Write Once, Read Many Storage The ins and outs of WORM storage. Whether you are a B2B or B2C company, any eCommerce business requires an immense amount of digital data, and that data needs to be stored. Write once, read many storage (referred to as WORM storage) is a term that may come up as you look at your storage options for your business. WORM storage is a simple, long-standing idea that still holds a lot of weight in the computer science, online, and business worlds today, despite a worldwide move towards cloud-based storage. What is WORM Storage? WORM storage is at its heart, exactly what it sounds like: data can be saved onto it once, but read an infinite number of times. WORM drives have existed since even the early ages of computer technology, taking their form in punch cards and cartridges. Punch cards are actually the perfect illustration of WORM storage: you can punch a hole in the card, but you can not unpunch that hole. In today's world, we see WORM storage most commonly in the form of CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, and specialized flash memory cards and thumb drives. However, in the computer world there is some controversy about what can be considered WORM now, since many devices allow you to add files to a storage device even after it has been "written" without deleting the files already on the drive. Regardless of how strictly you define WORM storage, the basic idea is that once a file has been saved, it cannot be changed. What Are the Advantages of WORM Storage? There are many advantages of WORM storage. Many of these advantages lie in the realm of security. By using drives that do not let you change files, you have added an extra layer of protection for your records—guarding against both accidental damage and intentional tampering. This is especially important if you need HIPAA-compliant cloud storage. In an effort to prevent fraud, many companies utilize logging of all administrative activities and placing these logs on a WORM storage device ensures a level of safety and reliability for the logs. Furthermore, despite the convenience of the online cloud, backing up your data to a WORM device can create a valuable fail-safe in case your cloud storage malfunctions or experiences a security breach. Additionally, WORM storage devices can hold a lot of data on a small device for a fairly low cost. Plus, according to Moore's Law, WORM storage will continue to become cheaper, smaller, and hold more data as time progresses. What Should be Kept in Mind When Using WORM Storage? While WORM storage offers a business many advantages, there are still a few things to keep in mind. When using WORM storage, especially for archiving, you absolutely must have an action plan for how and when you will put information on the disk, and what information will be written to the disk. There may be some data that is better stored in a non-WORM disk or in the cloud. Consider how your company may want to use or modify each piece of information as it moves forward, and plan out how each part of your business will be stored. Be sure to have a functioning organizational system for your storage devices. Use labels and a method of naming your files to avoid losing track of which devices hold which information. Determine which size of WORM storage is best for you; if you find yourself constantly buying new disks, consider upgrading to a larger storage device or a storage device that allows you to add files without deleting them. Be smart about how you build your storage—do not begin unprepared. Clarity Can Help To build an eCommerce platform that uses WORM storage, or if you need assistance with implementing WORM storage techniques, contact us for a free quote today!