--- title: "The Air Gap Test: is your vault actually offlin… | Firevault" url: https://fire-vault.com/air-gap-test description: "Is your vault actually offline? Four questions show whether your data is physically disconnected at the hardware level, or still online behind a login." lang: en-GB --- The Air Gap Test # If your vault is online, so is the route to it. More providers now describe cloud storage as air-gapped. Four questions show whether your data is physically disconnected, or still online behind a login. Check your provider Book a demo: https://fire-vault.com/demo When closed No network path Hardware Dedicated to you Access Phone command and MFA Held in A Firevault Bunker **01**The difference ## Two things are being sold as an air gap. One removes the route to your data whenever nobody is using it. The other keeps your data online and relies on software to keep people out. Both have a place. Only one is offline. **Offline Secure Storage®**Non-IP controlled - Dedicated physical drives in a Firevault Bunker, assigned to one verified person - Physically disconnected at the hardware level (Layer 1) whenever it is closed - Opened by a command from your registered phone, outside the data path, then MFA - Every session is time-bound and logged, then offline again How physical control works (https://fire-vault.com/offline-secure-storage/physical-control) **A cloud vault called air-gapped**Online behind a login - Your data stays on internet-connected servers all the time - Separated from other customers by accounts and encryption - Opened by signing in to a website or app - "Air-gapped" usually means logical isolation: software rules on connected systems Why it is physically different (https://fire-vault.com/why-oss) How access works How it works**Offline Secure Storage®**A new approach to data storage 1. 01 Select Image: Selected records with a tick (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/eb8b571f-1ee0-498e-bad2-fd2d1c44f282/air-gap-test-hw-select.webp) ### Select what needs protection Records and recovery copies, kept apart from everyday systems 2. 02 Place Image: A laptop showing File Manager (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/17f32901-2a26-4ae4-971a-90dee2d058d1/air-gap-test-hw-place.webp) ### Place it in OSS Upload in your browser during a session 3. 03 Disconnect Image: A dedicated two-bay unit, locked offline (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/993b3c0d-b865-42e8-89b4-3787f64f3c64/air-gap-test-hw-disconnect.webp) ### Physically disconnected The session ends and your Vault is physically disconnected 4. 04 Reconnect Image: A registered phone sends the command (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/94fc9711-c975-41c7-ab30-d74b433710a8/air-gap-test-hw-reconnect.webp) ### Reconnect when authorised A command from your registered phone, then MFA 5. 05 Offline Image: The physical path is removed between two posts (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/c4196f75-fc84-45c0-91af-268b74c286dd/air-gap-test-hw-offline.webp) ### Back to offline protection End the session, or let it time out, and the path is removed again Your business stays connected. Your most valuable data does not have to. **02**Check your provider ## Four questions before you trust an air gap. Put each question to your provider and record the answer. If they cannot answer clearly, count it as a No. **03**Side by side ## A cloud vault and OSS®, question by question. The same questions, answered for a cloud vault described as air-gapped and for a Firevault Vault. | Question | Cloud vault | Offline Secure Storage® | | --- | --- | --- | | Where your data sits | Shared cloud infrastructure | Dedicated physical drives in a Firevault Bunker, in Tier 3 data centres in the UK and Europe | | When nobody is using it | Online, behind a login and encryption | Physically disconnected at the hardware level (Layer 1) | | How you get in | A website or app login, over the internet | A command from your registered phone, outside the data path, then credentials and MFA | | How long it stays open | Always available online | A time-bound session of up to 120 minutes, and every session is logged | | Who it belongs to | An account on a shared platform | One Vault per person, identity verified | | "Air-gapped" means | Usually logical isolation: software rules on connected systems | No network path while your Vault is closed | | If the holder cannot act | Account recovery rules | Vault Buddy: a nominated person, verified, for a supervised window | Firevault is certified to Cyber Essentials Plus. Offline Secure Storage® can help support your data protection and resilience obligations. **04**Physics Not Promises™ ## Four physicals behind every Vault. A cloud vault asks you to trust its software. Offline Secure Storage® is