CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

What critical aspect should be preserved to fulfill an e-discovery request for emails over the past five years?

1. Data backup policy

2. Email archiving solution

3. Data retention policy

4. Encryption standards

The correct answer is: Data retention policy

The correct focus for fulfilling an e-discovery request for emails over the past five years is the data retention policy. A data retention policy outlines how long emails and other data will be stored before being deleted or archived, ensuring that all relevant information is kept within the legally required time frame. This policy helps organizations comply with legal requirements and maintain the ability to retrieve necessary data during discovery processes. When emails need to be produced for legal purposes, it's essential to adhere to these policies so that all relevant communications are preserved. A well-structured data retention policy not only facilitates e-discovery compliance but also minimizes the risk of data loss or inadvertent deletion of critical records. While the other options also play important roles in data management, they do not specifically fulfill the demands of an e-discovery request as directly as the data retention policy does. A data backup policy refers to the frequency and methods of backing up data, an email archiving solution is focused on storing emails, and encryption standards pertain to how data is secured. However, without a clear data retention policy, managing the lifecycle of emails cannot align with legal expectations for e-discovery.