Question 1

What is offline secure storage?

Accepted Answer

Offline secure storage keeps your data on physically disconnected hardware. Unlike cloud storage or network-attached systems, offline storage cannot be reached by remote attackers because there is no network connection to exploit. Firevault systems remain physically disconnected until you specifically request access.

Question 2

How is this different from backup?

Accepted Answer

Backup creates copies of data that remains online and reachable. Firevault removes the original reachability. Your data is not just copied, it is protected by physical disconnection. When attackers breach your network, backups connected to that network are vulnerable. Offline storage is not.

Question 3

What does 'physically disconnected' mean?

Accepted Answer

Physically disconnected means there is a physical separation between your data and any network. The gap is the literal absence of any network connection. This is the same principle used to protect classified government systems and critical infrastructure.

Question 4

How is Firevault different from cloud storage?

Accepted Answer

Cloud storage keeps your data on internet connected servers, accessible around the clock, which also means attackers can attempt access around the clock. Firevault stores your data offline by default, connecting only when you verify your identity and request access. When you are done, the connection is severed.

Question 5

Why not just use an external hard drive?

Accepted Answer

An external hard drive gives you physical control, but no encryption, no identity verification, no redundancy, no succession planning, and no protection from fire, theft, or damage. Firevault combines physical disconnection with Quantum Key Encryption, AES-256 hardware encryption, RAID 1 redundancy, and CNI-grade facilities. It is the security of offline with none of the fragility.

Question 6

What does 'unreachable' mean?

Accepted Answer

Unreachable means your data has no IP address, no network path, and no standing connection. It cannot be pinged, scanned, or targeted remotely. This is fundamentally different from firewalled or encrypted data which is still technically reachable. You cannot breach what is not connected.

Question 7

How do I get started with Firevault?

Accepted Answer

Start by exploring our Solutions page to find the right protection for your needs, or use the OSS Concierge to answer a few quick questions about what must survive. We will recommend the right Offline Secure Storage instance for you. From there, you complete identity verification (Know Your Customer), set up Multi-Factor Authentication, and your vault is provisioned on dedicated hardware within a Firevault Bunker.

Question 8

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

Once you have completed identity verification and chosen your vault, provisioning typically takes a few working days. Your dedicated hardware is configured, encrypted, and tested before you receive access credentials.

Question 9

Do I need any special software?

Accepted Answer

No. Firevault is accessed through a secure web interface. There is no software to install, no plugins, and no dependencies. You just need a modern browser and your verified credentials.

Question 10

Can I migrate data from my existing cloud provider?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Once your vault is active, you can upload files directly through the Firevault file manager. For large migrations, our team can assist with secure bulk transfer options to move data from existing cloud providers, NAS devices, or local storage.

Question 11

Is there a minimum commitment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All Vault plans require a 36-month commitment. This reflects the dedicated hardware, physical infrastructure, and long-term protection that Firevault provides. It is not a software subscription that can be spun up and down. Your vault is real, physical, and yours.

Question 12

Can I access my data when I need it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Access frequency depends on your vault plan, some plans include scheduled access windows, while others offer more flexible availability. When you connect, access requires your verified identity, and once you are done, the connection is severed again. Your data is available when you need it, protected when you do not.

Question 13

What happens if I lose access?

Accepted Answer

Firevault includes succession and continuity planning. You can designate successors, set up delegate access, and ensure your data remains accessible through life transitions. Our secure recovery processes are designed to help you regain access without compromising security.

Question 14

Can I share access with others?

Accepted Answer

Firevault supports controlled access delegation. You can authorise specific individuals to access your vault under defined conditions. All access is logged and auditable, giving you complete visibility over who accessed what and when.

Question 15

How do I verify my identity?

Accepted Answer

Firevault uses multi-factor authentication combined with KYC (Know Your Customer) identity verification. This includes something you know (password) and something you have (device), ensuring secure and verified access to your data.

Question 16

What is the difference between on-demand and scheduled access?

Accepted Answer

LUV, the 300GB occasional-use vault, includes one nominated access day each week, with a 12-hour access window on that day. All higher tiers include 24/7 on-demand access, meaning you can connect whenever you need to. Both models maintain full physical disconnection between sessions.

Question 17

Can someone at Firevault access my data?

Accepted Answer

Ready-to-buy tiers (LUV 300GB and Vault 300GB–8TB) are protected by Quantum Key Encryption with hardware-level AES-256 at rest by default, and you can bring your own keys optionally. Storage (20TB–300TB) and Enterprise (300TB+) are designed around your processes, where customer-provided keys are typical, so decryption material stays with you. Our team can manage the physical infrastructure and connectivity, but the environment is physically disconnected by default.

Question 18

How secure is the encryption?

Accepted Answer

Firevault uses Quantum Key Encryption combined with hardware level AES-256 encryption. Quantum-safe encryption protects against both current and future threats, while AES-256 secures data at rest at the hardware level. But encryption is just one layer. Physical disconnection means there is no network path for attackers to even attempt to break. Encryption protects the data; physical disconnection prevents access entirely.

Question 19

What happens if Firevault is breached?

Accepted Answer

Even if our management systems were compromised, your data remains protected. The storage systems themselves are physically isolated and require verified physical access. An attacker would need to physically locate and access the hardware, and then still break the encryption.

Question 20

Is my data encrypted in transit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When you do access your vault, all data transfer uses end-to-end encryption with TLS 1.3. However, the key protection is that this transfer window is extremely brief compared to always-online systems.

Question 21

Who has access to my encryption keys?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the tier. Ready-to-buy tiers (LUV 300GB and Vault 300GB–8TB) ship with Quantum Key Encryption at rest by default, with the option to bring your own keys. Storage (20TB–300TB) and Enterprise (300TB+) are designed around customer processes, where customer-provided keys are typical, so decryption material stays with you.

Question 22

What is Quantum Key Encryption and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

Quantum Key Encryption uses quantum-safe algorithms for encryption, protecting your data against both current computing threats and future quantum computing attacks. Traditional encryption methods may become vulnerable as quantum computers advance. Firevault is already protected against this, so your data remains secure for decades to come.

Question 23

What is the Layer 1 out-of-band control plane?

Accepted Answer

Firevault's control plane, the system that physically connects and disconnects your vault, operates entirely outside of any network. It has no IP address, no network connection, and no admin interface. This is a world first. It means the mechanism that controls access to your data cannot itself be attacked remotely. Physics, not promises.

Question 24

Has Firevault ever been breached?

Accepted Answer

No. Firevault has zero successful breaches since launch. This is not luck. It is architecture. You cannot remotely breach a system that is not remotely connected. Our track record reflects the fundamental advantage of physical disconnection over software-only security.

Question 25

Where are Firevault Bunkers located?

Accepted Answer

Firevault Bunkers are CNI-grade (Critical National Infrastructure) secure colocation facilities. Each facility meets the physical security standards required for sensitive government and defence operations, including 24/7 monitoring, biometric access controls, and environmental protections.

Question 26

Is my data on shared infrastructure?

Accepted Answer

No. Every Firevault customer has dedicated physical hardware. Your vault is not a partition on a shared server or a virtual volume in a data centre. It is actual, physical hard drives assigned exclusively to you. No other customer's data touches your hardware.

Question 27

What happens if the hardware fails?

Accepted Answer

All Firevault vaults use RAID 1 mirroring, meaning your data is written to two independent drives simultaneously. If one drive fails, your data remains fully intact on the second. Failed drives are replaced and rebuilt without any data loss or interruption to your service.

Question 28

What about fire, flood, or physical damage?

Accepted Answer

Firevault Bunkers are built to withstand environmental threats including fire, flood, and power failure. Facilities include fire suppression systems, flood defences, redundant power supplies, and backup generators. Your data is more physically protected in a Firevault Bunker than in any office, home, or commercial data centre.

Question 29

Can I visit the facility where my data is stored?

Accepted Answer

Facility visits can be arranged for enterprise customers under controlled conditions. All visits require advance booking, identity verification, and are escorted by Firevault personnel. This is part of our commitment to transparency while maintaining the security of all customers.

Question 30

What is the difference between Vault and Storage?

Accepted Answer

Firevault offers two product families: Offline Secure Storage (OSS) and Control. Within OSS, Vault is designed for individuals, directors, and families protecting personal documents, liability files, and sensitive records. Storage is for businesses requiring offline protection for workloads and archives. Control provides visibility and governance tools for managing who accesses what.

Question 31

What is Butterfly?

Accepted Answer

Butterfly is our enterprise deployment methodology for organisations deploying Vaults at scale. It uses the VPPP framework (Vault, Policy, Permissions, Purpose) to assign dedicated Vaults across four zones: Executive, External, Client, and Archive.

Question 32

What is Control?

Accepted Answer

Control is our modular platform for regulated organisations that need physical control over data paths and access. It sits within our Control product family and is delivered as nine offline modules (FV-Archive, FV-Execute, FV-Firebreak, FV-Isolate, FV-Lock, FV-Relay, FV-Transfer, FV-Unlink and FV-Validate) that integrate with existing infrastructure.

Question 33

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Vault plans start at £74.99 per month for 300GB and go up to £600 per month for 8TB. All plans require a 36-month commitment and prices are inclusive of VAT. Storage and Platform pricing is tailored to your requirements. Use the OSS Concierge for a personalised recommendation or speak to the team for enterprise pricing.

Question 34

What vault sizes are available?

Accepted Answer

Firevault offers four tiers: Entry (300GB), Personal (2TB), Professional (4TB), and Legacy (8TB). Each tier includes hardware encryption, identity verification, and Firevault Bunker storage. Higher tiers add 24/7 on-demand access, backup vaults, succession planning, and dedicated support.

Question 35

Can I upgrade my vault later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can upgrade to a higher capacity tier during your commitment period. Your data is migrated to larger dedicated hardware and your pricing adjusts accordingly. Downgrades are not available during the commitment period as hardware is provisioned specifically for your tier.

Question 36

Are prices inclusive of VAT?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All published Vault prices are inclusive of VAT. There are no hidden fees, setup charges, or per-access costs. What you see is what you pay.

Question 37

Is Firevault suitable for my business?

Accepted Answer

Firevault serves businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to enterprises. Whether you need to protect customer data, intellectual property, financial records, or strategic documents, offline storage provides a level of protection that network-connected systems cannot match.

Question 38

Can Firevault integrate with our existing systems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Control offers integration options through modular components and audited, scheduled transfer windows rather than continuous exposure. Our team works with your IT department to design an implementation that fits your existing infrastructure and workflows.

Question 39

What about team access and permissions?

Accepted Answer

Butterfly and Control include role-based access controls. You can define who can access what, set approval workflows, and maintain complete audit trails of all access. Permissions can be granular down to individual file or folder level.

Question 40

Do you offer on-premises deployment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For organisations with specific security or compliance requirements, we offer on-premises deployment options where the Firevault infrastructure is installed within your own secure facilities.

Question 41

How does Firevault support the 3-2-1-0 backup rule?

Accepted Answer

The 3-2-1-0 rule requires three copies of data, on two different media types, with one offsite, and zero network exposure. Most backup solutions fail at the last requirement. Firevault Storage is purpose built for the zero: completely offline, physically disconnected storage that satisfies the most demanding backup strategies.

Question 42

Can Firevault protect against ransomware?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ransomware cannot encrypt what it cannot reach. Because Firevault storage is physically disconnected from your network, ransomware has no path to your protected data. Even if your entire network is compromised, your Firevault data remains untouched and available for recovery.

Question 43

Is this compliant with data protection regulations?

Accepted Answer

Firevault is designed with compliance in mind. The architecture supports GDPR, sector-specific regulations (healthcare, legal, financial services), and provides audit trails for governance and reporting. Our offline approach often exceeds regulatory requirements for data protection.

Question 44

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Data is stored on dedicated physical devices within Firevault Bunkers, CNI-grade secure colocation facilities. You own and control the storage. There is no shared infrastructure with other customers.

