CTERA says just 4.4% of capacity in the enterprise NAS environments it analyzed was actively used, defining active capacity as data modified within the previous 90 days. Its analysis covered 16 petabytes across 856 file-share discovery scans. The results describe those scanned environments—not a census or universal estimate of enterprise storage.
What did CTERA measure?
In a release dated September 15, 2026, CTERA said it analyzed 16 petabytes of live production data across 856 file-share discovery scans in enterprise network-attached storage (NAS) environments, including regulated industries. StorageReview’s account of the report says CTERA counted capacity modified within 90 days as “actively used.” That is a measure of recent modification, not a claim that the remaining data has no business value or is never accessed.
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CTERA’s release and report page present the findings; StorageReview’s coverage clarifies the 90-day modification definition.
What did the scans find?
CTERA reported these distinct measures of inactivity. They should not be conflated: capacity is the amount of stored data, while file percentages count individual files; modification and access are different events.
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| Measure | CTERA-reported finding |
|---|---|
| Capacity classified as actively used | 4.4%; active means modified within 90 days, according to StorageReview’s account of the report. |
| Stored capacity in files not modified for more than one year | 83.1%, according to CTERA’s 2026 release. |
| Individual files not modified for more than one year | 97.5%, according to CTERA’s 2026 release. |
| Individual files not accessed for more than one year | 88%, according to CTERA’s 2026 release. |
| Stored data accessed during a given 90-day period | 9.9%, according to CTERA’s 2026 release. |
The figures are CTERA’s reported results; the cited coverage does not provide an independent replication. The material available also does not detail sample-selection criteria, so it does not establish how closely the scans reflect enterprises beyond the environments examined.
What does “cold data” mean here?
Cold data is information that is infrequently accessed or changed. In CTERA’s framing, a file untouched for a year is a sign of long-term inactivity, while “active” in the 4.4% headline has the narrower, specific definition of capacity modified in the last 90 days. A file can be old and still be needed for compliance, historical reference, recovery, or a business process.
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What consequences does CTERA infer?
CTERA argues that inactive files left on primary storage continue to incur storage, backup, protection, and management costs. It also says such data may retain network access and permissions, and that large stores of historical or stale material can make it harder for AI systems to surface current, relevant information.
Those are CTERA’s interpretations, not outcomes quantified by the scan percentages. The figures do not calculate a dollar amount of potential savings, demonstrate a security incident, or measure AI retrieval quality. CTERA CTO Aron Brand said in the September 15, 2026 release: “When only 4.4% of capacity is actively used, enterprises are running their most expensive storage tier as what is effectively a cold archive. That creates a multiplier effect across storage and data protection costs, security exposure, and now the quality of information available to AI systems.”
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Should organizations delete old files?
No—not on the basis of age or inactivity alone. Brand’s stated recommendation is to decide where retained information belongs rather than simply delete old data. A sound review should account for:
- Retention schedules, legal holds, and regulatory duties.
- Business and historical value, including whether the data supports current workflows.
- Backup policy, recovery objectives, and access requirements.
- The cost and risk of migration, including whether less frequently used data can be placed on a more suitable storage tier.
The scan findings can prompt organizations to examine their own storage, but they do not determine which files are safe to remove or where any particular organization should store them.
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