Secure messaging and mobile chat retention
Staff use Teams, Slack, text messages and WhatsApp to talk to clients. Regulated firms often have to keep those records and be able to find them, and personal chat apps on personal phones make that hard.
What we do
- Channel policy drafts
- Retention settings
- Archive connection
- Legal hold setup
- Export testing
- Staff guidance
- Leaver checklist
Our team works with Global Relay, LeapXpert, Proofpoint archiving, Microsoft Purview retention for Teams, the Slack Discovery API and WhatsApp Business. We move client conversations to approved channels, archive them, and set retention and legal hold so a search finds what the firm must produce.
This group links to our Email Security and Archiving service and to the email archiving and eDiscovery groups. These are tools our team has experience with, not partnerships.
Leading platforms we work with
- Global Relay
- LeapXpert
- Proofpoint Archive
- Microsoft Purview retention for Teams
- Slack Discovery API
- WhatsApp Business
- Smarsh
Platforms and practices
- Teams and Slack retention policies
- Archiving of text and chat messages
- Approved channel policy for client contact
- Legal hold on chat
- Search and export for review
- Mobile device management of messaging apps
- Off-channel communication reminders
- Staff leaver chat preservation
References
Sources last checked .
Product names are trademarks of their owners and are listed to describe our experience; they do not imply endorsement or partnership.
How we use Secure messaging and mobile chat retention for clients
Email Security, Archiving & Continuity
Filter threats out of mail, keep every message in an immutable archive you can search, and keep email working when the mail platform goes down.
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We find out whether everything you run is safe from attackers, then we fix it.
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We run your IT day to day so it stays secure: help desk, devices, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Active Directory, backups, networks and monitoring.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions we hear most. Something else on your mind?
Send us a messageWhy do text messages and WhatsApp matter for record keeping?
Some regulated firms must keep business communications, whatever channel was used. If staff talk to clients on personal text or WhatsApp and nothing is captured, the firm cannot find or produce them. Check which records apply to you with your compliance officer or counsel.
Can you capture messages from personal phones?
Usually the better approach is to move client conversations to an approved channel that the firm can archive, and to set a policy staff agree to. Capturing from personal apps depends on the app, the tool and local law, so we confirm what is possible before you rely on it.
How long should chat be kept?
The period is set by the rules that apply to your firm and your own policy, not by us. We configure retention and legal hold to match the period you decide, and we test that a search can find a conversation. Confirm the required period with your compliance officer or counsel.
What happens to chat when a person leaves?
We set a leaver step so their Teams, Slack and mobile chat is preserved before the account is closed, and put it on hold if there is a dispute. Deleting an account without that step can remove messages the firm may need to produce.