What is the best way to protect electronic records kept within a digital information system?
The best way to ensure your records will be intact, authoritative, and available when you need them is to plan ahead and thoroughly document the system. Before initiating any information system (or switching to a new system) decide whether or not you will need to support legal requirements for recordkeeping or to document official transactions. If so, review your enabling legislation and other legal mandates and analyze the business functions supported by the system. The next step is to properly document your system. Documentation can be wide ranging and include recorded information about system hardware and software, security and disaster procedures, or implementing metadata schemes to assist the retrieval of electronic information. With proper planning and documentation your recordkeeping system will support your agency’s activities through implementation of rules, procedures and controls that will meet all legal obligations. For more information on designing and maintaining authenti
