We know you’re concerned about how your documents are managed once they’re uploaded to your Firmex data room. But have you thought about what happens to them after you’ve deleted them? We have — a lot. And we’ve noticed that different organizations can have dramatically different preferences around how they want their deleted documents to be handled based on their unique data security, error-mitigation, and document retention obligation needs. That’s why this month, we’re implementing two new Document Retention Policy options to give our Subscription clients more flexibility around how their deleted files are managed.
What is a Document Retention Policy?
The Firmex Document Retention Policy determines the timeframe for when deleted documents are permanently deleted from your Firmex site. This applies to all documents deleted by users in the data room, and impacts if and when these documents can be recovered. Our default policy is 90 Days, which means any documents that have been deleted from your data room are still recoverable within 90 days. After 90 days, these documents are permanently deleted and become unrecoverable.
What’s new?
Starting February 1, 2023, all new and existing Firmex Subscription clients will have the option to choose between two new Document Retention Policies: Keep Forever or Delete Immediately, or keep their default 90-Day Policy.
- 90-Day (Our Default Policy)
Everybody makes mistakes. Our default policy holds your deleted documents for 90 days just in case, before deleting them permanently. This means that users can request deleted documents to be recovered up to 90 days after deletion, but after 90 days, the documents will be completely unrecoverable. - Keep Forever *NEW*
Stay on top of your data retention requirements. Our Keep Forever Policy means any documents you delete from your data room are stored in secure backups forever and can be restored upon request at any time. This policy is designed for clients who have strict data retention obligations and/or want to operate with an extended safety net. - Delete Immediately *NEW*
Deleted documents are immediately permanently deleted and are completely unrecoverable. For organizations that are sensitive to data privacy, our Delete Immediately Policy is designed for you.
What should I consider when selecting a Document Retention Policy?
- Compliance
Being in compliance with regulatory requirements for data retention may mean you need to keep deleted documents retrievable. In this case, “Keep Forever” may be the right choice. - Sensitive Information
Keeping sensitive information secure may mean you need to ensure that upon immediate deletion of documents, you have certainty that they cannot be restored. In this case, “Delete Immediately” may be the right choice. - Safety Net
Balancing risk mitigation with data privacy is a consideration for all organizations. Having a safety net in place to protect important documents from accidental or malicious deletion without retaining them long-term is ideal for many clients. In this case, the default 90-Day Policy may be the right choice.
It is possible to store completed projects on your site, with limited user access, by changing the project’s status to “Archive”. This works well in concert with a “Keep Forever” Document Retention Policy for long-term preservation of any uploaded documents.
What’s staying the same?
Your default policy will remain the 90-Day Policy unless you choose to switch it. In order to switch your policy, please contact your success manager. Your policy is a back-end change and there will be no impact to your users.
What action must I take?
If you would like to select one of the two new Document Retention Policies, please reach out to your success manager.
Are there any costs associated with my policy?
Storage of deleted documents and document recovery could incur charges depending on the policy — check with your success manager for further details.
Questions?
Should you have any questions about the Document Retention Policies outlined above, please reach out to your success manager.