DATA STORAGE, BACKUP, AND PRESERVATION

Data storage refers to where the data will reside in a system while the data is currently in use (in contrast to data preservation, which refers to long-term storage for archival purposes). In this downloadable resource we discuss:

• Privacy considerations for storage.
• Principles for data storage.
• A scenario to help understand the risks of data loss.

One common best practice in IT is to create a data backup, a copy of the current system data that is stored in a separate location from the main data. This downloadable resource discusses:

• Key backup objectives and best practices.
• Basic backup types.
• Backup policies, including a scenario describing a backup policy in action.
• Data recovery plans.

Data preservation refers to the long-term storage of data that is no longer needed for immediate access. The primary considerations for data preservation are data safety and reliability. This downloadable resource discusses:

• Archival options and solution strategies.
• Archival documentation, labelling, and storage.
• Accessing archived data.
• Supporting data change requests.

Data and media destruction.

Your government will need policies on:

• Data storage, preservation, and archiving.
• Disaster recovery plan and backup strategy.
• Data disposal.
• Logging and audit policy for data archive access, change, and destruction requests.

The BCFNDGI Privacy and Security Policy Manual includes template policies on data storage and data lifecycle and disposal.