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By Root 3014 0

know that CD-RW (offering the ability to write) has surpassed CD-R and is now being eclipsed by read and write DVD. The enormous storage capacity of DVD/DVD-R, and its ease of use, is quickly making it a favorite when it comes to holding large amounts of important data. A single-layer DVD can store approximately seven times what a CD can (4.7GB), which makes it much more convenient for large backups and archives.

Diskettes

Most computer systems provide the capability to accept floppy and other types of diskettes. Diskettes have properties similar to hard drives, although they usually store smaller amounts of data. They’re one of the primary carriers of computer viruses, and they can be used to make copies of small files from hard disks.

Diskette drives are rugged and can take all kinds of physical abuse. However, if the media in the drive is scratched, the data will be lost. Diskettes are also sensitive to erasure by magnetic fields.

Flash Cards

Flash cards, also referred to as memory sticks, are small memory cards that can be used to store information. A system that has a flash card interface usually treats flash cards like a hard drive. Flash cards can carry viruses, and they can be used to steal small amounts of information from systems that support them.

Flash cards are coming down in price and are becoming standard on many computer systems. Most PDA devices accept flash cards, making them susceptible to viruses that are targeted at PDAs.

Hard Drives

Hard drives today are small and can store a great deal of data. Usually, hard drives can be quickly removed from systems, and portable hard drives can be easily attached. Software that creates an exact copy, or image, of a drive can be used to download a system onto a hard drive in minutes. Many of the hard drives available today use USB or parallel ports to connect, and most operating systems will install them automatically using Plug and Play technology.

An attacker can attach a USB hard drive and then copy files from a workstation; this can happen in a matter of minutes with little possibility of detection. Another aspect of hard drive security involves the physical theft or removal of the drives. If a drive containing key information is stolen, it may be difficult to replace unless a recent backup has been performed. Hard drives are also susceptible to viruses because they’re the primary storage devices for most computers. Additionally, hard drives are susceptible to vibration damage—dropping a hard drive will usually result in premature failure of the unit.

Network Attached Storage

Not all removable media needs to be directly connected to the workstation. There is growing acceptance of network attached storage in businesses today for such purposes as backups, archives, and just allowing storage to grow. Most network attached storage (NAS) devices are simply computers dedicated to the task of storing files for users on the network. The users connect to the NAS units typically through Network File System (NFS) or Server Message Blocks (SMB) communication with network file servers.

An excellent whitepaper on using NAS to address file storage growth can be found at http://www.sun.com/storagetek/white-papers/IDC_NAS_FINAL_112906.pdf.

Smart Cards

Smart cards are generally used for access control and security purposes. The card itself usually contains a small amount of memory that can be used to store permissions and access information.

Smart cards are difficult to counterfeit, but they’re easy to steal. Once a thief has a smart card, they have all the access the card allows. To prevent this, many organizations don’t put any identifying marks on their smart cards, making it harder for someone to utilize them. A password or PIN is required to activate many modern smart cards, and encryption is employed to protect the contents.

Many European countries are beginning to use smart cards instead of magnetic-strip credit cards because they offer additional security and can contain more information.

When you think of a smart card,