protect your digital media with firesafe media vaultsWe live in a world of constant change and a rapidly expanding technological environment. Digital media is very quickly replacing paper records; in fact, many businesses now keep approximately 93% of their business documents as digital records, with only 30% of them ever committed to paper. While digital media is extremely convenient, it’s equally important to ensure that you’re able to protect your digital media and vital records. Not doing so could be the difference between business success and failure.

Digital media is fragile and can become unreadable in just a few short years if exposed to high heat, humidity, strong magnetic fields, or other adverse conditions during storage. Even in normal conditions, a hard drive typically only lasts about 4-5 years. If stored under proper humidity and temperature control, however, the lifespan can be increased to 15-30 years on backup tapes.

How Important Is It To Protect Your Digital Media, Really?

Still not convinced? Consider that improper storage of digital media could lead you to costly legal trouble. Corporate officers are ultimately responsible for protecting their organization’s vital records, no matter what form they’re in. Legislation from HIPAA and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has attached large fines and in some cases even criminal punishment of up to ten years in prison for the failure to protect vital business documents, medical records, and digital media.  Failure to produce required information as outlined by Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will result in a summary judgment in the negligent organization, which could cost millions in compensatory damages and punitive fees.

fireproof vaults protect your digital mediaAnd we still haven’t covered the potential for natural disasters, theft, or tampering. Standard concrete vaults worked fine for paper records, but are ineffective for digital media or servers. They don’t protect against electromagnetic fields. In the event of a fire, escaping steam from the concrete will raise temperatures in the vault to 212° and relative humidity to a 100%; digital media is destroyed at temperatures greater than 125° and relative humidity above 80%. Concrete vaults also can’t be moved in case you move facilities, or just want to move the location of the vault. Many of them also can’t be installed on-site, which only increases your offsite storage spending.

So if you need to protect and properly store your digital media, but concrete vaults won’t cut it, then what are you supposed to do?

The solution is simple: modular, UL Class 125 spun ceramic fireproof vaults. Despite their name, they don’t just protect against fires and other natural disasters. The vaults provide precise humidity and temperature control; protect against electromagnetic fields with magnetic shielding; are pre-designed with integrated dust and vapor-resistant lighting, humidity control, and fire suppression systems that are not harmful to equipment, media, the environment, or employees; and are completely modular and lightweight so they can be installed on an upper floor or moved to a new location at any time.  Unlike concrete vaults, fireproof vaults are specifically designed for the protection of your vital digital media, servers, priceless archival items, and more.

Where Can I Learn More About Protecting My Digital Media?

Want to learn more? Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for specialized fireproof digital media vaults to ensure the protection of your vital records. We will also provide a free consultation to help determine if these vaults are right for you. For more information or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.