/ slightly off topic

In my experience, if you have a problem with a procedure such as backing up, this may well extend beyond your short term security backups.

think the main thing with authoring a good tape backup procedure is the ability to verify data and then the means of data retrieval, I worked a place one time where their script was off and data was not being written correctly. If they never test the integrity of the back up as well as proper means of data recovery, the backup is useless.
This is an excellent point, and key to the whole issue. Many years ago we were doing a major upgrade to an IBM mid-range machine. We bought brand new "top quality" media and made two sets of backups. When we tested them, neither would have worked because there were some "dud" media items in both sets..............even though the stuff was fresh out of the box

Lastly, I could add that it is also important to define the MAXIMUM RETENTION PERIOD wherein the DATA should be kept for security purposes. And backup tapes sometimes worn-out, you have to consider it as well.
If I were going to be pedantic, I would say that this should be FIRST.............define your requirements then design the processes and procedures to satisfy them.

I once worked in an environment where we received a transactions tape each week which we processed and paid the supplier. Our system would reject claims that did not belong to us.

Now, the supplier only kept records for three months, and the detail for one week, and I discovered that the people who should have paid could not be billed, because of the missing detail.

Now they used to moan about me retaining their tapes (cost about $700 per year) but soon went quiet when I designed a little system, entered my retained data, and put $235,000 on their bottom line. For some strange reason their EVP Finance trusted me and my development team more than he did his entire IT department

So, my message is: perhaps you should look at your entire organisation's data retention and recovery requirements, as you may have problems elswhere that no-one knows about?

Cheers