50TB of native storage capacity and up to 150TB of compressed format capacity per cartridge .

Matt Ninesling , Senior Director of Tape Portfolio Management , Spectra Logic

When compared to other storage methods such as disk and cloud , tape not only maintains its cost-competitive edge but is also the dominant leader in affordability due to new developments in tape density .

While disk-based storage systems cater to the instantaneous demands of real-time operations , tape ’ s role as a secondary or tertiary storage tier meets the need to store AI training data and outputs for the long term .

Preservation of training data is crucial given recent lawsuits over the use of copyrighted materials for AI models and defamation litigation in response to false information generated by AI chatbots .

Moreover , these long-term archives must be accessible and searchable .

The introduction of S3-compatible object-based tape makes today ’ s tape technology the ideal building block for such archives . Object-based tape is highly scalable , searchable and can even be tagged for future retrieval .

In the case of catastrophic data loss or corruption , AI training data archived on tape provides for a reliable means of recovery . Tape can be stored offline , making it less susceptible to accidental deletions through true air-gapped protection . Archiving AI training data on tape also ensures data remains intact and can be successfully retrieved if , and when , it is needed .

The role of tape in cybersecurity

Another significant factor propelling the resurgence of tape technology is the

AI is expected to heighten the near-term impact of the global ransomware threat . Over the next two years , organisations can expect with an almost certain likelihood that AI will increase the volume and impact of cyberattacks , as reported by the UK ’ s National Security Centre . As threat actors are able to analyse exfiltrated data faster and more effectively , the assessment predicts they will use this data to train AI models to enhance existing tactics , techniques and procedures .

Tape storage technology , with its airgapped nature , provides the most resilient layer of protection against such threats , ensuring that the data remains secure and accessible in the event of an attack . Modern tape solutions that incorporate an object storage interface are particularly useful as a secondary storage target for S3-compatible applications . A mainspring

escalating importance of data security . Amid the increasing frequency and sophistication of ransomware attacks , tape ' s offline nature provides a robust defence , making it an invaluable asset across diverse sectors .

of modern data protection , object-based tape allows organisations to maintain traditional methods of backup while simultaneously deploying S3-compatible applications in a single infrastructure . The technology is often seen in large backup

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