In computing, off-site data protection, or vaulting, is the strategy of sending critical data out of the main location (off the main site) as part of a disaster recovery plan.
Sending backups off-site also ensures that there is a copy of pertinent data that is not stored on-site.
There are no generally recognized standards for the type of structure which constitutes a vault.
Recent backups are retained locally, to speed data recovery operations.
United States Federal entities have specific requirements as defined by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).