Keep it only as long as it serves a purpose, and no longer. For most security chats that means a short, fixed period, with anything needed as evidence copied into the ticket in redacted form. History that sits unreviewed for years is a store of sensitive material that someone else can reach.
Why this deserves a rule
A security chat may include vulnerable code, unpatched findings, internal names and sometimes credentials pasted in a hurry. OWASP recommends clear policies on data retention, usage and deletion for LLM use. Without one, history accumulates by default.
Know where history lives
| Location | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| The assistant provider's account | How long is history kept, who can see it, can it be deleted? |
| Browser or app local storage | Is the device managed and encrypted? |
| Shared workspaces or shared links | Who has access, do links expire? |
| Your own logging or proxy | What is stored, who reads it? |
| Exported transcripts in tickets | Are they redacted? |
Read your provider's current documentation for the account type you use, since settings and terms differ by plan and change over time. Do not assume.
A simple retention rule
- Working chats: delete when the task closes, or after a short fixed period you choose.
- Evidence: copy the minimum into the ticket, redacted. The ticket is the record.
- Incident related chats: keep under the incident process, with access limited to the response team, until the review closes.
- Never keep: chats containing secrets. Rotate the secret and delete the chat.
Shared links
Shared conversation links can outlive the work. Prefer not to create them for security content. If you must, set expiry where possible, and list outstanding links in a periodic review.
Deletion is not instant everywhere
Deleting a chat in a user interface may not remove copies held under the provider's own retention terms or in backups. If this matters, ask in writing what deletion means for your plan. Questions to ask are in zero data retention, what to ask your LLM provider.
Review cadence
Once a quarter, ask each person to clear old working chats and confirm that no shared links remain. It takes minutes and keeps the stock of sensitive history low.
Legal holds
If a legal hold or investigation applies, deletion may be restricted. Check with your legal contact before purging anything related to it.
Where Safeguard fits
Safeguard's scanning and compliance evidence automation keeps findings and evidence inside the workspace, which reduces the need to keep them in chat history. Free scan: https://gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
Is turning off history enough?
It helps, but read what your plan says about retention for safety or abuse review, and about any server side copies.
Where should the long term record live?
In the ticket or case system, redacted, with an owner and retention period.
Sources
- OWASP GenAI, LLM02:2025 Sensitive Information Disclosure: https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm022025-sensitive-information-disclosure/
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
