To keep information safe at Providence, we are making changes to how we retain emails. The new email retention policy is designed to meet current best practices and minimize risks. Outlook was never designed to be a file storage system, and we now have more secure, efficient and collaborative solutions for saving and sharing your messages and content. Additionally, this allows us to be better stewards of our limited resources.
Starting December 5, Outlook email items older than two years will automatically be deleted. While our email retention policy has been two years for some time, we are now moving to ensure email items are automatically deleted. If your team or department is currently under Legal Hold or regulatory requirement that emails must be kept in its original format, please review and complete the exemption process.
PST files will no longer be available for use at Providence. Personal storage table (.pst or PST) files have often been used to archive Outlook emails, calendars, and attachments.
In the past, IS occasionally assisted caregivers in creating these as an archive folder to save space in a mailbox and avoid “email jail.” However, this email storage practice is no longer being implemented. In the PST file, Outlook collects personal, synchronized user data, and stores it as a backup copy on the computer. There is no exemption process for PST files.
We are removing the ability to create new PST files in phases, with the exact timing depending on which ministry you are in. This process will be completed for all ministries by the end of September. Look for future communications explaining exactly when you will be impacted.
We are then disabling the ability for caregivers to connect PST files to Outlook, which means any existing ones can no longer be used. This also means that PSTs cannot be moved to Office 365 tools like OneDrive and SharePoint. All PST files will be deleted from our systems beginning January 1, 2023.
To find out if you have one or more PST files, check out these instructions.
For core leaders: terminated caregiver email/OneDrive accounts will only be held for 30 days with HR approval to ensure business continuity. After 30 days, all email and OneDrive data will be permanently deleted. SharePoint sites created under the disabled account will not be deleted.
What do I need to do?
Begin reviewing old emails or attachments to determine if you need to save them. Emails will need to be converted to PDF (or another alternative file format) and then saved to your OneDrive or SharePoint. You must complete this by December 5, 2022.
More information
- Watch Adam Zoller, CISO/SVP, explain the changes.
- Learn more about the elimination of PST files.
- Attend a Q&A session on moving your PST files.
- How to save your emails as Adobe PDF, OneNote or .msg files.
- Review the Records Retention and Disposal Policy.
- OneDrive best practices.
- KB0081489 ERROR MESSAGE – Adding to a PST
- KB0073214 Eliminating Email PST Files to Protect Providence
Questions
Visit the OneTeam site or email OneTeam@providence.org.