Posts Tagged ‘Digital’

When any organization decides it needs a plan for data storage the number of options can be confusing. There are four basic options for storing digital information. The choice of which option (or options) to use depends on several factors. These factors include type of information being stored, storage media, accessibility requirements and data security.

There are several different methods to store data. Among these are offsite storage, networked data storage and onsite storage. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages. The choice depends on several factors including how often the data needs to be retrieved.

Most home users simply leave their data on the machine where the data is created. This is the simplest and cheapest form of storage but it also has several weaknesses. Should the data be lost or corrupted by a hardware failure, malware, or theft there is no recovery possible. If the user performs basic and regular backups there is the possibility of recovering the information. For businesses, storing data on the PC or server is the least desirable option. The loss of data could have severe consequences.

At the least, any business or organization needs to perform regular backups of valuable data and store the backup media in a secure location. This means a safe or a secure drawer in a secure area. This protects against loss of data caused by a disk drive failure or theft of the machine on which the data is stored. The only cost is the backup drive and the media used to store the data. Regular backup plans often reuse the media on a standardized schedule.

A better option is to store copies of important data in an offsite location. This usually involves copying the data to storage media such as optical disks and renting secure storage space from a specialized vendor. The security of the information is as good as the storage vendor provides but data can be encrypted for even more security. Retrieval may require a few days to physically transfer the storage media back to the company so this may not be a good choice for files that are needed regularly or frequently.

The introduction of cloud-based data storage has been a boon for small to medium sized companies with digital data to be stored. This involves using the internet to access networked storage space on servers maintained by storage companies. The data can be saved on a regular basis and retrieval is quick and simple. There is usually a charge per Gigabit of storage space per month. Data compression can reduce the overall cost but may involve a retrieval speed penalty.

Making a decision about which data storage option to use requires a certain amount of research and shopping around. It is vital that the user understand the limitations that each storage option has. Data that needs to be accessed on a regular basis probably should not be stored in secure offsite storage. Costs vary widely among the options and among providers of each option. The security required by the type of data being stored must be understood.

If data storage companies are storing medical information the government regulations can be quite strict. To avoid fines or lawsuits the security is very important. Purchasing records or invoices may not be quite so sensitive. Proprietary product information must be protected against industrial espionage attacks.

Tape Guard is dedicated to providing total document and information management solutions, specializing in off-site data destruction, data relocation, certified data storage, and off-site data protection services.