Unlocking The Full Potential of Enterprise Data
• Enforce disposition actions on data assets whose lifecycle has expired ( and not on hold ), ensuring this activity aligns with the published policy and is consistently applied over time .
• Group disposition activities by date range ( e . g ., monthly ) to significantly reduce IT burdens .
• Considering the rapid advances in AI technology and the potential value ( tangible and intangible ) that may be extracted from data in the future , enterprises should exercise restraint in their disposition activities . Refer to section 2.1 .
3.5 EXPECTATIONS OF LEGAL AND REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
Legal and regulatory authorities expect organizations to make reasonable efforts to comply with data lifecycle rules ( primarily business data ). This term is technology-agnostic and industryspecific . Expectations have evolved over the years to go from merely having up-to-date and published data lifecycle policies and programs all the way to having a legally defensible track record of consistent enforcement . These rising expectations have been driven by :
• High profile compliance events and litigations30 31 32
• Increasing maturity of data lifecycle management practices in large enterprises
• Emergence of practical , cost-effective solutions that facilitate compliance and administer it
A similar and rapid transition is expected for OT data due to several factors :
• Laws , regulations and best practices for the above have already been developed
• Industry ’ s rich history and culture in compliance with safety and environmental regulations
• Severe implications of non-compliance in industry ( safety and environmental impact )
3.6 MIGRATION ACROSS SYSTEMS
As mentioned earlier , it is not uncommon in industry for the lifecycle of enterprise data assets to be longer than the lifecycle of the systems that create them . This raises the question about what to do with the data assets when the system reaches the end of its lifecycle . Enterprises have long faced this dilemma . The options are as follows .
Choose the lowest common denominator , which is to “ do nothing .” By default , this means extending the lifecycle of obsolete systems :
• This keeps data assets “ scattered ” and “ captive ” in obsolete applications and systems ,
• The value of these data assets declines over time ,
• Operational systems may lack the ability to enforce lifecycle management policies ,
• The cost of operating and maintaining old systems increases over time ,
• This approach becomes a barrier to the evolution of the infrastructure ,
30
Armstrong vs Executive Office ( Iran-Contra ) https :// dictionary . archivists . org / entry / profs-case . html ,
31
Zubulake vs UBS Warburg https :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Zubulake _ v ._ UBS _ Warburg
32
Toyota Unintended Acceleration Liability Litigation . https :// www . hbsslaw . com / cases / toyota-suddenunintended-acceleration
46 February 2025