You have important data that you need to keep safe. A USB flash drive seems to be the perfect solution. But how long do they last?
The lifespan of data on a USB flash drive depends on many factors: Under ideal conditions, data should remain preserved on a high-quality USB stick for at least 10 years or even longer. But what exactly does that mean and under what conditions does this hold true?
USB sticks or flash drives store data using NAND flash memory, in the form of binary values (zeros and ones) in memory cells. Interestingly, it is electrons trapped in a kind of “floating gate” that represent these values. But these electrons can “leak” over time. This causes the data to degrade because it becomes harder to read whether the charge state represents a one or a zero.
USB sticks are ideal for storing data quickly and easily. For long-term archiving, they bring with them too many confounding variables. Tapes or optical discs are better alternatives.
There are several factors that can influence the lifespan of data on a USB drive: The quality of the NAND flash memory plays a role, as does the general workmanship of the stick. Cheaper models usually also have a shorter lifespan. Another factor is the number of write cycles, which describes how often data can be written and deleted.
With an increasing number of write cycles, the probability of data deterioration increases. Extreme temperatures as well as unfavorable storage conditions such as high humidity or dust can also damage the lifespan of your data on the storage medium. If the stick is exposed to high temperatures for a long time, this can cause the electrons to “leak” faster, which can damage the data and lead to its loss.