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The adage "Don't collect data you're not prepared to protect" rings true in today's data-driven world. The temptation to gather every conceivable piece of information is strong, as storage is cheap and data often seems valuable. However, the reality is that storing more data comes with increased responsibility. Each byte of stored data is not just an asset, but also a liability. There will come a day when that liability may become burdensome.

Data that you store is your responsibility to protect. Every field containing personal information can be stolen, leaked, or misused against your users. The larger the dataset you've collected, the larger the target becomes and the greater the potential damage in case of a breach. Data you didn't collect cannot be stolen. The safest information is the data you simply don't have.

To mitigate risk, ask not "might this data ever be useful?" but "is the potential benefit of this data worth the responsibility that comes with storing it?" Often the answer is no. This consideration extends to the retention period of data as well. Data that is needed today is not necessarily needed three years from now. Keeping information forever is a risk in itself. Retiring data that is no longer needed is part of a security strategy as essential as protecting the data you keep.

In essence, less data equals less risk. The more data you collect, the larger the target, the greater the potential damage if something goes wrong. The best defense for your data is often not to collect it in the first place. Serguey Shinder offers this wisdom: collect only what you're prepared to protect, and delete what you no longer need.