Storing external hard drive in a safe

[TheArchitect77]

I'm planning to buy an external hard drive to back up some of my files. I have also considered some good measures on keeping my back in a good location. I have seen that a lot of stores carry safes for the storage of what ever is important. Is it okay to store an external hard drive along with other digital media in a safe? Will the external drive wear down with it being in such an enclosed place?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I suspect a safe would be as good a choice as any to store a drive in assuming the temperature was acceptable.

But--I think you should try to keep at least one set of backups at a completely different location than your PC if possible.

The safe might prevent a theft, but it won't protect you from fire, flood, etc.

And if the safe is small enough to be stolen, it's useless anyway.

 

[pincushion]

I suspect a safe would be as good a choice as any to store a drive in assuming the temperature was acceptable.

But--I think you should try to keep at least one set of backups at a completely different location than your PC if possible.

The safe might prevent a theft, but it won't protect you from fire, flood, etc.

And if the safe is small enough to be stolen, it's useless anyway.

You can get safes that do this - for a limited time period at least - and some can be fixed in place. I use a portable one for my backups but that I know is vulnerable to theft. At least I have the option of taking it with me if necessary.

 

[Corazon]

The question is: Do you want to protect the drive or do you want to prevent the data on it from being stolen?

If you don't care about the physical drive being stolen then encryption might be a better answer.

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux

 

[SledgeDG]

The only way an external drive wears down while not in use is excessive heat, moisture or strong magnetic fields.
I store all backups for the whole company in a safe on site. (plus one set off site). We do that for now over 15 years without the slightest problem. (Granted that's a safe you couldn't even move with a fork lift I personally don't trust encryption since I'm not convinced that the backup would be usable in each and every odd situation (say your hardware totally changes because the building burned down, or for some reason a bit on the HDD flipped in a critical area etc.) That data is vital for the existence of the company and I'm not willing to take any chances.
For less important stuff it'll be fine to have one set stored away and perhaps another set in grandma's dresser
-DG

 

[TheArchitect77]

Nice, I appreciate the feedback from all of you. I do realize they sell fire proof safes at reasonable prices. I know portable safes can also be stolen more easier, but I plan on storing it in a safe location and probably embed it in a fixed spot.

 

[pparks1]

For me, I prefer to keep the data off site. I keep 2 external hard drives and I always have at least 1 that is offsite. A fire rated safe is better than not having one, but you have to be aware that they are only fireproof for a limited amount of time. For example,

This First Alert 2.13 cubic foot fire safe is UL classified for 1 hour to withstand an external temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit while maintaining an internal temperature of less than 350 degrees. The safe has been tested by an independent testing lab and verified to protect digital media including memory sticks, CD’s, DVD’s and external hard drives.

 

[Overtkill]

Get a good fire rated safe. There are also ways to prevent theft as many safes have options like being able to bolt them to the floor from the inside. Especially to something substantial like a concrete floor in a secure location that isn't the wiring closet. Do your best to secure this area and disguise the safe in a cabinet or something.

A good backup plan as so many of these folks have pointed out is critical if you really value your data. the 3-2-1 rule for example.. 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of media, with 1 existing in an offsite location. A very effective and very simple method.

Thanks for reading...

-Overt.

 

[Corazon]

I personally don't trust encryption since I'm not convinced that the backup would be usable in each and every odd situation (say your hardware totally changes because the building burned down, or for some reason a bit on the HDD flipped in a critical area etc.) That data is vital for the existence of the company and I'm not willing to take any chances.

You're entitled to your opinion of course and it's probably wise since you're responsible for an entire company's data - but I do trust it completely and feel that I have no need to worry about the risk of corruption. Each 16-byte block of data is individually encrypted, so even if one bit should flip, it only affects a fraction of a sector on the disk. If a bit flips on an unencrypted sector, it'll throw a checksum error, and that happens practically never...

 

[mjf]

In theory a metal safe should act as a Faraday cage protecting your HDD from external electromagnetic waves. Probably good for really long term storage.

 

[lhorwinkle]

Faraday cage not needed. You'd be hard pressed to erase anything on your drive with any magnet in your possession because the magnetic surface has a VERY high magnetic reluctance. Erasure happens only in the movies. No worries.

TheArchitect77: As for data safety, you haven't yet mentioned the reason for your concerns. The type of data you're archiving, the value of the data, your requirements for recovering the data when needed ... these things and more must be considered before choosing a solution. Can you elaborate?

 

[mjf]

Faraday cage not needed. You'd be hard pressed to erase anything on your drive with any magnet in your possession because the magnetic surface has a VERY high magnetic reluctance. Erasure happens only in the movies. No worries.

Probably correct. It is unlikely to accidently happen since you need ~1 Telsa flux density. It doesn't just happen in the movies. Step 2 must be for purists.

 

[Zepher]

For me, I prefer to keep the data off site. I keep 2 external hard drives and I always have at least 1 that is offsite. A fire rated safe is better than not having one, but you have to be aware that they are only fireproof for a limited amount of time. For example,

This First Alert 2.13 cubic foot fire safe is UL classified for 1 hour to withstand an external temperature of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit while maintaining an internal temperature of less than 350 degrees. The safe has been tested by an independent testing lab and verified to protect digital media including memory sticks, CD’s, DVD’s and external hard drives.

How about putting your small fire proof safe in a watertight ziplock bag and then put it in the reservoir of a toilet in your house?

 

[pparks1]

How about putting your small fire proof safe in a watertight ziplock bag and then put it in the reservoir of a toilet in your house?

Now this is a solid idea. Great thinking.

 

[Corazon]

A solid idea or a soiled idea? That's the question...

 

[SledgeDG]

LOL that depends on which part of the toilet you're actually using for your "business"

 

[pincushion]

I was wondering - boiled or steamed - how do you like your data?