To ensure reliability, agencies must establish procedures for creating official records electronically. Agencies must take measures to prevent unauthorized access to electronic records. Data must be captured which document the context, content and structure of electronic records. Context establishes who created the record and the transaction of which it was a part. Content is the actual data.
Structure is the format of the record.
Structure must be captured so that the record can be migrated into the latest generation of hardware and software as necessary. In most cases, electronic records should be maintained in electronic form, because preserving the context, content and structure of and facilitating access to those records are best accomplished in the electronic environment. System-dependent records are records that require an electronic environment to provide meaning, context or accessibility. System-dependent records should be migrated as necessary, at least every five years. System-independent records are records that can exist independently of an electronic environment.