Question 45

Can Firevault help with GDPR compliance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Firevault supports GDPR principles including data minimisation, purpose limitation, and security. The offline nature of storage means personal data is protected from the most common breach vectors. We provide documentation to support your compliance reporting.

Question 46

What audit capabilities are available?

Accepted Answer

Firevault maintains comprehensive audit logs of all access attempts, successful access, file operations, and system events. These logs are immutable and available for compliance reporting, forensic investigation, or regulatory audit.

Question 47

Which compliance frameworks does Firevault align with?

Accepted Answer

Firevault's architecture supports alignment with CAF 4.0, NIS2, PCI DSS, FCA requirements, GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and Cyber Essentials Plus. Physical isolation and hardware encryption address many of the control requirements across these frameworks. We provide compliance mapping documentation on request.

Question 48

Is Firevault suitable for regulated industries?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Firevault is designed for industries with the most demanding data protection requirements, including financial services, legal, healthcare, and defence. Physical disconnection meets or exceeds the security controls required by sector regulators including the FCA, SRA, ICO, and MOD.

Question 49

What happens to my vault if something happens to me?

Accepted Answer

Firevault includes succession planning as a core feature. You can designate successors who can inherit access to your vault under specific conditions. This ensures your digital legacy is protected and can be transferred to the right people.

Question 50

How does succession transfer work?

Accepted Answer

Succession transfer requires verification of the triggering event (such as death or incapacity) and identity verification of the designated successor. The process is designed to be secure yet practical, ensuring legitimate successors can access the vault while preventing unauthorised access.

Question 51

Can I change my succession settings?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can update your succession designations at any time through your vault management interface. Changes take effect immediately, and you can add, remove, or modify successor designations as your circumstances change.

Question 52

What about business continuity?

Accepted Answer

For business accounts, Firevault supports organisational continuity planning. This includes role-based succession, emergency access procedures, and continuity controls that ensure business operations can continue even if key personnel are unavailable.

Question 53

What is Vault Buddy?

Accepted Answer

Vault Buddy is our succession guardian feature. It enables legal next-of-kin to gain identity-verified, time-delayed access to your vault as part of a structured succession plan. Access is not instant, there is a mandatory waiting period and full identity verification to prevent abuse. It is included with every vault.

Question 54

What file types can I store?

Accepted Answer

Firevault supports all file types. Documents, images, videos, databases, archives. If it is a digital file, you can store it. There are no restrictions on file types, and files are stored exactly as uploaded without modification.

Question 55

Is there a file size limit?

Accepted Answer

Individual file size limits depend on your plan, but all plans support large files suitable for video, databases, and archives. Enterprise plans can accommodate virtually any file size requirement.

Question 56

How do I get support?

Accepted Answer

Firevault offers support via email and phone. Enterprise and Legacy vault customers have access to dedicated account management and priority support. Our team understands both the technical and business aspects of data protection.

Question 57

What if I need to retrieve data urgently?

Accepted Answer

On-demand access tiers (Personal, Professional, and Legacy) allow you to connect to your vault whenever you need to. Entry tier customers with scheduled access windows can contact support for urgent access requests. We understand that emergencies happen.

Question 58

How do I manage my files inside the vault?

Accepted Answer

Firevault provides an intuitive file manager accessible through your browser. You can drag and drop files, create folders, and organise your data however you choose. For sharing, you can create time-boxed, password-protected links that expire automatically.

Question 59

What happens at the end of my 36-month commitment?

Accepted Answer

At the end of your commitment period, you can renew, upgrade, or retrieve your data. If you choose not to continue, we provide a structured offboarding process to ensure you have full access to download your files before your vault is decommissioned. Your data is never deleted without your explicit confirmation.

Question 60

Can I cancel early?

Accepted Answer

The 36-month commitment reflects the cost of dedicated physical hardware provisioned for your vault. Early cancellation terms are outlined in your agreement. Your data remains accessible and protected for the full term regardless of cancellation status.

Frequently asked questions.

Understanding Offline Storage

Getting Started

Access and Control

Security and Encryption

Physical Infrastructure

Products and Pricing

Business and Enterprise

Compliance and Regulations

Succession and Continuity

Technical and Support