Tape Backup
Table of Contents
What is tape backup?
Tape backup is the process of utilizing physical tape as the destination for storing a backup copy of data for offsite storage for disaster recovery purposes.
How does tape backup work?
Tape backup involves backing up data often on-premises to physical tapes. A backup server is often needed not only on the on-premises side but having a backup node attached to the tape array/drive as well. The physical tapes are then typically driven and stored offsite to a different location in the event of a disaster at the primary location.
What are the advantages of tape backups?
There are multiple advantages to tape backups. Primarily, tape backups provide safe backups as physical tapes can be transmitted to a remote site away from the primary source and providing offsite data protection, while also enabling the availability of multiple copies of data.
By providing a remote copy or offsite copy, this helps with regulatory compliance. New EU regulations such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) for financial institutions have enforced new laws for organizations to be more vigilant in terms of their security measures. The new ruling includes enforcing financial institutions in the EU to ensure one copy of data is remote from the source.
Companies are also now leveraging cybersecurity insurance to protect their assets, and a part of the qualification process for obtaining cybersecurity insurance is ensuring you have a copy of data offsite.
Tape is a very dependable way to protect data. Today’s tape media often has a long shelf life of 15-30 years depending on a variety of factors while they are in storage such as temperature and humidity.
How secure are tape backups?
Backup data on tape is encrypted to protect them from being read by unauthorized users offering added security and protection. Encrypted tapes help to ensure that if the tapes get in the wrong hands at a remote site, they are protected from being readable by bad actors.