# Data management

{% hint style="info" %}
Refer to [Privacy Code 2024](https://docs.nexthink.com/legal/global-privacy-hub/privacy-code-2024) in the [Global Privacy Hub](https://docs.nexthink.com/legal/global-privacy-hub) for more information on how Nexthink complies with applicable data protection standards across its cloud products.
{% endhint %}

Manage and oversee the lifecycle of your organization's employee data. Define the retention period of inventory and operational data, and comply with the data protection regulations for retrieval and deletion of data.

## Accessing the Data Management page <a href="#datamanagementandgdpr-accessingthedatamanagementpage" id="datamanagementandgdpr-accessingthedatamanagementpage"></a>

* Select **Administration** from the main menu.
* Click on **Data Management** in the Content Management section of the navigation panel.

{% hint style="info" %}
Data Management is only visible with **Data management** administrative permission and requires a **none (full access)** data privacy setting. Refer to the [Roles](/platform/user-guide/administration/account-management/roles.md) page for more information.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="/files/uQ5vPjR4ECQPSUj5MzUC" alt="Accessing the Data Management page"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Managing employee data <a href="#datamanagementandgdpr-managingemployeedata" id="datamanagementandgdpr-managingemployeedata"></a>

Manage employee data and comply with data protection regulations.

### Data retention <a href="#datamanagement-dataretention" id="datamanagement-dataretention"></a>

Configure the data retention timeframe for your organization’s Nexthink instance.

<figure><img src="/files/FS7f0UeshZqwTdfkbIye" alt="GDPR - 1712923138.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **Inventory data retention**

Select the retention timeframe for inventory data. This setting applies to all inventory objects except binaries.

After you **Save** a data retention configuration, the changes apply only to active inventory objects. Inactive objects (those without events after the new configuration is saved) keep their original retention settings and will be removed from the system based on that original configuration.

{% hint style="info" %}
The `last_seen` field in the NQL does not account for all the device connections to the Nexthink instance (such as TCP handshakes or remote actions), so it is not a reliable indicator of device retention period. Refer to [NQL data model](/platform/understanding-key-data-platform-concepts/nql-data-model.md#device_device) and [Monitoring device last activity](https://edocs.nexthink.com/nexthink-infinity/infinity-specifications/monitoring-device-last-activity) for more information.
{% endhint %}

#### **Operational data retention**

Select the retention timeframe for operational data. This setting applies to events collected from employee devices, alerts triggered by alert monitors, remote action executions and binaries. Operational data retention must be shorter or equal to inventory data retention.

After you **Save** a data retention configuration, the system applies the changes to all new events and all active binaries.

{% hint style="info" %}
Refer to [Data we collect and store](/platform/understanding-key-data-platform-concepts/data-we-collect-and-store.md) and [Data resolution and retention](/platform/understanding-key-data-platform-concepts/data-resolution-and-retention.md) documentation for more information about data categories and retention periods.
{% endhint %}

### Data retrieval <a href="#datamanagement-dataretrieval" id="datamanagement-dataretrieval"></a>

Retrieve data for any employee monitored by the Nexthink platform for the features and modules listed in the **Data** drop-down menu. Retrieve all other employee data directly using the Investigations module.

<figure><img src="/files/Sz21Ly9FUkelcWl1lblB" alt="GDPR - 1712923277.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Username:** Enter the username of the employee whose data you want to download.
* **Data:** Select the feature or module to download the data from:
  * Executions
  * Sessions
  * Applications
  * Collaboration
  * Campaigns

Click the **Retrieve user data** button. The system opens the Investigations page with the results of the NQL query, which you can export to a CSV format.

### Data deletion <a href="#datamanagement-datadeletion" id="datamanagement-datadeletion"></a>

Nexthink provides the following ways to delete device and user data:

* Use a CSV file on the **Deletion** page
* Use the Data management API

{% hint style="info" %}
This behavior applies to both API-based deletions and deletions using a CSV upload.
{% endhint %}

#### Deletion using a CSV file

<figure><img src="/files/jewZMvBAq2UyRc0xUKTg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To delete devices or users from Nexthink cloud, prepare a CSV file containing one of the following:

* List of **users** to delete
* List of **devices** (desktops, laptops, VMs) to delete
* List of **mobile devices** to delete

