Checklist for developing an effective Data Retention Policy
Online Data Backup
Part 3: In the previous two parts of this series, we examined the history of info retention policies and also the business and legal requirements that dictate what underlying items you face when writing your data retention policy.
Partly two, we took a look at the challenges that different industries face in terms of what data to keep and for how long. Although each company has different requirements, the common thread to each data retention policy is that your details are everywhere . Encompassing everything can be extremely hard and while this checklist is not exhaustive, it’s a great foundation to any data retention policy. Coupled with an advanced data backup system, you’ll rest easy knowing your details is protected and easily recoverable.
In this final installment, we provide a data checklist and things to ask when setting your policy.To begin, assess that which you have. Your corporation has many forms of data that you may want to consider as part of your data retention policy:
Financial data
Databases
Email
Documents
Pictures / videos
Production data
System state information
Furthermore, the location of the data must be considered. You will actually make a different DRP for each one, based upon that which you keep where.
Servers - what's stored on your server?
Databases -what is stored there and how do the legal and business requirements dictate what you need to maintain and for how long?
Desktops - do you want to backup files which might be saved on desktops? And if so, how long do you need them? Typically desktop files aren't retained as long as server data.
Email - The content of the data has to be evaluated.
What's in the emails? Most companies can experience that email is unimportant to core business, but others might use email for being an integral component of their order processing or customer service functions. Use the case of a freight forwarder for example, where almost every email carries a document that come with key business information. That freight forwarder’s exchange server is, therefore, huge and critical to backup. In cases like this, the freight forwarder can have customers that contact them years later searching for products that were to be forwarded to an actual location. On their behalf, email is vital to backup. Your corporation will have a similar communications issue.
Recovery - how will your corporation recover its data from the potential problem or loss of data? The length of time would you survive without your details before your corporation practice will be impacted? Create a reality check of the data retention policy and ask: Will it give the necessary recovery? Will it restore during the time period so when you needed? Test that!
Frequency - Is there a danger of information loss, must you backup the information you have more frequently than once each and every day, and how long would you keep your data?
- A good example of how often of the retention policy will be:
Retain every daily backup for Ten days
Retain every weekly backup for 6 weeks
Retain every monthly backup for 14 months
Retain every year-end backup for 7 years
Evaluating the soundness of your data retention policy begins with asking your executive staff, is it right, will it be sufficient, and is also it affordable? There's a balance you’ll must achieve between cost to keep data as well as legal requirements your company is susceptible to. Furthermore, brainstorm the “what-if’s” scenarios and discover what data could be necessary to recover properly:
What happens if there was an incomplete loss of data of data for example a server failure
Let's say we had a total data loss for instance a premises disaster.
Suppose we had widespread corruption of info from the virus.
Imagine if we suffered a data loss from deliberate sabotage.
Suppose we accidentally destroyed important data. Imagine if we must return on time for data for:
A tax audit
A labor law compliance audit
A product liability lawsuit
An employment practices claim
A worker tort such as a sexual harassment claim
Finally, in your checklist, be certain there won't be “islands of data” outside the policy -
Laptops
Desktops
Remote offices
There isn't a one size fits all for a data retention policy. Each company have their own unique needs, cost parameters and law that should dictate what's essential and mandatory to hold this business in case of a disaster or data loss. Start with the checklist above and add to it to match your individual business and legal requirements.
Please visit: http://www.globaldatavault.com/blog/checklist-for-developing-an-effective-data-retention-policy/
Part 3: In the previous two parts of this series, we examined the history of info retention policies and also the business and legal requirements that dictate what underlying items you face when writing your data retention policy.
Partly two, we took a look at the challenges that different industries face in terms of what data to keep and for how long. Although each company has different requirements, the common thread to each data retention policy is that your details are everywhere . Encompassing everything can be extremely hard and while this checklist is not exhaustive, it’s a great foundation to any data retention policy. Coupled with an advanced data backup system, you’ll rest easy knowing your details is protected and easily recoverable.
In this final installment, we provide a data checklist and things to ask when setting your policy.To begin, assess that which you have. Your corporation has many forms of data that you may want to consider as part of your data retention policy:
Financial data
Databases
Documents
Pictures / videos
Production data
System state information
Furthermore, the location of the data must be considered. You will actually make a different DRP for each one, based upon that which you keep where.
Servers - what's stored on your server?
Databases -what is stored there and how do the legal and business requirements dictate what you need to maintain and for how long?
Desktops - do you want to backup files which might be saved on desktops? And if so, how long do you need them? Typically desktop files aren't retained as long as server data.
Email - The content of the data has to be evaluated.
What's in the emails? Most companies can experience that email is unimportant to core business, but others might use email for being an integral component of their order processing or customer service functions. Use the case of a freight forwarder for example, where almost every email carries a document that come with key business information. That freight forwarder’s exchange server is, therefore, huge and critical to backup. In cases like this, the freight forwarder can have customers that contact them years later searching for products that were to be forwarded to an actual location. On their behalf, email is vital to backup. Your corporation will have a similar communications issue.
Recovery - how will your corporation recover its data from the potential problem or loss of data? The length of time would you survive without your details before your corporation practice will be impacted? Create a reality check of the data retention policy and ask: Will it give the necessary recovery? Will it restore during the time period so when you needed? Test that!
Frequency - Is there a danger of information loss, must you backup the information you have more frequently than once each and every day, and how long would you keep your data?
- A good example of how often of the retention policy will be:
Retain every daily backup for Ten days
Retain every weekly backup for 6 weeks
Retain every monthly backup for 14 months
Retain every year-end backup for 7 years
Evaluating the soundness of your data retention policy begins with asking your executive staff, is it right, will it be sufficient, and is also it affordable? There's a balance you’ll must achieve between cost to keep data as well as legal requirements your company is susceptible to. Furthermore, brainstorm the “what-if’s” scenarios and discover what data could be necessary to recover properly:
What happens if there was an incomplete loss of data of data for example a server failure
Let's say we had a total data loss for instance a premises disaster.
Suppose we had widespread corruption of info from the virus.
Imagine if we suffered a data loss from deliberate sabotage.
Suppose we accidentally destroyed important data. Imagine if we must return on time for data for:
A tax audit
A labor law compliance audit
A product liability lawsuit
An employment practices claim
A worker tort such as a sexual harassment claim
Finally, in your checklist, be certain there won't be “islands of data” outside the policy -
Laptops
Desktops
Remote offices
There isn't a one size fits all for a data retention policy. Each company have their own unique needs, cost parameters and law that should dictate what's essential and mandatory to hold this business in case of a disaster or data loss. Start with the checklist above and add to it to match your individual business and legal requirements.
Please visit: http://www.globaldatavault.com/blog/checklist-for-developing-an-effective-data-retention-policy/