What it means
The plan should address data migration and disposal, account and key revocation, DNS and certificate changes, third-party termination, archive requirements, monitoring, user communication, and removal of unused infrastructure and code paths.
Why it matters
Retired systems often remain connected, unpatched, or forgotten, creating exposure long after their business purpose ends.
Practical focus
- Inventory dependencies, data, identities, and integrations before shutdown
- Migrate or dispose of data according to requirements
- Revoke credentials, certificates, tokens, and access paths
- Verify that monitoring and recovery plans reflect retirement
Common mistakes
- Turning off a user interface while backend services remain reachable
- Leaving dormant credentials and cloud resources active
- Destroying records that must be retained or migrated
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: