The Texas State Library and Archives Commission requires each state agency to provide for the economical and efficient storage, accessibility, protection, and final disposition of vital records. It is important to identify and take adequate steps to protect confidential and vital records, in order to rapidly retrieve records from backup convenience copies after a disaster.

TxDOT has a legal responsibility to protect all records; however, confidential, vital, or essential records require extra consideration and protection because they are the records that are necessary to resume or continue essential business operations in the event of a business disruption.

The risk management process involves understanding the business impact, risk analysis and assessment of records to determine the proper strategy to protect vital records. Methods of protection will vary depending on the format of the vital or essential record and the accessibility timeframe.