Pro-Owner perspective: This document frames your systems as a technical estate — an asset to be stewarded, documented, and bequeathed. Treat these steps as craftsmanship: protect the continuity, auditability, and transferability of your digital legacy.

How to Audit Mailbox Rules and Delegations

The 60-second version

Mailbox rules and delegations control who can access emails and automate actions (e.g., auto-forwarding). Unchecked, these can lead to data leaks or unauthorized access. Auditing ensures only approved users have access and rules don’t expose sensitive data.

What this solves (in real business terms)

• Prevent data leaks: Stop accidental or malicious forwarding of sensitive emails.
• Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for access control (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR).
• Fraud prevention: Detect unauthorized delegations that could enable phishing.
• Operational control: Ensure former employees or contractors no longer have access.

What it costs (honest ranges)

• Manual audit: $0–$500 (time spent reviewing settings in your email admin panel).
• Automated tools: $10–$50/user/year for delegation and rule monitoring.
• Consulting: $1,000–$5,000 for a one-time security review.

What can go wrong

• Overlooked delegations: Former employees retaining access via shared mailboxes.
• Hidden rules: Auto-forwarding rules sending emails to external addresses.
• False positives: Blocking legitimate business workflows.
• Audit fatigue: Skipping regular reviews due to complexity.

Vendor questions (copy/paste)

1. "Can your tool detect auto-forwarding rules to external domains?"
2. "Do you alert on unusual delegation changes (e.g., sudden admin access)?"
3. "How often do you update your rule templates for new threats?"
4. "Can we export audit logs for compliance reporting?"
5. "What’s your false-positive rate for legitimate business rules?"

Minimum viable implementation

1. Review delegations: List all users with mailbox access (admin panel → delegations).
2. Check auto-forwarding: Search for rules forwarding emails outside your domain.
3. Remove stale access: Revoke permissions for former employees/contractors.
4. Enable logging: Track changes to rules and delegations.
5. Schedule audits: Repeat quarterly or after personnel changes.

When to hire help

• After a breach: Forensic experts can trace unauthorized access.
• Complex environments: Large teams with shared mailboxes or aliases.
• Compliance audits: Ensure settings meet industry regulations.
• Tool deployment: Configure automated monitoring for rules/delegations.

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