DM – Data Minimization And Retention

The RMF Control Family DM, Data Minimization and Retention, addresses the need for organizations to minimize the amount of data they collect and retain, and to retain data for no longer than necessary.

Controls in the DM Security Control Family

The DM Security Control Family includes the following controls:

• DM-1: Data Minimization: This control requires organizations to collect and retain only the data that is necessary for their business purposes. This helps to reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents, and to improve the privacy of individuals.
• DM-2: Data Retention: This control requires organizations to retain data for no longer than necessary. This helps to reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents, and to improve the privacy of individuals.
• DM-3: Data Disposal: This control requires organizations to implement a data disposal plan. This plan should include procedures for securely disposing of data when it is no longer needed.

Benefits of Implementing the DM Security Control Family

There are a number of benefits to implementing the DM Security Control Family, including:

• Reduced risk: The DM Security Control Family helps to reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents by minimizing the amount of data that organizations collect and retain.
• Improved privacy: The DM Security Control Family helps to improve the privacy of individuals by reducing the amount of data that organizations collect and retain.
• Compliance: The DM Security Control Family can help organizations comply with applicable laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
• Reduced costs: The DM Security Control Family can help organizations reduce costs by reducing the amount of data that they need to store and manage.

How to Implement the DM Security Control Family

To implement the DM Security Control Family, organizations should follow these steps:

1. Develop a data minimization and retention policy and procedures. This policy should define the organization’s data minimization and retention requirements, and the processes for ensuring that data meets those requirements.
2. Identify the data that is necessary for the organization’s business purposes. This can be done by reviewing the organization’s business processes and identifying the data that is used in those processes.
3. Develop a data retention schedule. This schedule should define how long each type of data will be retained.
4. Implement data disposal procedures. These procedures should define how data will be securely disposed of when it is no longer needed.
5. Train employees on the data minimization and retention policy and procedures.

Conclusion

The DM Security Control Family is an essential part of the RMF. By implementing the DM Security Control Family, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents, improve the privacy of individuals, comply with applicable laws and regulations, and reduce costs.