Organizations often promote a "Clear Desk and Screen Policy," emphasizing the practice of keeping desks clear of clutter and computer and phone screens locked when not in use. The primary purpose is security, trying to ensure that sensitive documents aren't left in the open, but keeping information in its proper place also makes everything easier to find.

Unfortunately, the same approach has not been applied to storage systems. Users have become digital hoarders, saving everything they handle, including outdated reports, duplicate files and irrelevant documents that make it difficult to find critical information, slowing down systems and productivity. In digital terms, they have simply shoved the mess off their desks and into the virtual storage bins, filling them with the equivalent of old newspapers, old clothes, knickknacks, and other detritus of the workday.

All that redundant, obsolete and trivial data, appropriately known as ROT (Redundant Obsolete Trivial) data, clogs systems and slows down productivity, as digital hoarders struggle to find important files mixed in with the clutter. The result is decreased efficiency and increased frustration, which will only become more pronounced as organizations generate ever-greater volumes of data.

Organizations now need to go beyond clean desks and screens and embrace a clean digital storage policy that can remove the ROT. Cleaning up storage systems will not only reduce IT storage costs, but improve business efficiencies, reduce security risks and help meet compliance requirements by ensuring that only relevant, accurate data is being stored.

ROT Data Corrodes Performance, Increases Risks

It's no secret that organizations in virtually every sector are flooded with data, simply by dealing with their share of the approximately 403 million terabytes of new information created worldwide each day. As digital transformations continue and data becomes the most important asset for many organizations, how organizations manage their data has a significant impact on their efficiency, productivity and security. Clean digital storage policies enable them to separate valuable data from the ROT.

The most recent Veritas Global Databerg Report found that 28% of organizations' data is ROT, with another 53% classified as "dark" data of unknown business value. That leaves 19% of data clearly identified as valuable to the business.

It's easy to see how the types of data that constitute ROT can accumulate, whether in cloud services like OneDrive or local file systems.

Redundant data includes duplicate files that are kept across a variety of locations and systems, such as intranet systems. Obsolete data refers to information that is no longer accurate or relevant to the business, such as files that are out of date. Trivial data has no value to the business and does not need to be stored.

The mounting mess of ROT creates several risks for organizations.

Security is the most obvious risk because an accumulation of unnecessary data makes it more difficult to identify and protect valuable business data that would be targeted in ransomware and other attacks. But ROT data also poses compliance risks, since some of that data likely is old and out of compliance. Also, the clutter can make it difficult to find needed information in time to meet compliance requirements. And some obsolete data could contain sensitive information that increases liability risks.

Productivity suffers because of the time it takes to find useful information with so much ROT data in the way. Storage costs also rise as organizations generate more and more data, whether on-prem or in the cloud. And if as much as 80% of that data is of no value to the company, those costs will grow unnecessarily.

Cleaning Up Storage Systems

A clean digital storage policy encourages employees to regularly review and delete unnecessary files, organize data logically and ensures sensitive information is stored securely based on its classification and labeling.

Organizations can start with a detailed audit of their storage systems, which can help identify ROT data, and help with planning how to clear out unnecessary data. Processes such as data deduplication can remove redundant files and help create a single source of truth for valuable data. Organizations should then establish best practices for removing redundant, obsolete and trivial data.

It's equally important to ensure that you identify information that must be kept. Creating a classification system, or taxonomy, for data can label pertinent data — such as personal, health or financial information — and designate whether it falls into public, sensitive or other categories. This will also make retrieving information faster and easier.

Making sure you have clear data retention policies also is important. Assigning retention periods for data and regularly scanning data stores can ensure that data is removed from storage once it goes out of date.

Conclusion

Hoarding, by definition, quickly grows out of control. In the case of enterprise storage systems, the resulting clutter gets in the way of efficient productivity and raises security, compliance and other risks. By addressing digital clutter and managing ROT data, organizations can improve efficiency, enhance security and create a more productive work environment. Employees will benefit, too. Just as a hoarder finds relief in a decluttered home, employees will benefit from a clean and organized digital workspace.