Data retention policies define what data must be kept, for how long, and under what security controls—and when they’re done right, they strike a balance between legal obligations, operational needs, and security. In this episode, we explore how organizations develop and enforce data retention practices that comply with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS while also avoiding unnecessary data hoarding that increases risk. Retained data must be secured, categorized, and regularly reviewed for relevance; sensitive or regulated information should be encrypted and access-controlled, while outdated or redundant data should be flagged for destruction. We also cover how retention policies intersect with legal holds, disaster recovery planning, and business continuity goals. Secure management means more than just locking data away—it means applying structured processes that ensure it remains useful, protected, and appropriately eliminated when no longer needed.