It’s easy to think that just because information is stored digitally we have endless space. We don’t. Digital storage, especially cloud storage, is not only increasingly expensive, but it’s negatively impacting nature, with power hungry and thirsty data centers around the world. The National Public Radio reported in 2022 that data centers use 300,000 gallons of water (1,135,623.54 litres) in a single day, the same amount that 1000 US households. In 2021, the average Google data center used 450,000 gallons of water (1,703,435.3 litres) a day.
We must destroy things.
Not just because of its negative impact on the environment, or because it is in keeping with UBC Policy, but especially because UBC has a legal and moral obligation to protect personal information held in records. Data leaks happen more often than you think, take for example the London Drugs data breach early last year. The company said the files stolen by cyber-attackers may contain employee information, calling it a deeply distressing situation. A bit of an understatement. Another example is the TransLink cyber-attack that happened in 2020. Ransom-seeking cyber-criminals hacked TransLink’s systems, targeting sensitive personal information related to payroll and benefits administration. These files included banking information and social insurance numbers. In at least one case[1], they stole information that, according to TransLink’s own retention schedules, should have been destroyed more than 15 years previous. Why didn’t TransLink destroy this information? Why was highly sensitive bank account information stored on TransLink’s servers? For all the same reasons any of us fail to follow the retention schedules:
- maybe we will need it at some point in the future
- we have cut off access, that’s good enough
- it’s in a database and it’s too difficult to extract
- it’s not my job
- it’s easier to just keep it as is rather than anonymize it, et cetera
Once you have experienced having your personal information stolen in a data breach, and I am sure many of you have, the list of reasons above ring hollow. The attack cost TransLink’s current and ex-employees anguish at the time and will continue to do so into the future, it cost TransLink money and they endured some public embarrassment. They did not, however, pay the approximately 7.5 million dollars the ransom demanded. According to their website, TransLink are currently reviewing their policies and processes.
Let us learn from their example.
One of the ways to protect the personal is to destroy it when it is time to do so. Don’t keep records past their retention date just in case you need them. But how do you know when to destroy? Retention and Disposition Schedules (RDS) are created by the Records Management Office to guide units and departments on how they can adhere to records retention policy.
For example, how long do units at UBC keep their HR faculty and staff files? RDS HR4000, Human Resources General states that they should be kept for seven (7) years after the employee leaves, then destroyed. If those records are requested after destruction, the department can say they were appropriately destroyed complying with UBC regulations.
You shouldn’t keep things just in case you might need them and ignore the schedules. That practice leads to cluttered email inboxes, stashes of forgotten records containing risky personal information, and mountains of thirsty and expensive data warehouses. Look out for your digital footprint, and your carbon footprint as well. Keep things for as long as required to according to policy, and dispose of them according to the schedules. It’s better for the persons named in records, for you, your unit, the university, and the environment.
Further Reading:
What are Transitory Records and when should we get rid of them?
Records retention and disposition schedules 101
Records Management training and best practices