What is the term for copying data to a secure environment for future use?

The term that describes copying data to a secure environment for future use is known as data archival. This process involves transferring important data to a designated storage space where it can be preserved over time. Archiving data is essential for organizations to maintain historical records, comply with legal requirements, and free up more immediate storage resources for active data.

Data archival often includes additional measures to ensure the integrity, security, and accessibility of the archived data, making it readily retrievable when needed. It is an essential part of data management strategies, especially for sensitive or critical information that should be kept safe and intact for future reference or regulatory compliance.

In contrast, data storage generally refers to the act of saving data in any form without the implication of long-term preservation or security. Data sharing involves making data available to others, typically for collaboration or distribution, while data use relates to the active handling or manipulation of data for specific purposes. None of these options fully encapsulate the concept of preserving data securely for future retrieval in the same way that data archival does.