Exam CISM Topic 4 Question 240 Discussion

The next thing that the information security manager should do after identifying a large volume of old data that appears to be unused is to consult the record retention policy. The record retention policy is a document that defines the types, formats, and retention periods of data that the organization needs to keep for legal, regulatory, operational, or historical purposes. By consulting the record retention policy, the information security manager can determine if the old data is still required to be stored, archived, or disposed of, and how to do so in a secure and compliant manner.
References: The CISM Review Manual 2023 states that "the information security manager is responsible for ensuring that the data lifecycle management process is in alignment with the organization's record retention policy" and that "the record retention policy defines the types, formats, and retention periods of data that the organization needs to keep for legal, regulatory, operational, or historical purposes" (p. 140). The CISM Review Questions, Answers & Explanations Manual 2023 also provides the following rationale for this answer: "Consult the record retention policy is the correct answer because it is the next logical step to take after identifying a large volume of old data that appears to be unused, as it will help the information security manager to decide on the appropriate data lifecycle management actions for the old data, such as storage, archiving, or disposal" (p. 64). Additionally, the article Data Retention Policy: What It Is and How to Create One from the ISACA Journal 2019 states that "a data retention policy is a document that outlines the types, formats, and retention periods of data that an organization needs to keep for various purposes, such as legal compliance, business operations, or historical records" and that "a data retention policy can help an organization to manage its data lifecycle, optimize its storage capacity, reduce its costs, and enhance its security and privacy" (p. 1)1.