When auditing the onsite archiving process of emails, the IS auditor should pay the MOST attention to:

The focus on the existence of a data retention policy in the context of auditing the onsite archiving process of emails is critical because such a policy outlines the guidelines and practices for handling email data over time. A well-defined data retention policy ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, helps mitigate legal risks, and addresses how long emails should be stored and when they should be deleted. This is particularly important in preventing unnecessary storage costs and ensuring that the organization does not retain data longer than necessary, which could pose privacy and compliance issues.

While the storage capacity of the archiving solution, user awareness of email use, and the support of the archiving solution manufacturer are important considerations in an overall assessment of the email archiving implementation, they are secondary to ensuring that a data retention policy is in place. Without this foundational policy, the archiving process may not adequately address the organization's compliance obligations, risk management, or operational efficiency, making it the most significant aspect for an IS auditor to focus on during an audit.