Removable media

In computing, a removable media is a data storage media that is designed to be readily inserted and removed from a system.^[1] Most early removable media, such as floppy disks and optical discs, require a dedicated read/write device (i.e. a drive) to be installed in the computer,^[2] while others, such as USB flash drives, are plug-and-play with all the hardware required to read them built into the device, so only need a driver software to be installed in order to communicate with the device.^[3] Some removable media readers/drives are integrated into the computer case, while others are standalone devices that need to be additionally installed or connected.

Examples of removable media that require a dedicated reader drive include:

Optical discs, e.g. Blu-rays (both standard and UHD versions), DVDs,^[4] CDs
Flash memory-based memory cards, e.g. CompactFlash, Secure Digital, Memory Stick
Magnetic storage media
- Floppy and Zip disks (now obsolete)
- Disk packs (now obsolete)
- Magnetic tapes (now obsolete)
Paper data storage, e.g. punched cards, punched tapes (now obsolete)

Examples of removable media that are standalone plug-and-play devices that carry their own reader hardwares include:

USB flash drives^[5]
Portable storage devices
- Dedicated external solid state drives (SSD)
- Enclosured mass storage drives, i.e. modified hard disk drives (HDD)/internal SSDs
Peripheral devices that have integrated data storage capability
- Digital cameras
- Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and handheld game consoles
- Portable media players
Other external or dockable peripherals that have expandable removable media capabilities, usually via a USB port or memory card reader
- USB hubs
- Wired or wireless printers
- Network routers, access points and switches

Using removable media can pose some computer security risks, including viruses, data theft and the introduction of malware.^[6]

^ "Expandable storage- Glossary". CSRC. NIST. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^ Fisher, Tim (23 May 2019). "What Is an Optical Disk Drive?". Lifewire. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^ "USB Drives - How do they Work?". Data Recovery Specialists. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^ "Removable Hard Disk Drive". Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
^ "Who Invented the Flash Drive?". WhoInventedIt.net. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
^ "10 steps to cyber security - Removable media controls". National Cyber Security Centre. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

[1] "Expandable storage- Glossary". CSRC. NIST. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

[2] Fisher, Tim (23 May 2019). "What Is an Optical Disk Drive?". Lifewire. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

[3] "USB Drives - How do they Work?". Data Recovery Specialists. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

[4] "Removable Hard Disk Drive". Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-03-21.

[5] "Who Invented the Flash Drive?". WhoInventedIt.net. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2018.

[NCSC_10_steps-6] "10 steps to cyber security - Removable media controls". National Cyber Security Centre. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.

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