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Using Blu-ray M-Disk as Backup of Last Resort

smyck.net79 points78 comments
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Describes a practical, low-tech scheme for decentralized, last-resort archival backups using Blu-ray M-Discs stored in tamper-evident sealed cases kept by trusted custodians. The approach targets a small set of truly critical data - digitized documents, curated photo albums, a music collection, and the essential information needed to rebuild a digital life - and fits that set on three M-Discs with the most critical files zipped and password-protected. Custodians receive compact, durable cases and a periodic refresh cycle (every 1-3 years) with an inspection ritual that checks seals and replaces media only when originals remain pristine; including the decryption password in a sealed box is presented as an option for legacy access.

Gives concrete build details: a B&W Outdoor Case Type 500 (about €33.74) sized for 3-6 jewel cases, layered 10 mm PE foam (Adam Hall Plastazote LD29) to prevent rattling, custom-printed label stickers, and plastic serialized tamper-evident seals (sourced from plomben.de) that break on opening and include barcode/serial numbers for visual verification. Adds an orange/green silica gel indicator for moisture detection. Acknowledges that seals could be forged by sophisticated attackers but treats the scheme as a practical, resilient compromise and names the system “Holocron” as an apt metaphor for durable, portable information storage.

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