Data Retention Drivers

Retention requirements can specify the types of information that must be retained, minimum retention periods, methods (hardware, media) used, procedures and processes, as well as internal auditing to ensure compliance.

• Federal and state government (local governments typically follow state guidelines) legislatures enact laws and regulations for both the private sector and government agencies.
• eDiscovery (legal discovery) requirements drive companies to ensure that data is retained and accessible, and eventually deleted according to legally mandated retention periods.
• Standards organizations can have retention requirements that organizations seeking certifications such as ISO 8000 (International Data Quality Standards) must meet.
• Individual corporate governance policies can specify additional retention requirements.