Retentions & Deletions Periods

Overview

Retention and deletion periods are fundamental to data protection compliance. Regulations like the FADP and the GDPR mandate that organizations adhere to specific retention limits for personal data and ensure its secure deletion once it is no longer needed for its original purposes.

The overview page divides the periods into All, Active, Draft, Inactive, and Review. It lists all periods and provides an overview of the most essential details, such as the period name and the organization managing it. Additionally, you can see the duration, period type, country, and legal references at a glance, which may also include external links to the corresponding laws.

• To view or edit an existing period, click on it to access its General page. 
• To create a new period, click the Create button.

Creating a new period

You can choose between creating a period manually, creating it from the database (Filerskeepers), importing it, or downloading it from your organization. This guide focuses on creation using the database and manual creation. To learn more about downloading elements, read the corresponding guide.

Follow the following steps to learn more about those options.

Creating periods from the database

Creating periods from the database is straightforward. The database contains all the necessary and applicable periods, but please note that Filerskeepers can only be activated by the Priverion Admin.

• Click Create and select Create from Database.
• Specify the responsible person, status, and country.
• Choose the category or industry relevant to your processing activities.
• Select a subcategory.
• All applicable retention and deletion periods will be displayed.
• Mark all relevant periods.
• Click Save once your selection is complete.

Some periods may differ only in their legal references. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek legal advice to select the correct periods for your processing activities. Perform the necessary due diligence to ensure all required periods are accounted for.

Once the period is created, it will appear in the list. You still need to specify when the period begins. This is explained further below in the management section.

Creating periods manually

If you need to create periods manually, you will be prompted to fill in the required information. If you know the applicable periods for your data, complete the required fields and click the Save button in the top right corner.

Important Recommendation: Always seek legal advice before manually creating or adjusting periods, as it can sometimes be unclear how long certain data types must be retained.

Managing a period

Click on a period to access its General page. 

General

The General tab contains information about this retention or deletion period. You can specify the Period Start by clicking Edit and filling in the corresponding field. This could, for example, be the last day of the calendar year.

If you created the period by importing it from the database, we recommend keeping the remaining information unchanged, as it corresponds to legal requirements and does not need to be adjusted.

As with most elements, you may write notes by clicking the Notes button on the right or manage its Access by clicking the three horizontal dots in the top right corner.

Click on the blue menu icon at the top left to expand or minimize the menu.

Assets

You will find the Assets linked to your period on the Assets tab. If you wish to link an Asset to the period, click the Add button, choose one from the library, or create a new one with the Create button.

Tasks

You will find the tasks linked to your period on the Tasks tab. If you wish to link a task to the period, click the Add button and choose one from the library or create a new one with the Create button. To learn more, follow the steps in the Tasks guide.

Assessments

If you want to link assessments already created, click the Add button and choose the ones you want to link. Otherwise, you may create new ones by clicking the Create button. Follow the guide on Assessments to learn more.

Workflows

Under the Workflows tab, you can view required actions or trigger a new workflow.