Thirteen data retention mistakes to avoid

There are endless regulatory requirements for information retention, and it seems like there are more unknowns in this aspect of storage than there are in the entire field of medicine. Based on what I'm hearing, this has confused, frustrated or otherwise caught many storage administrators off guard. There is so much ambiguity, people don't know where to start, what technologies to implement and whether they're even in compliance.

If you've fallen into this legal black hole, you're not alone. Even the lawyers and regulators who have written these "rules" acknowledge confusion associated with what electronic information to keep and what to destroy. There are so many variables involved and the rules are often open to interpretation. One thing is for sure though -- if you're creating or trying to manage an information retention strategy, there are some definite "gotchas" that you need to be aware of to keep yourself out of the boardroom hot seat and your managers out of the regulators' crosshairs. Keeping in mind that this isn't legal advice -- rather, real-world

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The lawmakers may have had good intentions when developing information retention requirements, but I'm convinced they didn't think about the long-term complexities involved and costs associated with what it really takes to do this. The reality is that the laws and regulations are here and we've got to learn to manage them. If you keep in mind what I've outlined above, survey your organization's legal landscape to determine what's really required and team up with the right people to manage information retention, you can sleep at night knowing that you're at least going to save some skin off your back.

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About the author: Kevin Beaver is an independent information security consultant, author, and speaker with Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. He has more than 18 years of experience in IT and specializes in performing information security assessments. Kevin has written five books including Hacking For Dummies (Wiley), Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies, and The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance (Auerbach). He can be reached at kbeaver @ principlelogic.com.

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