The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) requires all public companies to store business records and electronic messages for a minimum of five years to protect investors and the general public from the possibility of corporate accounting fraud. As a benchmark for best practices in financial reporting and corporate governance practices, SOX provisions are also being adopted by many private companies.

Electronic corporate records must be maintained in an archive that is governed by SOX-defined rules for the types of records stored and the duration of record storage. Alteration, falsification, or destruction of records results in noncompliance with consequences that include fines or imprisonment, or both. Achieving and maintaining SOX compliance can be challenging and costly. Partnering with an experienced security expert can help an organization to evaluate SOX compliance efforts to achieve greater competitive advantage.