ShieldBox vs Outlook
Microsoft 365 is enterprise-grade — but it wasn't built for Australian IRAP compliance or genuine data sovereignty. Here's what that costs your organisation.
4 things Microsoft 365 can't give Australian organisations
Guaranteed Australian residency
Microsoft 365 offers "data residency commitments" that are best-efforts, not contractual guarantees. ShieldBox has a hard contractual guarantee — your data never leaves Australia.
IRAP where Microsoft is not
Microsoft 365 does not hold an IRAP assessment for Outlook email services. ShieldBox does. For APS agencies, this is non-negotiable.
ASD Essential Eight built-in
Microsoft 365 can be configured toward E8 compliance, but it requires significant effort. ShieldBox is aligned by default across all eight mitigation strategies.
Privacy Act 1988, not GDPR
Microsoft's compliance programme is GDPR-first. ShieldBox was designed specifically around the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and all 13 APPs.
Outlook is not IRAP assessed — ShieldBox is
The Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) is required for Australian government agencies handling OFFICIAL and PROTECTED information. Microsoft 365 Outlook does not hold an IRAP assessment for email services. Any agency using Outlook for classified communications is operating outside PSPF requirements.
ShieldBox vs Outlook: full comparison
| Feature | ShieldBox | Microsoft Outlook |
|---|---|---|
Australian Compliance | ||
Australian data sovereignty | Yes | No |
Hosted exclusively on Australian servers | Yes | No |
CLOUD Act exposure (US law) | Never exposed | Exposed |
Privacy Act 1988 compliance (all 13 APPs) | Yes | Partial |
IRAP assessment | Yes | No |
ASD Essential Eight alignment | Yes | No |
NDB scheme data breach notification | Yes | Via partner |
Spam Act 2003 compliance | Yes | Partial |
Security & Privacy | ||
Zero-knowledge architecture | Yes | No |
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) | Yes | S/MIME only |
AES-256 encryption at rest | Yes | Yes |
ISO 27001 certified | Yes | Yes |
MFA / hardware key support | Yes | Yes |
Ad-free experience | Yes | Free plan has ads |
Features & AI | ||
AI inbox assistant | Yes | Yes |
AI processed on Australian servers | Yes | No |
Custom domain hosting | Yes | Yes |
Microsoft 365 integration | Via API | Native |
Teams / Video conferencing | Third-party | Native (Teams) |
CalDAV / CardDAV sync | Yes | Yes |
Support & Business | ||
Australian support team | Yes | No |
Contractual Australian data guarantee | Yes | No |
Healthcare / Legal sector approved | Yes | Limited |
Government sector (APS) compliant | Yes | No |
Who needs to move off Microsoft 365?
IRAP assessment is required by the PSPF for handling OFFICIAL and above. Microsoft 365 email does not qualify.
ISM controls require sovereign data handling for classified contract communications.
Patient data must remain in Australia under state health information acts. Outlook cannot contractually guarantee this.
AUSTRAC reporting and sensitive law enforcement communications require Australian data residency.
CPS 234 requires critical data to be held in jurisdictions with adequate data protection laws. US jurisdiction fails this test.
SOCI Act obligations require Australian data residency for operator communications.
Ready to move off Microsoft 365?
Full migration support from Outlook included — contacts, calendars, and email history imported seamlessly.
Start migrating from Outlook