Set aside a day for file cleanup, perhaps even organizing an annual “data disposal day” for your department.Old student applications including sensitive information.Reports generated from personnel databases.

Copies of files automatically created from web downloads and by opening email attachments.Files copied from a former colleague’s computer.Michael Duff, assistant vice president and chief information security officer, said that data incidents at the university frequently involve someone who is unaware that he or she had stored sensitive data. We unwittingly make copies, we forget what is where – and data increasingly become susceptible to unauthorized exposure. As time passes, these data lose their usefulness. Data have a propensity to spread and persist, and some data include sensitive information.

The answer is simple: privacy and security. Today’s expansive and inexpensive data storage systems, coupled with powerful search capabilities, raise the question: “Why should I delete anything at all?” Recent high-profile incidents at the university and elsewhere have highlighted the importance of periodically reviewing and purging unneeded data.

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