Tape is boring until custody breaks

Long-term archives depend on humans handing physical media between controlled rooms. When custody logs slip, auditors ask uncomfortable questions even if checksums pass.

Build rotation schedules that acknowledge holidays and unionized shifts. Pair each courier route with a secondary contact and photograph seals only when policy allows—never as theater without substance.

If you migrate toward cloud immutability, keep tape discipline alive until the last reel ages out; hybrid risk lasts longer than project plans admit.