedules. Risks will continue to increase when volumes increase unless we get email under control.