In short: Hornetsecurity Email Archiving automatically stores every incoming and outgoing email in its original form in Hornetsecurity's data centres, where it cannot be edited or deleted until the retention period ends. It offers full-text search, auditor access, PST import and full export. It is licensed per user with unlimited storage and included from 365 Total Protection Plan 2.
What Email Archiving is
An email archive is not the same as a backup. A backup lets you put things back after a loss; an archive keeps an unaltered record of what was sent and received so you can prove it later, for HMRC, a regulator, a dispute or a subject access request. Hornetsecurity Email Archiving captures every message as it arrives and leaves, stores it in its original form and makes it searchable.
It is included in 365 Total Protection Plan 2 and above, and pairs with 365 Total Backup in Plans 3 and 4 when you want both.
What is included
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Automatic archiving | All inbound and outbound mail, with internal mail optional |
| Audit-proof storage | Messages are stored unaltered and cannot be edited or deleted before the retention period ends |
| Retention periods | You set how long mail is kept |
| Full-text index and search | Search messages and attachments, narrowed by date, sender, recipient and subject |
| Auditor access | Time-limited read access for an auditor to a domain's mail, under a four-eyes principle |
| Audit log | An uneditable log of archive access, including login name and IP address |
| Privacy for users | Administrators see metadata only, not message content; users can mark private mail |
| Substitute access | Users can give a colleague access to their archive, for example during absence |
| Import and export | Import from PST and other sources; export the whole archive at any time |
| Push-button recovery | Restore emails accidentally deleted from the mail server |
Archived data is stored in encrypted databases, and the connection between the archive and your mail server is protected by TLS.
How it is licensed
Email Archiving is licensed per user, with unlimited storage per user included, so you are not charged by volume. Individual users can be excluded from archiving if they do not need it. You can export the archive yourself at any time, or Hornetsecurity can carry out the export as a chargeable service.
| Option | Includes archiving |
|---|---|
| Email Archiving as a service | Yes |
| 365 Total Protection Plan 1 | No |
| 365 Total Protection Plans 2, 3 and 4 | Yes |
| Hornet.email Enterprise | Yes |
Deployment and retention planning
Archiving starts once mail flows through Hornetsecurity, so it records from the day you switch on. Older mail can be brought in from PST files to give a complete history. Before going live, agree retention periods with whoever owns records management: HMRC expects limited companies to keep financial records for six years, but your own obligations depend on sector and contracts, so take advice rather than picking a default.
When a user's address changes, their archive can be reassigned to the new address so nothing is lost.
Who it suits and how we help
Email archiving suits regulated firms, public sector bodies, schools and any organisation that needs to answer legal or audit requests from email quickly. It also reduces pressure on mailbox sizes because old mail can be found in the archive. Look at email security for other archiving options, and remember that an archive is not a substitute for Microsoft 365 backup.
We switch archiving on, agree retention periods with you, import historic PST files where needed and set up auditor access. Ask us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Is Hornetsecurity Email Archiving audit-proof?
Messages are stored unaltered and cannot be edited or deleted before the retention period expires, every access is logged in an uneditable audit trail, and auditors can be given time-limited read access.
Can administrators read archived email?
No. Administrators see only metadata, not message content, which protects users' privacy. Users can give a named colleague access to their own archive.
Can I import old emails into the archive?
Yes. Emails and attachments can be imported from PST files and other sources, so the archive can include mail from before you started.
Is archive storage limited?
No. Hornetsecurity includes unlimited archive storage per user in the licence.