{% hint style="info" %}
The CSV file should include only one type of object: either users, devices or mobile devices. To delete multiple object types, generate and upload a separate CSV file for each.
{% endhint %}

***

**Creating a CSV file**

The CSV files must contain the following columns:

* **User** UIDs and SIDs

Example:

```
"user.uid","user.sid"
"03c59c0c-7e0e-4fc8-b473-7d4e80ec0eb5","S-1-5-19-xxxxxxxxxx"
"00dbc8e4-593d-42aa-a871-531aceaefc71","S-1-5-20-xxxxxxxxxx"
```

* **Device** UIDs along with the corresponding device names

Example:

```
"device.name","device.uid"
"KAN-AMSTERDAM-OWV2DZ","c4b2dfeb-c7c2-403a-9a00-152a95f29d7c"
"KAN-AMSTERDAM-4RSOGR","6e424abd-ab2c-4666-ba03-306848a801fd"
```

* **Mobile device** UIDs along with the corresponding device names

Example:

```
"device.mobile_device.name","device.mobile_device.uid"
"MOBILE-LOS-ANGELES-4FUA5T","095da4a3-f8ee-0b57-77a7-93a5ffaf4402"
"MOBILE-NEW-YORK-3NLY25","0aa5a5a1-c64c-9635-ea40-5c621ce3c7ee"
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
Ensure that the CSV file is correctly formatted. Check for encoding issues, extra characters, header typos, or incorrect IDs. If unsure, [generate CSV file using Investigations](#generate-csv-file-using-investigations).
{% endhint %}

***

**Generating a CSV file using Investigations**

Nexthink recommends generating the CSV file by retrieving the devices or users from the **Investigations** module:

* Use the links displayed on the page (**user**, **device** or **mobile**) to begin with preconfigured queries.
* Refine your query by applying the necessary filters to retrieve only the devices or users you want to delete.
* [**Export** the investigation results](/platform/user-guide/investigations/managing-investigations.md#exporting-investigation-results) and generate a CSV file.

{% hint style="warning" %}
To generate a non-anonymized CSV in Investigations, your assigned role must have [Data Privacy](/platform/user-guide/administration/account-management/roles.md#roles-dataprivacy) for **users** and/or **devices** set to **Visible**.
{% endhint %}

***

**Uploading a CSV file**

To upload a CSV file, drag it into the upload area or click **Choose File** to browse your computer. Once you have generated and uploaded the CSV file, click the **Delete** button to start the process.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Once you start the deletion process, it is irreversible.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="/files/hh0o8HSxXOSXEnu0GaVI" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
If you delete a device without uninstalling the corresponding collector, the device will be registered with a new UID within 12 hours, and Nexthink will start recording data associated with that device again. Any data sent after the deletion and before the new registration will be discarded.
{% endhint %}

Data deletion is typically processed within 30 minutes. However, in rare cases, the process may take up to 12 hours in some cases.

***

**Data anonymization (classic)**

Some functionality described in this section is linked with Finder (classic).

{% hint style="info" %}
Nexthink Finder is a Windows-only desktop application whose functionality is now available within the Nexthink web interface. Nexthink can now be used directly from a browser and most functions no longer require an additional desktop application.
{% endhint %}

Nexthink provides a way to anonymize data so that it no longer refers to either an employee or a device.

<figure><img src="/files/2JYg9JTghgBjQneuxbNy" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Select from the following options:

* **User**: The system sets all the associated fields to *null*.
* **Device**: The system sets all the associated fields to *null*.
* Enter the **Username** or **Device name** depending on the option you chose in the previous step.

Click the **Anonymize user data** or **Anonymize device data** button to start the process.

{% hint style="info" %}
Once you start the anonymization process, it is irreversible as the system anonymizes the values at the storage level.
{% endhint %}

#### Deletion using the Data management API

Refer to the [Data management API](https://docs.nexthink.com/api/data-management) documentation for more information on how to delete devices using it.

Data deletion is typically processed within 30 minutes. However, in rare cases, the process may take up to 12 hours in some cases.

***

RELATED TOPICS

* [Data resolution and retention](/platform/understanding-key-data-platform-concepts/data-resolution-and-retention.md)
* [Roles](/platform/user-guide/administration/account-management/roles.md)


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