The Dangers Associated with Tape Backup

With all the risks associated with tape backup compared to the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of cloud backup, you might feel like you’re still in the Stone Age.

Some of the risks associated with tape backup include:

• No standard system — Not only are there no standards when it comes to tape backup systems, but each system is proprietary. If a specific type of tape is suddenly unsupported, that tape’s entire library becomes obsolete.
• Breaking down — Tape degrades over time. If not stored properly, for example, the tape is subject to oxidation, and uneven stresses could stretch or distort it.
• Disaster strikes — If tape storage is kept in the same facility as the computer systems it backs up, a disaster could ruin both simultaneously.
• Keeping unnecessary data — Oftentimes, when data has been committed to tape and shipped to an offsite storage facility, it is forgotten, even after it should have been deleted. This could create problems for a company if a breach occurs, so companies will need to find a way to ensure this information is permanently erased.
• Deleting necessary data — On the flip side, deleting data that businesses still legally need to keep can lead to problems. There have been incidents in the past where enterprises have been required to produce historical data for auditing or investigative purposes, but were unable to do so because it had been erased — either intentionally or accidentally.
• Cost considerations — Generally, tape drives can cost as little as $350 or thousands of dollars. Also, since tapes have to be physically transferred to a secure vault, the cost of transporting and housing the tapes can increase your IT budget.
• The human factor — Since it is not completely automated, tape backup can fall victim to human error.

Modern backup solutions make sense not only for offering better protection to your data at better prices, but also for the added features that can be beneficial to your business. 2W Tech has IT consultants on staff that specialize in security solutions and can help discuss what solution is the best fit for your organization. Give us a call today.

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