built on four things you can check. Physical storage**Dedicated drives** Your files sit on physical drives assigned to you, not a share of someone else's platform. Physical control**No standing path** The route to your data stays closed until you verify and open a session. Physical security**A Firevault Bunker** Tier 3 data centres in the UK and Europe, with three independent entry checks and 24/7 monitoring. Physical ownership**One verified person** Access always traces back to someone accountable, never a shared login. **05**Choose your OSS ## Start with what you cannot afford to lose. Every instance is physically disconnected by default. Choose by how much you hold and how often you need it. **LUV**Low Use Vault **£74.99**a month inc VAT When you need less, and only now and then. - 300GB of dedicated physical storage - Opened on one nominated day each week - Physically disconnected the rest of the time - Identity-locked access with MFA See LUV (https://fire-vault.com/luv)Ask a question (https://fire-vault.com/contact) **Vault**2TB, 4TB or 8TB **£360**a month inc VAT, from For the named people in your business. - 24/7 on-demand access - Identity-locked access with MFA - File Manager and Offline Secure Share - Vault Buddy and Vault Spare - Setup and ongoing support Choose your Vault (https://fire-vault.com/vault)Ask a question (https://fire-vault.com/contact) **Storage**From 20TB, for the organisation **Quoted**in a written proposal When one person's Vault is not enough. - 20TB to 300TB, in fixed 20TB blocks - SFTP, REST API and backup workflows - Scheduled, on-demand or event-triggered windows - Firevault Bunker, on premises or hybrid See Storage (https://fire-vault.com/storage)Speak to our solutions team (https://fire-vault.com/contact) **Enterprise**300TB and beyond **Priced**on application Enterprise-grade offline secure storage™ for large data estates. - 300TB and beyond - Scoped with our solutions team See Enterprise (https://fire-vault.com/enterprise)Speak to our solutions team (https://fire-vault.com/contact) Image: A carer sitting with a smiling resident in a care home lounge (https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/ef976a1c-c84f-492d-b9df-d0678c5ce56e/air-gap-test-care.webp) **06**From a customer > “I had full autonomy over the way the Vault was managed. They facilitated the requests I had and adapted to what our business needed.” **CEO**, award-winning multi-site UK care provider Read their story (https://fire-vault.com/customer-stories/protecting-a-multi-site-care-business) - **Cyber Essentials Plus**Firevault is certified to the UK government-backed scheme. - **Firevault Bunkers**Tier 3 data centres in the UK and Europe, with three independent entry checks and 24/7 monitoring. - **One Vault per person**Access is tied to one verified identity, never a shared login. - **Setup and support**Included with every Vault, from setup onwards. **07**Questions ## Before you trust an air-gap claim. Want your board or IT team to see the difference? Book a demo and we will walk them through it. Book a demo: https://fire-vault.com/demo Contact us: https://fire-vault.com/contact What is the difference between a physical and a logical air gap? A physical air gap means there is no network path to the data while it is not in use. A logical air gap keeps the data on connected systems and relies on software, such as separate accounts, encryption and access rules, to keep people out. Is encrypted cloud storage air-gapped? No. Encryption protects the contents of your files, but the files stay on internet-connected servers. That is logical isolation, not a physical air gap. Is offline storage the same as an immutable backup? No. An immutable backup stops data being changed, but it usually stays online. Offline Secure Storage® removes the network path while your Vault is closed. Many organisations use both. How do I get to my files? Approve from your registered phone and sign in with MFA. The physical route is enabled for a session of up to 120 minutes, every session is logged, and the Vault is physically disconnected again when it ends. Does it replace our backups or cloud storage? No. Your live data stays connected. Your Vault holds the copy you need if those systems are compromised, alongside the tools you already use. Disconnect to Protect® ## If it matters, keep it off the network. Start with the records your business could not rebuild. Your team keeps working as it does today. Create your Vault (https://fire-vault.com/get-started) Vault from £360 a month inc VAT. Prefer to talk first? Book a demo: https://fire-vault.com/demo ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Firevault is a UK cyber resilience company. Data protection and storage through Offline Secure Storage. 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