SanDisk’s WORM Secure Digital Card Retains Data for up to 100 Years

I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I don’t think I’d ever bet against the idea that people like to back up their data and keep it secure. It seems like a given, not just a minor thought. I’d like to think I have a bullet-proof back-up scheme, because I’ve lost data before, and I know just how frustrating it can be, especially when typical recovery methods can’t help you.

Simply keeping care of your data isn’t enough for long-time considerations, though. How often do you have a hard drive actually live as long as its expectancy rating? I don’t know about you, but I generally have a hard time reaching a full three years with any hard drive, simply because my PC easily operates at above 99% uptime (I know this because I rarely turn it off for more than a minute or two). That’s where the issue of data integrity comes into play, a growing concern for those who store gigabytes, and even terabytes, of important data.

The issue is that most current data-storing methods are not designed to outlast our lives on this planet, and even CD-ROMs have been claimed to begin having issues after 25 years. So what about important – I mean real important – data? We’re talking forensic and other data that police bureau’s need to have on hand for as long as possible.

That’s where SanDisk’s “WORM” lends its hand. The term stands for “Write Once, Read Many”, and refers to the fact that as soon as data is written, it’s there to stay, just like on a non-recordable CD or DVD. Except here, life expectancy is also improved, with the company’s WORM SD cards able to store data, most commonly images, for up to 100 years. Yes, I’d like to think that’s long enough for most things.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of it, but what I plan to do is in the nearer-future (~5 years), re-backup all of my real important optical discs simply by cloning them. That way the data is freshly written, and the degradation timer is reset. Admittedly, for discs, that’s not difficult. It’s another thing when we’re talking about terabytes of data, but given data prices and densities today, it might not be a real problem for most.

The SanDisk SD WORM card meets the new archival demands for mobility, long-term preservation, data integrity and ease of use. SanDisk’s proprietary SD WORM controller technology instantly protects any files written to the device, preventing the alteration or deletion of stored data. The card stores files safely for up to 100 years*, as shown by accelerated data retention internal testing, and delivers a lower total cost of ownership compared to other archival media.