-----Original Message-----

I learned a long time ago, that the IT department did not follow their own procedures and it is now catching up with them. I was told that yes they had a rotation plan but they also retained another copy of every tape.  It is possible that these "backup tapes" were created and stored without implementing their rotation plan long before IT departments ever talked about storing email as a record. Now companies are beginning to understand what they should have been doing and I think they are treading water because they are afraid to delete - just in case:)
Mary   

Sad thing is the choice SHOULD NOT BE THEIRS...

While IT may have "procedures" and "practices", the POLICY should be an organizational thing, and it should dictate what backup tapes are for, how long they should be retained, and what should be done with them once they reach that retention period.  IT is but one aspect of the management of organizational information assets- but the liability is great if these are retained past the period where they serve an operational purpose.

When you put together your ESI Data Map during an e-discovery event, policies and practices are looked at. Where data is generated/received, where it is stored, if mirrored datasets exist, how/when it is archived, where those are stored, how/when it is backed up, how/when and for how long those are stored.  If during the review of data sources, backup tapes that exceed those established retention periods are found that could potentially include data that has otherwise been destroyed (in the course of normal business, and in accordance with retention schedules), an organization can be held responsible for searching these backups to produce information included in the data call.

So in cases where IT fails to follow an organizational policy, the impact can be far and wide.

"Just in Case" is NOT a defensible retention practice.

Larry
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