Data is an integral part of an organization. With proper control and analysis, your data can help define your business and determine its value. However, it’s possible to have too many digital assets, and it can be difficult (and expensive) to keep secure. At some point, companies must get rid of data, the bits that are of no commercial value and not required for any ongoing business function. This information exists anywhere from user workstations and network and email servers, to offsite data centers and even in the cloud. And as the volume of data increases, it becomes harder to manage and figure out what’s necessary to keep.
Formulating a defensive data deletion plan can help free up server space, while securing your existing data.
Storage Of Your Electronic Data Can Be Costly
It’s costly to store data, particularly in a large organization. Server space is always at a premium, and the demand for space is constant. A closer look at that data will reveal redundancy, or data that hasn’t been accessed in years.
One might argue that as technology advances, with bigger hard drives, more efficient software, and limitless options for offsite and cloud storage, that the cost of storing data is not as expensive as it once was. While this is somewhat true, as more companies pursue a paperless workplace, the demand for data storage is outpacing the decrease in pricing.
With so many unnecessary documents languishing, the cost of keeping them is still more expensive than purging. This is why it is so important to have and enforce a clear document retention policy to routinely and systematically review your stored data – keeping what is necessary and deleting what’s not.
Put A Litigation Hold Policy In Place Before Starting To Delete Data
Since corporate data of all types is discoverable through eDiscovery during litigation, you might need to institute a litigation hold if the company foresees a potential lawsuit. This overrides the standard corporate data deletion policies, and protects the most sensitive and easily modified data, such as email and Word documents which may be discoverable during litigation.
It’s smart to establish a specific procedure for executing this, as well as determining who will issue the litigation hold order. It is also beneficial to outline what actions will halt during this time, as well as how it will be communicated to employees, and how the specific data will be located and protected.
Enlist Outside Help When Necessary
Sometimes it becomes apparent that you cannot develop and execute a data deletion process on your own. Whether you need a third party vendor to help organize and establish a deletion plan, or legal counsel to advise about your litigation hold policy, expert help is available.
The Document Group can help you evaluate your data in a thorough and cost effective manner. Using our Disco software, we can help you with all of your eDiscovery needs. Contact us to see how we can help you, or request a free quote.
