Email
Infrastructure Audit

Understand your existing email environment Your business email system may involve multiple hosting services, computers, email applications, local archives and routing configurations. Our Email Infrastructure Audit investigates these components to establish how your current environment operates, identify potential problems and provide evidence-based recommendations. What you receive: A written technical report documenting the findings, identified risks, unresolved questions and recommended next steps. Recommendations may include retaining your existing provider, improving configurations, upgrading services or considering another email platform. No migration or implementation is required. Audit fee: R7,500, payable in advance.

Please complete this questionnaire to request an independent assessment of your business email environment. Audit fee: R7,500, payable in advance. The audit covers up to 10 email accounts and 10 laptops or desktop computers. Mobile phones and tablets are excluded. Please do not enter passwords, recovery codes or other confidential login credentials into this questionnaire.

Remote Assessment Requirements

The assessment is conducted remotely, with each computer inspected individually.

The client agrees to the following arrangements:
- All participating users must be available online during the agreed two-hour appointment window, even if they work from different locations.
- Every participating computer must be switched on, connected to the internet and have AnyDesk installed and operational before the appointment begins.
- Each user must be reachable through WhatsApp for live communication during their inspection.
- The investigator will contact users sequentially. Users must remain available until their inspection has been completed.
- Each user must be able to answer questions about their email applications, folders, storage arrangements and normal email usage.
- Users must be available to send and receive controlled test emails when requested.
- The client must designate one person responsible for coordinating all participants. A temporary WhatsApp group may be used for scheduling and coordination, with participants' agreement.
- An authorised person with access to the hosting administration account must be available to sign in during the assessment.
- If an inspection cannot be completed because a user, computer or required administrator is unavailable, the outstanding item will be recorded. Additional appointments may be required.
- The initial two-hour window is a coordinated availability period, not a guarantee that every inspection will be completed within two hours. The fixed fee covers the agreed scope, including reasonable additional time required to complete it.

Remote Access, Confidentiality and Information Handling

The client authorises the investigator to remotely access the agreed computers and hosting administration environment for the purpose of conducting the Email Infrastructure Audit.

During the investigation, the investigator may encounter confidential business information, email addresses, message subjects, folder names, account settings, locally stored email data and other potentially sensitive information.

The client authorises the investigator to:
- Inspect email applications, configurations, folder structures, storage locations and relevant account information.
- Ask users questions about their email usage and configuration.
- Examine hosting administration settings and resource usage.
- Conduct agreed incoming and outgoing test emails.
- Capture screenshots and make technical notes necessary to document the investigation.
- Include relevant technical findings in the final audit report.

The investigator will limit access to information reasonably necessary for the audit and will not intentionally read unrelated private correspondence or copy message contents unless separately authorised and necessary for a specific diagnostic purpose.

Passwords, authentication codes and other secrets must not be included in screenshots or reports. Users and administrators should enter credentials themselves.

Screenshots, notes and other evidence will be handled confidentially, stored securely and retained only for the period specified in the audit agreement and Privacy Notice.

The client confirms that they have the authority to permit the assessment and will arrange appropriate notice and authorisation for participating employees and other users.

The audit does not authorise migration, deletion, modification of production settings or other implementation work without separate approval.

Email Infrastructure Audit — Terms and Conditions

Version 1.0 | 12 October 2026

1. Nature of Service

The Email Infrastructure Audit is an independent technical investigation and advisory service intended to document the current condition, configuration, dependencies and observable risks of a client's business email environment.

The audit does not constitute a migration, repair, implementation or ongoing technical support agreement.

2. Fixed Fee and Scope

The fixed audit fee is R7,500, covering:

• Up to 10 email accounts.
• Up to 10 laptops or desktop computers.
• Authorised inspection of the relevant hosting administration environment.
• Relevant external DNS, email infrastructure and service investigations.
• Individual remote inspections and user interviews.
• Controlled email send-and-receive testing.
• Preparation of a written technical findings and recommendations report.

An email account and a computer are counted separately. Multiple accounts on one computer count towards the account limit, while one account used on multiple computers counts towards the computer limit.

Additional accounts, devices, environments or services outside the agreed scope require a separate quotation and approval.

3. Payment

Full payment of R7,500 is required before the audit is scheduled.

Submission of the questionnaire constitutes a request for the service. The engagement becomes confirmed only after the investigator accepts the scope and payment has been received.

No additional charges will be incurred without the client's prior approval.

4. Remote Assessment Scheduling

The client must reserve an initial two-hour appointment window during which all participating users and computers are available.

The investigation is conducted sequentially. The investigator will contact and inspect participating users individually.

The two-hour window is an availability and coordination requirement, not a guarantee that all investigative work will be completed within two hours.

Where further sessions are reasonably required to complete the agreed scope, additional scheduling will be arranged.

5. User and Computer Availability

The client is responsible for ensuring that:

• Participating computers are operational and connected to the internet.
• AnyDesk is installed and working before the appointment.
• Users are reachable through WhatsApp during the scheduled window.
• Users remain available until their inspection is completed.
• Users can answer questions about their email usage, folders, archives and configuration.
• An authorised hosting administrator is available when required.

