floppy disk

A data storage medium that is (was) used to store data :-) It is a magnetically coated, flexible disk of Mylar, enclosed in a plastic envelope or case. Even in the early Internet days of the late 1990s, floppies were the only medium of data storage for PCs. The need to store larger amounts of data led to the development of cheap hard disks, CD-ROMs, Zip Disks, and even thumb drives which ultimately replaced the little, old floppy.

Historical perspective: America's nuclear arsenal depends on a surprising relic of the 1970s: the humble floppy disk. In June 2016, The Washington Post said the magnetic, 8-inch data storage devices are still used to run a key communications system that coordinates nuclear bombers and intercontinental ballistic missile systems, According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, to use the disks, the Pentagon has to maintain a collection of IBM Series/1 computers that look more at home in a museum than in a missile silo. Apparently the military doesn't plan to phase the disks out until the end of fiscal year 2017. One reason: Using old systems disconnected from digital networks actually acts as a buffer against hackers. Sometimes, the Pentagon says, low-tech is safer tech.