ShieldBox vs Outlook
Microsoft 365 is enterprise-grade — but it wasn't built for Australian data sovereignty or genuine Privacy Act compliance. 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.
PSPF aligned where Microsoft is not
Microsoft 365 does not hold Australian data sovereignty for email services. ShieldBox does. For APS agencies handling sensitive information, 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 lacks Australian data sovereignty — ShieldBox delivers it
Australian government agencies handling OFFICIAL and PROTECTED information require Australian data sovereignty under the PSPF. Microsoft 365 Outlook stores email on overseas servers subject to US law. Any agency using Outlook for sensitive 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 |
ASD Essential Eight aligned | 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 aligned | 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?
Australian data sovereignty is required by the PSPF for handling OFFICIAL and above. Microsoft 365 email stores data overseas and 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.
Outlook vs ShieldBox by Industry
See how Microsoft Outlook compares to ShieldBox for your specific industry — data sovereignty risks, Privacy Act obligations, and compliance requirements.
Ready to move off Microsoft 365?
Full migration support from Outlook included — contacts, calendars, and email history imported seamlessly.
Start migrating from Outlook