A security auditor is conducting a compliance audit for his company. Which audit area would describe how long the company is required to keep copies of data?

The correct answer focuses on the concept of data retention, which specifically deals with the policies and regulations governing how long various types of data must be retained by an organization. Data retention policies help ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements. They outline the timelines for retaining data, considering factors like legal obligations, business needs, and data sensitivity.

In the context of a compliance audit, data retention is a critical area because it reflects the organization's adherence to applicable laws and regulations regarding data management. The auditor would assess whether the company is following its data retention policy, ensuring that data is kept for the appropriate duration and properly disposed of when it is no longer needed.

The other concepts are relevant to data management but do not specifically address the duration for which data must be kept. Data classification refers to categorizing data based on its sensitivity and importance. Data ownership identifies who is responsible for managing and safeguarding the data. Data destruction involves the processes and methods used to securely eliminate data that is no longer needed. While all these aspects are important, they do not directly answer the question of how long the company is required to retain data copies.