Data retention policies help organizations to ensure what regarding outdated data?

Data retention policies are essential for managing how organizations handle their data over time, particularly regarding outdated or obsolete data. The correct answer focuses on the importance of securely disposing of outdated data.

Organizations face legal, regulatory, and operational risks associated with retaining unnecessary data. A solid data retention policy ensures that outdated information is not only removed but done so in a way that protects sensitive information from potential breaches or misuse. Secure disposal methods, whether through physical destruction or data wiping, prevent unauthorized access and help maintain compliance with various data protection regulations.

By ensuring that outdated data is disposed of securely, organizations can reduce their exposure to potential data leaks, minimize storage costs, and streamline their data management processes. This involves considerations for both the technological aspects of data disposal as well as compliance with data privacy laws.

In contrast, the other options present practices that don't align with the main purpose of data retention policies. Reusing outdated data isn't typically advisable without thorough evaluation, retaining data indefinitely can lead to unnecessary storage bloat and potential liability, and sharing outdated data with stakeholders could pose risks associated with misinformation or privacy breaches.