Making backups on tape is a traditional method which is regaining popularity, especially since the surge in ransomware attacks. Tape is the ideal solution here, because your backup is not connected to the internet and so is impossible for cybercriminals to access, as long as it is held securely in a reliable location. In addition, your tape is also stored off-site.
We would like to use this article to tell you more about why tape is an interesting medium for your backups and how the backup works.
Tape backup: sustainable and cost-efficient
Besides the abovementioned advantages of having an offline and off-site backup on tape, there are even more positive aspects. In the first place, storing tapes is considerably cheaper than if you were to opt for storing your data in the cloud, certainly in the long term. The initial cost is possibly a little higher, but this is a one-time cost, whereas you continue to pay monthly for cloud storage.
Secondly, a backup on tape produces significantly fewer CO2-eq emissions (the effect of carbon dioxide equivalents on global warming) compared to storage on a hard disk. Moreover, the manufacturer guarantees a service life for tapes of no less than 30 years. This makes tape a cost-efficient and sustainable solution for your backups.
How does a tape backup work?
- Backupned offers two options for putting your data on tape: You make the physical backups yourself. Obviously, we supply the tapes onto which you can write your backups. We come and exchange them according to a previously arranged schedule. The tapes are then transported to the storage location in a low-profile manner.
- You send the data online to our depot: you transfer the data to one of our underground bunkers via an ultra-secure connection. This can be done using a wide range of backup software packages, such as Veeam, Commvault and Tivoli. We ensure that your data is put on tape and transported securely to the storage location.
Your tapes are transported by inconspicuous motorbikes, cars or – in urgent cases – by helicopter, always in our secure ‘bubble’. Our depots where we store your backups are modern, underground bunkers in a secret, inconspicuous location. All this ensures that your tapes are well protected against disasters such as fire, a cyberattack or break-ins.
The thousands of backup tapes from a wide range of customers are always fully traceable because we make use of TapeTracer. This solution was developed in-house and ensures that all the tapes are stored in a structured manner and can be traced. It provides you with a real-time view of the tapes in our depot and all the handling activities, which is essential for internal and external audits.
Data recovery with a tape
Should you need the stored data unexpectedly, you can reach us 24/7, 365 days a year. If you have made your own physical backups (as described in point 1) we will deliver the data physically to you within three hours. If your own backup environment is lost due to a disaster such as a fire, we can even deliver the data as you wrote it to tape on a medium previously agreed with you.
If you use option 2, we can make your data available to you again in line with the same secure protocols under which you sent the data to us. In extreme cases we can assist you to set up a new backup environment. As such, you always have a secure copy of your data to fall back on, whenever and wherever you need it.
Want more information about backups on tape? Feel free to get in touch, we’re happy to help.
