Collabware Blog

What is WORM-Compliant Storage, and How To Implement?

Written by Nadia Lepak | Apr 21, 2023 5:30:00 PM

What is WORM Compliance?

To be WORM compliant, organizations must  satisfy the record keeping rules requiring that data cannot be tampered in any possible way.

Organizations are working with higher volumes of business-critical information than ever, and achieving WORM compliance is important to ensure this content is fully secure for both regulatory and business best practice purposes.

WORM compliance requires WORM Storage. This article will breakdown:


What is WORM Storage?

Standing for ‘write once, read many’, WORM storage describes a method of storing data so it cannot be tampered with once created, meaning that data immutable once stored. Data can be written to the storage a single time, and afterwards no one can change that data in any way.

Therefore, to have WORM compliant storage, organizations must  have a system or solution in place that ensures these records cannot be rewritten or erased. While the content is unalterable, users with permissions must be able to easily access and read it.

 

Why is WORM important?

There are two main reasons why have this type of data storage is important:

1. Security

With data breach incidents on the rise, organizations have to make sure their content is protected. Write Once Read Many compliant storage provides a way to secure information in a form that no one can tamper with. 

2. Regulations

Reliable records created in WORM (write once, read many) format allow firms to meet their required regulatory standards and generally run a more accountable operation. We  delve into which regulations  in the following section.

 

Who is affected?

Organizations in finance, security and healthcare are legally required to have WORM compliant storage because they must adhere to SEC and HIPPA policy rules. However, need for this storage-type is not limited to these industries, as  WORM is often the required format to meet regulation wherever records need to be captured and retained. This includes industries abiding to:

Legal regulations aren’t the only reasons to make use of WORM compliant storage. WORM storage also makes sense for those needing to archive content and lock down material for any reasons, such as for legal holds or  security purposes

 

How to Implement WORM?

There are two ways to implement WORM storage:

1. Hardware

The first way is through hardware, using a physical medium such as tape to permanently keep data, with the only way to delete that information being  physical destruction of the WORM storage device.

Using hardware can run its own risks, such as loss or tampering with the physical storage device. The second option provides the stringent data security, without the threat of physical damage. 

2. Cloud-based Solutions

The second and increasingly popular method is the use of cloud-based solutions. Rather than relying on physical records (such as hard drives or physical papers), cloud-based WORM compliant storage protects data and makes it more easily accessible.

If you’re considering a cloud-based solution, you will need the right tool. Collabspace ARCHIVE provides ransomware proof, WORM storage in a secure data lake solution. This solution will ensure that all business-critical content is WORM-compliant to meet even the most stringent regulatory requirements. Interested?

Contact us with any questions or to get started. For more information, you can also read our blog article about additional Collabspace security measures we’ve taken to ensure stored content is fully protected, or download our free brochure to learn about Collabspace WORM storage, and its many other features: