The Data Lifecycle and Its Associated Risks
Security risks at each stage of data
Data goes through different stages from creation to deletion (collection, storage, use, sharing, archiving and destruction), and each of them introduces different security risks that require specific controls. During collection, the risk is capturing more data than necessary or without a legal basis; during storage, the lack of encryption or access control; during use and sharing, exposure to third parties or use beyond the original purpose; and during destruction, incomplete deletion that leaves recoverable residual copies. Thinking about data security as a complete cycle, instead of focusing only on protecting data while it's stored, avoids common blind spots, such as data perfectly encrypted in the original database but exposed without control in an Excel file an analyst exported for a one-off report and never deleted.