A temporary WhatsApp coordination group may be used where participants agree.

6. Hosting Administration Access

The client must arrange authorised access to the relevant hosting and email administration environment.

An authorised administrator must sign in during the remote session and complete any required authentication.

Inspection may include email accounts, quotas, storage, DNS, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, routing, forwarding, filtering, resource limits and other relevant settings where accessible.

The investigator does not require passwords to be submitted through the questionnaire.

7. Remote Access and Authorisation

The client authorises remote access to the agreed computers and administrative systems solely for the purposes of the audit.

The client confirms that they have the necessary authority to permit such access and will arrange appropriate notification and authorisation for participating users.

The investigator may inspect relevant technical configurations, ask questions, capture screenshots and record technical notes necessary to prepare the report.

Access will be limited to the agreed investigative purpose.

8. Sensitive Information and Confidentiality

The investigator may encounter confidential business information, personal information, email addresses, message metadata, folder names and locally stored email data.

The investigator will take reasonable measures to protect such information and will not intentionally inspect unrelated private correspondence unless separately authorised and necessary for a specific diagnostic purpose.

Passwords, authentication codes and other secrets will not intentionally be recorded in the report.

Investigation evidence will be stored securely, access will be restricted, and retention and deletion will follow the applicable Privacy Notice and agreed retention schedule.

9. Email Testing

The client authorises controlled incoming and outgoing email tests involving accounts included in the agreed audit scope.

Participating users may be asked to send, receive, locate or reply to designated test messages.

Testing will be conducted to assess observable mail delivery and client behaviour, without intentionally disrupting normal business communications.

10. Excluded Services

The audit excludes:

• Mobile phones and tablets.
• Mobile email inspection or configuration.
• Email or website migration.
• DNS or hosting configuration changes.
• Email account repairs or reconfiguration.
• Data recovery and backup creation.
• Software installation or licensing, except assistance necessary to establish the agreed remote session.
• Implementation of recommendations.
• Ongoing technical support.
• Unauthorised access to third-party systems.

Any implementation work requires a separate agreement.

11. Investigation Limitations

The audit is based on information available during the investigation.

Some configurations, systems, records or provider-controlled infrastructure may be inaccessible.

The investigator cannot guarantee identification of every defect, vulnerability or operational problem.

Unverified findings, assumptions and outstanding questions will be distinguished from confirmed observations where practical.

12. Client Cooperation and Delays

The client must provide accurate information and reasonable cooperation.

Unavailable users, inaccessible computers, missing credentials, unavailable administrators or third-party restrictions may delay completion.

Outstanding inspections will be documented and further appointments arranged where reasonably possible.

Where completion is prevented by circumstances outside the investigator's control, the parties will agree on a reasonable resolution, including any applicable rescheduling, partial reporting or cancellation arrangements.

13. Written Report

The client will receive a written Email Infrastructure Audit Report documenting:

• The observed email environment.
• Relevant infrastructure and configuration findings.
• Identified risks and limitations.
• Outstanding or unverified matters.
• Recommendations and possible courses of action.

The report will be delivered within five working days after completion of the required investigation and receipt of the necessary information.

14. Independent Recommendations

Recommendations are based on the available technical evidence.

The report may recommend retaining the current provider, correcting configurations, upgrading existing services or evaluating an alternative platform.

The client is not required to purchase any additional service from the investigator.

The client may share the report with other service providers for obtaining quotations or further technical advice, subject to protecting confidential information contained in it.

15. No Guarantee of Remediation

The audit does not guarantee resolution of existing problems, uninterrupted email operation, improved deliverability or successful implementation of any recommendation.

Implementation decisions remain subject to separate technical assessment and approval.

16. Cancellations, Rescheduling and Refunds

Requests to cancel or reschedule must be communicated in writing.

Any applicable refund, deduction for work already performed or rescheduling arrangement will be determined according to the agreed engagement terms and applicable South African consumer law.

17. Liability

The investigator will exercise reasonable care and skill in performing the agreed service.

The audit is not a guarantee that the email environment is free from faults, security weaknesses or future failures.

Any limitation of liability must be reasonable, expressly agreed and subject to applicable law. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

18. Privacy and Personal Information

Personal information collected through the questionnaire and during the investigation will be processed for legitimate audit, communication, billing, evidence and reporting purposes.

The client must ensure appropriate authority and notices are in place for employee and third-party information made available during the investigation.

Further details regarding information handling, security, retention and applicable rights are set out in the Privacy Notice.

19. Acceptance

By submitting the audit questionnaire and accepting these terms, the client confirms that:

• They are authorised to request the assessment.
• The information supplied is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
• They understand the agreed scope and exclusions.
• They accept the R7,500 advance-payment requirement.
• They will arrange the required remote access and user availability.
• They understand that the audit is an independent investigation and reporting service, not a migration or repair service.