The term data rot is used to describe the loss and decay over time of digital data. There are dozens of causes for it, from natural disasters to computer viruses. No current storage method is able to defend against all of these threats. Today, digital storage falls into two primary categories:
Personal Solutions – Computers, CDs, External Hard Drives, Flash Drives, etc.
Any one of these solutions may provide a convenient way to store data. However, each of them is far too fragile and ephemeral to be considered reliable in the long–term.
Chances are you’ve lost or scratched a CD before; if you pull a flash drive from a computer at the wrong time, everything on it can be deleted in an instant; and a single keystroke can delete a computer file forever. Even if these devices survive human error, they will still degrade/crash within a few years and they will all become obsolete with newer technology, anyway. These solutions are nothing more than temporary fixes. In the end, you’ll repurchase more undependable storage for the same data, time and time again.
Above all, no matter how careful you are with your storage, Mother Nature will always be a threat. Disasters like Katrina and the devastating west coast wild fires did more than destroy thousands of homes. Countless families and businesses lost irreplaceable data as well. Computers, CDs, external hard drives and everything else the victims depended on were damaged beyond repair, destroying their hard work and treasured memories forever.
Professional Services – Online backup services, Social networking sites, etc.
In general, online backup services are more dependable than external storage devices due to their defenses against physical damage, loss, and theft. However, once your data is uploaded it is subject to their terms of the service. Almost every storage site directly states that they may change their terms of service or delete your information whenever they want – and they do. In early 2009, Kodak changed its terms and consequently deleted thousands of users’ accounts and photos. Most online services also charge annual subscriptions payments, minimum purchase requirements or other recurring fees. If you miss a payment, your data can be deleted.
The most unavoidable threat to online sites is business failure. No business can guarantee its solvency indefinitely. XDrive and Photo.com, for instance, both failed due to untenable business models. Yahoo! Pictures closed due to Yahoo!’s acquisition of Flickr. Every account was terminated, every file deleted forever.
Threats to your data are everywhere. Storage devices can never be relied on to truly secure your digital information. You can pay to backup online, but you still have to worry about the solvency of the service itself. The Foundation for Data Permanence believes in a better a solution. By providing only the finest managed storage services with our patent-pending continuity protection, the FDP can help provide consumers and businesses with safe, perpetual data storage. Learn how it works.
