Understanding and securing your organization’s unstructured data can become difficult and overwhelming without an appropriate data centric and audit protection strategy in place. One of the first challenges many organizations face is understanding how much of their unstructured data is still being accessed and if it is safe to archive this data without disrupting business continuity.
The Lepide Data Security Platform Stale Data Report gives you an overview as to how much data within your organization is deemed as stale which is based upon a variable timeframe you can specify within the Lepide Platform.
2. Why is there a Need to Monitor Stale Data?
Holding a large amount of stale data increases security risk and increases costs.
Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for stale data as soon as they land on a network. This stale data could include sensitive information about former or current employees, customers and so on and so needs to be managed appropriately. To reduce this risk, it's important to identify stale data and determine what can be moved, archived, or deleted. Once stale data has been identified, it is important to establish a consistent policy to manage it moving forward.
Another example of the need to manage stale data is as part of a migration process, Migration projects require a clear and accurate understanding of the type of data held—the size, relevance, sensitivity, and risk profile. Stale data can be expensive to store and manage and so only essential data should be migrated and anything else moved, archived, or deleted.
3. How to Configure Lepide to Run the Stale Data Report
The Lepide Data Security Platform needs to be configured to run a File Server scan before the report can be run and the steps to do this are as follows:
Click on the Settings icon Current Permission Scan Settings
Click on Current Permission Scan Settings
The following screen will be displayed:
Database Settings
The Primary Database needs to be configured to store the information retrieved from the scans:
Click on the Database Settings icon next to Primary Database
The Database Settings dialog box is displayed:
Primary Database Settings
Configure the database settings as follows:
SQL Server: Type in a SQL server name or click Current Permission Scan Settings to select the name and path
Choose SQL Authentication and add a User Name and Password
Click Test Connection
Select Database: Add a database name or select an existing, blank database from the drop-down list
Data Set Information
Click Apply
The Primary Database information will now be displayed in the top part of the screen:
Component and Server Information
Adding a Dataset
Select Folders
To add a data set:
From the Current Permission Scan Settings screen, click the Select Folders button (from the middle section of the screen)
The Data Set Information dialog box is displayed:
Folder Selected
Type in a Data Set Name and a Description
Click Next
The Component and Server Information dialog box will be displayed:
Database Mapping
From the Component Name drop down, select File Server
Click the Database Settingsicon to select a folder
The Select Folders dialog box is displayed:
Permission Scanning Options
Select the File ServerName from the drop-down menu
Define Schedule
The folders are listed in the left hand column
You can expand the nodes to see more folders
Select a folder and click the Data Set Settings button to add it to the list on the right
Check Include files to monitor the permissions of sub-folders and files in the selected folder as well
To remove an added folder from the Data Set, select the folder in the right column and click the Web Console Home Screen button.
Click OK
You are taken back to the previous wizard, which shows the added folder. The current permissions of the added folders will be monitored
Lepide Trust Reports
Click Next
The Database Mapping dialog box is displayed:
Stale Data Report
Click Next
The Database Settings dialog box is displayed:
Report with Data
Here you can specify a Secondary Database if required. If you want to use a Secondary Database, type the Secondary Database name into the Select Database box
If you want to use only a Primary Database, type the Primary Database Name into the Select Database Box.
Click OK
The Permission Scanning Options dialog box is displayed:
Modify Filters
Select to Scan Permissions Now and/or Schedule Permission Scan
Click the Change Schedule button to change the frequency and times of the schedule if required:
Enter Number of Days
Click OK once the schedule settings are updated and you will return to the Permission Scanning Options dialog box
From the Permission Scanning Options dialog box:
Check the Scan on Remote Agent box if you want to run a permissions scan from a remote machine. Then add the details of this remote agent.
Specify the Domain Controller – this can be the IP address or name of any domain controller Add the User Name and Password. This user must have at least the rights listed below to the folders:
List Folder/Read Data
Traverse Folder/Execute File
Read Permissions
Click Finish
The Data Set information is now displayed in the middle part of the screen:
From the Lepide Web Console Home Screen, select Lepide Trust
Report Exported to PDF Format
The Lepide Trust reports are displayed:
From the tree structure to the left of the screen, expand Risk Analysis
Select Stale Data Report and the Stale Data Report is displayed:
Click Generate Report
3.3.1 Add a Filter to Change the Number of Stale Days
Use the Stale Days filter to specify the number of days which you want to define as stale data. The default is 30 days but you can choose any number of days
Click the Filter icon and the Modify Filters dialog box will be displayed:
From here, click the Edit Filter icon next to Stale Days
Type in the number of days required and click Apply
Click Generate Report
The report can be sorted, filtered, and exported.
3.4 To Export the Report
The report can be exported by clicking the Export button to the top right of the screen
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6 min read
️ Updated Jul 24, 2026
