Abstract: Techniques for utilizing security criteria to implement document retention for electronic documents are disclosed. The security criteria can also limit when, how and where access to the electronic documents is permitted. The security criteria can pertain to keys (or ciphers) used to secure (e.g., encrypt) electronic files (namely, electronic documents), or to unsecure (e.g., decrypt) electronic files already secured. At least a portion of the security criteria can be used to implement document retention, namely, a document retention policy. After a secured electronic document has been retained for the duration of the document retention policy, the associated security criteria becomes no longer available, thus preventing subsequent access to the secured electronic document. In other words, access restrictions on electronic documents can be used to prevent access to electronic documents which are no longer to be retained.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a file security system with an approval process to implement security changes are disclosed. The approval process can be substantially automated as well as configurable and/or flexible. The approval process can make use of a set of approvers that can approve or deny a security change. Different security changes can require the approval of different approvers. The approvers can also be arranged into groups of approvers, and such groups can make use of a hierarchical arrangement.