1. A computer-implemented method for managing access to electronic documents, the computer-implemented method comprising: at a network device, detecting a request to access a particular electronic document stored on the network device; and in response to detecting the request to access the particular electronic document stored on the network device, retrieving document retention policy data that specifies a plurality of electronic document retention classifications and one or more deletion criteria for each electronic document retention classification from the plurality of electronic document retention classifications, determining that the particular electronic document belongs to a particular electronic document retention classification from the plurality of electronic document retention classifications, determining whether any of the one or more deletion criteria for the particular electronic document retention classification are satisfied, if any of the one or more deletion criteria for the particular electronic document retention classification are satisfied, then causing the particular electronic document to be deleted, if none of the one or more deletion criteria for the particular electronic document retention classification are satisfied, then retrieving document security policy data that specifies a plurality of document security classifications and one or more access criteria for each document security classification from the plurality of document security classifications, determining that the particular electronic document belongs to a particular document security classification from the plurality of document security classifications, determining, based upon one or more access criteria for the particular document security classification and one or more attributes of a user associated with the request to access the particular electronic document, whether the user is authorized to access the particular electronic document, and if the user is not authorized to access the particular electronic document, then preventing access to the particular electronic document.