What is the required action regarding documents after the retention period has expired?

After the retention period has expired, the required action regarding documents is to shred them to protect private information. This action is essential for maintaining confidentiality and security, especially when the documents contain sensitive or personal data. Shredding ensures that any potentially harmful information cannot be accessed or misused by unauthorized individuals. This aligns with data protection regulations and best practices for information security, which mandate that organizations must safeguard personal data for as long as it is retained and securely dispose of it once it is no longer needed.

Storing documents in a secure location or archiving them may not be appropriate because it could expose the information longer than necessary, risking potential data breaches. Giving documents to relevant parties after the retention period has elapsed does not align with the principles of secure data management, especially if confidentiality is a concern. Therefore, shredding is the most responsible and effective action to take once the retention period has ended.