Recommended Storage Practices at UW–Stout: Avoiding External Hard Drives

Risks of External Hard Drives

External hard drives present several limitations and risks that make them unsuitable as a primary storage solution for campus data:

• No integrated backup or redundancy: Data stored on external drives is typically stored in a single location with no automatic backup.
• Vulnerability to loss or damage: Devices can be lost, stolen, or physically damaged, resulting in permanent data loss.
• Limited security controls: External drives often lack enterprise-grade protections, increasing risk in cases of unauthorized access.
• No disaster recovery capability: In the event of major incidents—such as ransomware attacks, hardware failure, or natural disasters—data stored solely on an external drive cannot be centrally restored.

Preferred Storage Solution: OneDrive

UW–Stout’s preferred location for file storage is Microsoft OneDrive (OneDrive for Business).

Using OneDrive supports campus-wide data protection strategies and provides the following benefits:

• Automated backup and versioning: Files are continuously saved and previous versions can be restored if needed.
• Disaster recovery support: Data stored in OneDrive is included in UW–Stout’s disaster recovery processes, enabling restoration in the event of ransomware or other major incidents.
• Secure access controls: Integrated with campus authentication systems to ensure appropriate access.
• Anywhere access: Files are available securely from any approved device with internet access.
• Collaboration features: Supports file sharing and real-time collaboration with coworkers.
• Meets UW–Stout data protection and regulatory requirements: OneDrive is part of the university’s Microsoft 365 environment, which is configured to align with institutional, state, and federal requirements for protecting university data, including FERPA-regulated information.