How do you monitor and audit the effectiveness of your data retention policies and practices?

1 Define your data retention objectives

Before you can monitor and audit your data retention policies and practices, you need to define your data retention objectives. What are the business, legal, and technical reasons for keeping or deleting certain data? How long should you retain different types of data? How do you classify and categorize your data according to its value, sensitivity, and risk? How do you document and communicate your data retention policies and practices to your stakeholders and users? Having clear and consistent data retention objectives will help you measure and evaluate your data retention performance and compliance.

2 Implement data retention controls

Once you have defined your data retention objectives, you need to implement data retention controls to enforce them. Data retention controls are the mechanisms and processes that enable you to execute your data retention policies and practices. For example, you can use data lifecycle management tools, such as DLM or ILM, to automate the creation, storage, archiving, and deletion of data according to predefined rules and schedules. You can also use data governance tools, such as DG or DQ, to monitor the quality, security, and accessibility of your data throughout its lifecycle. Data retention controls should be aligned with your data architecture design and standards, and integrated with your data sources, systems, and applications.

3 Monitor data retention metrics

To monitor the effectiveness of your data retention policies and practices, you need to collect and analyze data retention metrics. Data retention metrics are the indicators that measure the performance, compliance, and impact of your data retention policies and practices. For example, you can track the volume, growth, and distribution of your data across different storage tiers and locations. You can also monitor the frequency, duration, and success rate of your data retention operations, such as backup, restore, archive, and purge. You can use data analytics tools, such as BI or DA, to visualize and report your data retention metrics, and identify trends, patterns, and anomalies.

4 Audit data retention compliance

To audit the compliance of your data retention policies and practices, you need to verify and validate that they are consistent with your data retention objectives and legal obligations. Data retention compliance is the degree to which your data retention policies and practices adhere to the applicable laws, regulations, and standards that govern your data. For example, you can check if your data retention policies and practices comply with the GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, depending on the nature and scope of your data. You can use data audit tools, such as DA or DRA, to perform regular or ad hoc audits of your data retention compliance, and generate audit reports and evidence.

5 Review data retention feedback

To review the feedback of your data retention policies and practices, you need to gather and evaluate the input and opinions of your stakeholders and users. Data retention feedback is the information and feedback that you receive from the people who are affected by or involved in your data retention policies and practices. For example, you can solicit feedback from your business units, customers, regulators, or auditors, on how your data retention policies and practices meet their needs, expectations, and requirements. You can use data feedback tools, such as DF or DFT, to collect and analyze your data retention feedback, and identify gaps, issues, and opportunities.

6 Improve data retention outcomes

To improve the outcomes of your data retention policies and practices, you need to implement and monitor the changes and improvements that you derive from your data retention objectives, controls, metrics, compliance, and feedback. Data retention outcomes are the results and benefits that you achieve from your data retention policies and practices. For example, you can improve your data retention outcomes by reducing your storage costs, enhancing your data security, increasing your data quality, or optimizing your data value. You can use data improvement tools, such as DI or DIT, to plan and execute your data retention improvement initiatives, and measure their impact and ROI.