Which criterion is used to assess off-site storage solutions?

Security is a primary criterion used to assess off-site storage solutions because stored backups must be protected against unauthorized access, theft, tampering, and data leakage. In Information Technology disaster recovery and business continuity planning, off-site backups often contain sensitive business records, customer information, and proprietary data. Therefore, evaluation typically includes physical security controls such as guarded facilities, access logs, surveillance, and secure transport, as well as logical security controls such as encryption, key management, and strong authentication. While redundancy and capacity can matter, security is often treated as a non-negotiable requirement because a backup that is exposed or altered can create major legal, financial, and operational risks. Device media refers to the type of storage, such as tape or disk, but it is usually considered a design choice rather than the main assessment criterion. Security also supports compliance requirements and helps ensure data integrity, so restored systems can be trusted. Therefore, the correct criterion for assessing off-site storage solutions is security.