MMC Technology & Digital Records Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the NARA guidelines, what is the minimum requirement for a digital record to be considered an adequate substitute for a paper original?
- It must be printed and filed in a physical folder
- It must be reproducible in a format that can be read without special software (Correct answer)
- It must be stored on redundant servers in two geographic locations
- It must include a digital watermark for authentication
Correct answer: It must be reproducible in a format that can be read without special software
NARA requires that digital records be reproducible in a usable format so that the informational content is accessible without proprietary software dependencies.
Question 2: A municipal clerk receives a public records request for emails containing a specific keyword from the past three years. Which tool is most appropriate for fulfilling this request efficiently?
- Manual review of each email folder
- An e-discovery or enterprise search platform (Correct answer)
- Forwarding the request to the IT department without action
- Printing all emails and using a text highlighter
Correct answer: An e-discovery or enterprise search platform
E-discovery or enterprise search tools allow keyword-based searching across large email archives, making them the most efficient method for this type of request.
Question 3: Which standard is most commonly used to ensure long-term preservation of electronic documents in a format that is device- and software-independent?
- DOCX (ISO/IEC 29500)
- PDF/A (ISO 19005) (Correct answer)
- HTML5
- TIFF with LZW compression
Correct answer: PDF/A (ISO 19005)
PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of PDF designed for long-term archiving that prohibits features like encryption and font linking that could impede future access.
Question 4: When implementing an Electronic Records Management System (ERMS), what is the primary function of a file plan?
- To schedule automated backups of the server
- To provide a hierarchical structure for organizing and classifying records (Correct answer)
- To define user access permissions for each department
- To log all document edits and version changes
Correct answer: To provide a hierarchical structure for organizing and classifying records
A file plan provides the taxonomy and classification structure that organizes records within an ERMS, enabling consistent categorization and retrieval.
Question 5: A city council votes to adopt a new ordinance via a video-conferenced meeting. What is the clerk's most critical responsibility regarding the digital recording of that meeting?
- Upload the video to the city's social media page within 24 hours
- Ensure the recording captures all required elements and is retained per the applicable records schedule (Correct answer)
- Convert the video to DVD format for the permanent archive
- Delete the recording once the meeting minutes are approved
Correct answer: Ensure the recording captures all required elements and is retained per the applicable records schedule
The clerk must ensure the digital recording meets evidentiary and retention requirements under applicable open meetings law and the records retention schedule.
Question 6: Which cybersecurity practice is most critical for protecting municipal records systems from ransomware attacks?
- Disabling all remote access to the records server
- Maintaining offline, tested backups following the 3-2-1 rule (Correct answer)
- Installing antivirus software on the clerks' workstations only
- Requiring all staff to change passwords annually
Correct answer: Maintaining offline, tested backups following the 3-2-1 rule
The 3-2-1 backup strategy (3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite/offline) ensures records can be restored after a ransomware attack without paying a ransom.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a 'chain of custody' log in a digital records management system?
- To track which vendors supplied the storage hardware
- To document every person or system that has accessed or transferred a record (Correct answer)
- To record when retention periods expire for each document
- To list the software versions used to create each file
Correct answer: To document every person or system that has accessed or transferred a record
A chain of custody log documents every access, transfer, or modification event, which is essential for establishing the authenticity and integrity of records, especially in legal proceedings.
MMC Technology & Digital Records Systems 2
Under the NARA guidelines, what is the minimum requirement for a digital record to be considered an adequate substitute for a paper original?