complianceAufbewahrung

ComplianceAufbewahrung refers to the organized retention and management of records and data to meet legal, regulatory, and internal governance requirements. The goal is to ensure data is available for audits, tax reviews, regulatory inquiries, and potential litigation, while maintaining data integrity and traceability.

The scope and rules of compliance retention vary by country, industry, and document type. Common categories include financial records, accounting books and vouchers, tax documents, contracts, correspondence, personnel files, and customer or supplier data. Retention periods are defined by laws and regulations, and organizations typically implement retention schedules that specify how long each category must be kept, when it may be archived, and when it can be securely destroyed. In many jurisdictions, periods span several years, with longer durations for financial and tax-related materials and shorter ones for routine correspondence. Personal data retention must also align with data protection rules, such as the GDPR, which emphasize storage limitation and purpose limitation.

From a practical standpoint, complianceAufbewahrung involves data classification, secure storage, and preservation of data integrity. This includes digital archiving with immutable or tamper-evident storage, metadata and audit trails, access controls, encryption, and regular backups. Destruction workflows should ensure data is disposed of securely after the retention period unless a legal hold or ongoing obligation applies. Governance typically assigns responsibility to legal, compliance, or IT, and requires periodic reviews and audits of retention practices.

Overall, effective complianceAufbewahrung supports regulatory conformity, risk management, and operational efficiency while safeguarding data privacy and security.