Secondary storage is characterized by which property?

Secondary storage is characterized primarily by being non-volatile storage used for long-term data retention. This means that even when the power is turned off, data stored in secondary storage remains intact and can be accessed later. Examples of secondary storage include hard drives, solid-state drives, CDs, and USB flash drives. These devices are designed specifically for long-term data storage, in contrast to primary storage (like RAM), which is volatile and loses its data when electrical power is interrupted.

The importance of non-volatility in secondary storage is crucial for preserving data such as files, applications, and system backups, ensuring that users can retrieve the necessary data even after the device has been powered down. This makes secondary storage fundamental for any computer system, providing the necessary capacity and reliability for data management over time.