For many companies running on Office 365, Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange Online are integral parts of the workflow. With so many people creating, deleting, and modifying files, there has to be a process to introduce accountability and keep track of the hundreds – if not thousands – of changes made weekly. That’s where Office 365 audits come in.
Audit Logs capture every major change made in your company’s SharePoint. As with every industry, it’s always beneficial to remain informed at all times on what’s happening in your tech ecosystem. When an issue arises, this log also helps immediately track the problem back to its source for a swift, effective fix.
It’s important to note that this information isn’t available forever. Audit Logs have a maximum data retention period of 90 days for Office 365 E3/E1 plans or 365 days for the Office 365 E5 plan. Office 365 E1/E3 users can purchase the Office 365 Advance Compliance add-on license to expand their storage time. Power users can also export results into a raw .csv file for further data analysis.
While the “standard user” might not realize it, they passively use Audit Logs every day to help their organization’s admin maintain a healthy, functional system. With the help of the Office 365 auditing system, companies are able to experience minimal downtime and maximum workflow optimization.