What does applying a retention date on a file ensure?

Applying a retention date on a file is a critical practice in data management and governance. By setting a retention date, the organization establishes a timeframe during which the data must be preserved. This ensures that the data will not be deleted or disposed of before the specified date has passed, which is important for compliance with legal, regulatory, and organizational policies.

Such a mechanism helps in maintaining data integrity and availability for audits or legal proceedings, as it guarantees that relevant data can be accessed for the duration of its retention period. It aids organizations in adhering to retention schedules that dictate how long different types of data should be kept before they can be purged or archived.

Other options do not accurately reflect the function of a retention date—data can still be read before this date, backup retention policies are separate considerations, and while naming conventions might assist with data organization, they do not relate to retention.