AI & Security
Data retention and record integrity in accreditation
How to define retention, protect integrity, and dispose of records safely.
Why this matters
Credible accreditation depends on consistent methods, clear decisions, and evidence that stands up to independent review. This publication translates essential expectations into practical steps so teams can prepare, communicate, and operate with confidence.
Key requirements and expectations
- Identify sensitive data and apply least-privilege access.
- Control third-party tools and integrations.
- Maintain incident response and recovery procedures.
- Prove security controls with evidence and testing.
- Retention periods should match legal and accreditation needs.
- Integrity controls should prevent silent modification.
- Disposal processes must be auditable.
Evidence and records to prepare
- Security policies, access logs, and monitoring outputs.
- Risk assessments and vendor due diligence records.
- Incident response plans and tabletop exercises.
- Data retention and disposal procedures.
- Retention schedules and secure disposal records.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Unmanaged access to evidence or applicant data.
- Vendor tools without contractual security controls.
- Incident response that is untested or outdated.
- Over-collection of data without a clear purpose.
- Retaining sensitive data longer than necessary.
Practical checklist
- Map data flows and classify sensitive records.
- Review vendor security controls and SLAs.
- Run incident response drills and update playbooks.
- Audit access permissions on a fixed cadence.
- Document retention for each record type.