The Primary Concern of Documenting a Formal Data Retention Policy

B.

The primary concern will be to comply with legislation and regulation but only if this is a genuine business requirement.

Best practices may be a useful guide but not a primary concern.

Legislative and regulatory requirements are only relevant if compliance is a business need.

Storage is irrelevant since whatever is needed must be provided.

The PRIMARY concern of an information security manager documenting a formal data retention policy would be legislative and regulatory requirements.

A data retention policy is a formal document that outlines the organization's guidelines and procedures for retaining and disposing of data. This policy is essential for organizations to ensure that they comply with various laws and regulations that mandate data retention and privacy.

Generally accepted industry best practices and business requirements are important considerations, but they are secondary to the legal and regulatory requirements. The primary goal of a data retention policy is to ensure that the organization complies with legal and regulatory obligations related to data retention and privacy.

For example, data retention requirements may be established by laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in severe legal consequences, including fines, penalties, and legal action.

Therefore, an information security manager must ensure that the data retention policy is developed and implemented in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The policy should clearly define the organization's data retention and disposal practices, specify the types of data that must be retained, and the duration for which data must be stored. Additionally, the policy should provide guidelines for securely disposing of data that is no longer required to be retained.

In summary, while business requirements and generally accepted industry best practices are important considerations, the primary concern of an information security manager documenting a formal data retention policy should be compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements to avoid legal and financial repercussions.