What is a Retention Policy in Microsoft 365?

A Retention Policy in Microsoft 365 is a feature that helps organizations manage and govern their data by determining how long content should be retained or deleted. It ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, supports legal obligations, and optimizes data storage.

Key Characteristics of a Retention Policy

1. Data Retention:
• Content is preserved for a defined period, even if users delete it.
• Ensures important data is not lost prematurely.
2. Data Deletion
• Automatically deletes content after a specified period if retention is no longer needed.
3. Scope of Application:
• Can target specific locations like Exchange mailboxes, SharePoint sites, OneDrive, and Teams.
• Applied organization-wide or to specific users/groups.

How Retention Policies Work

Retention policies are defined in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Center. Example settings include:

1. Retain emails for 7 years to comply with legal mandates.
2. Delete files in OneDrive after 90 days to save storage space.

Use Cases for Retention Policies

1. Secure Remote Work: Require MFA for users signing in from untrusted locations.
2. Protect Sensitive Data: Restrict access to applications containing confidential information.
3. Control BYOD Access Allow access only from managed or compliant devices.

Benefits of Conditional Access

• Regulatory Compliance: Retain financial records for legally required durations.
• Legal Hold: Preserve data during ongoing investigations or litigation.
• Data Cleanup: Automate the deletion of outdated content to reduce clutter and optimize storage.

Best Practices

• Plan Policies Strategically: Align with compliance and business needs.
• Review Policies Regularly: Update policies as regulations or organizational requirements change.
• Test Before Deployment: Apply policies to test users or groups to avoid accidental data loss.

Retention Policies ensure your Microsoft 365 environment is secure, compliant, and efficient, balancing data preservation and cleanup.

Explore More

• Configure Retention Policy Using Microsoft Compliance Admin Center (Micrsooft Purview Portal)
• Fetch Retention Policy Using Exchange PowerShell
• Set or Configure Retention Policy Using Exchange PowerShell