Keeping an eye on how your business email is used is an important part of managing your overall IT health. Email is often the primary way your team communicates internally and with customers, suppliers, and partners. Regular monitoring helps you spot issues early, protect sensitive information, and maintain smooth operations.
Why monitoring email matters for Canadian SMBs
For a small or mid-sized business in Canada, email downtime or security breaches can lead to lost sales, damaged reputation, and costly recovery efforts. For example, if a phishing attack targets your employees through email, it can compromise your entire network or expose client data, affecting customer trust and possibly triggering privacy concerns under Canadian regulations.
Beyond security, monitoring email usage can also improve productivity. Identifying unused or inactive accounts, managing mailbox sizes, and ensuring proper configuration reduces the chance of missed messages or system slowdowns. This is especially relevant when using Microsoft 365, where mailbox quotas and security settings need regular review.
Typical scenario: How a 50-person company benefits
Consider a Canadian company with about 50 employees using Microsoft 365 for email. Without regular monitoring, an employee might fall victim to a phishing email that leads to a ransomware attack. The IT partner, through ongoing email monitoring, notices unusual login attempts and flagged messages early, isolates the threat, and prevents widespread damage. They also review mailbox sizes and clean up inactive accounts to keep the system running efficiently.
This proactive approach reduces downtime, protects sensitive business data, and keeps communication flowing smoothly.
Practical checklist for email monitoring
- Ask your IT provider: How often do you review email security logs and user activity? What alerts are in place for suspicious behaviour?
- Check mailbox management: Are mailbox sizes monitored and cleaned up regularly? Are inactive accounts disabled promptly?
- Review access controls: Who has admin rights to email systems? Are multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strong password policies enforced?
- Evaluate backup and recovery: How often is email data backed up? Can deleted or compromised emails be restored quickly?
- Test phishing awareness: Does your IT partner conduct simulated phishing tests or provide employee training?
- Compliance considerations: Are email retention policies aligned with your industry requirements and privacy expectations?
Next steps
Regular email monitoring is a practical way to reduce risks and keep your business communications reliable. If you don't already have a clear process for this, consider discussing it with your current IT provider or a trusted managed IT services partner. They can help you set up ongoing monitoring, alerts, and user training tailored to your business needs.