Data Storage: Two Terabytes of Data Too Much?

It’s hard to believe in 2012 that two terabytes of data storage is too much for anyone to handle, especially a government agency. But according to Law.com, the DEA is no longer pursuing extradition for drug charges against a doctor because it doesn’t want to bear the cost of storing that amount of case evidence. It should be noted that two terabyte hard drive is available for around $100, and affordable, long term cloud storage is available that provides complete backup protection. Heck, with Nextpoint you could import, process, store and/or review 2 TB of data without (presumably) making a dent in the DEA’s litigation budget.

The article speculates that the DEA cried hardship as a way to drop a case that had a low probability of success. The agency and police in Iowa have dismantled two illegal Internet pharmacies, but have been waiting in vain to extradite a suspect who had fled to Panama. In the meantime, the agency had to hold on to two terabytes of data. “Continued storage of these materials is difficult and expensive,” says Stephanie Rose, the U.S. attorney for northern Iowa, calling it, “an economic and practical hardship.”

The DEA says it knows exactly where the doctor is, but since Panama does not extradite citizens, there is little chance they would ever be able to capture the fugitive doctor. It’s unclear if the DEA’s IT department is taking the fall so the agency can drop the case, or if it really doesn’t have the data storage capacity for two terabytes of data. But in this age, be suspicious if anyone claims data storage is a burden.