During the purging phase of the data lifecycle, what happens to the data?

During the purging phase of the data lifecycle, data is completely eliminated or deleted from the system, rendering it no longer useful for any operational or analytical purposes. This process ensures that sensitive information is securely disposed of, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or potential breaches and complying with data protection regulations. It focuses on the finality of data removal, making it unattainable for retrieval or use.

Archiving data for future reference, as mentioned in the first option, involves retaining data but storing it in a way that makes it less accessible or frequently used. Transforming data into a useful format suggests that the data is still being processed or modified for future use, contrary to the concept of purging. Sharing data with external sources indicates that the data remains active and usable within the system, which does not align with the purging phase's intent of total data elimination.