Optical Duplication
Many organisations are now being encouraged to complete a comprehensive risk assessment to demonstrate to internal/external auditors that the business complies with whichever legislation may affect it (Sarbanes Oxley, Basel II, Companies Act etc.). When this risk assessment takes place, any organisation with data stored on an optical platter quickly realises that that this storage device, with either one or two copies of data retained in the same place, is no longer sufficient in providing a compliant solution.
The problem with Optical Platters
Back in the mid-1990s, in order to demonstrate compliance, business critical data was often held on optical platters due to its WORM (write once read many) properties. In addition to this, the optical platters boasted that the data would remain readable for one hundred years.
To demonstrate compliance back then, organisations needed to prove that the data had not been altered throughout its lifecycle - therefore the optical platter was the ideal solution. In many cases only one copy of the business critical data was held in the primary business location, and even when two copies were created, it was common practice for both to be held in the same location. This approach mitigated the risk of any problems that could occur with the storage solution. However in today’s environment of heightened risk as the result of terrorism and natural disaster, ensuring that a copy is stored at an alternative location is fundamental to any storage strategy.
I have an Optical Platter, I am at risk; what can I do?
eMag have a range of data services that can assist you in this scenario; the most common being a straightforward duplication of the data held on the optical platter. Should you need an alternative location for the storage of this alternative copy, eMag can help you with this also. We can also provide data conversion, recovery, restoration, extraction and data integrity audits to help you meet compliance requirements, reduce risk to your organisation and ensure data integrity in a crisis.
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