Inside the Archive #40: Protecting the Nation’s moving image heritage and a BFI Replay launch at Inverclyde

When people think of the BFI National Archive, they usually picture endless shelves stacked with reels of cinema history. And while that’s all true (we really do have one of the largest film and television collections in the world), what often gets overlooked is that we’re also looking after something equally as fragile: data. 60 Petabytes of it over 2 data tape libraries, one off-line copy, and what we call “hot” storage – Which is instantly accessible storage whereas the tape libraries are referred to as “cold” storage which take time to access. 

These days, film isn’t just celluloid. Much of the nation’s moving image heritage arrives at the Archive in digital form—whether that’s a newly released film, a born-digital documentary, or the master files for a TV drama. Protecting these treasures isn’t just about keeping them safe from fires, floods, or mould—it’s also about keeping them safe from cyber threats.

Why cyber security matters to archives

If someone managed to tamper with a digital master copy of a film, or if ransomware locked away an entire collection of television history, this is not just a headache for us—it’s a cultural loss for everyone. Our job is to make sure these risks never become realities. Cyber security helps us keep the Archive’s collections:

• Safe – ensuring files aren’t altered or deleted by accident or by malicious actors.
• Accessible – making sure permitted people (and only permitted people) can get to them when they need to.
• Trusted – guaranteeing that what you see on screen tomorrow is exactly what was deposited with us today.

What does that look like day to day?

Behind the scenes, we use firewalls, monitoring, network segmentation and layered security controls. We manage how staff connect, where data flows, and who has permission to touch what. But we also keep it simple: sometimes the best cyber security is reminding colleagues about good “cyber hygiene”, or ensuring we’ve got strong passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication in place.

It’s all about resilience

Cyber security isn’t just about saying no—it’s about making sure the nation’s film and television heritage survives for future generations. Just as we invest in climate-controlled vaults for celluloid, we invest in digital security so that files remain authentic, intact, and available.

The moving image is part of who we are as a nation. From Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee to TV adverts you forgot you loved in the 80s, it’s all here—and cyber security helps keep it that way.

- Will Pook, Cyber Security Engineer.

Last month, as part of our continuing roll out of BFI Replay, we visited Greenock central library to celebrate launching the platform across Inverclyde. Myself, Nicky Williams, Anisa Ali, and David Eagle were greeted by enthusiastic library staff and members of the local community for a brilliant day of sharing, discussion and archive highlights. Like other library services, Inverclyde staff are excited to offer Replay as a resource and are already planning activities to bring people together and forge new connections.

In the afternoon, we were fortunate enough to meet with the New Scots group from Your Voice Inverclyde, for an engagement session exploring archive footage of UK traditions and cultures. As a community organisation, Your Voice is embedded within the local area, and their New Scots group welcomes people from multicultural backgrounds as they navigate their new home. Alongside sharing some unusual UK traditions, such as Shrovetide football, we also looked at Scottish highlights, including the Edinburgh Fringe.

Later in the Day, we partnered with Ann Cameron from the National Library of Scotland, to showcase our collaborative work, and present a special screening of the 1974 promotional film Sea City Greenock. We even had the pleasure of meeting an audience member who appeared in the film as a young boy. Memories unlocked! Just one example of how people personally engage with archive material, and the importance of making it even more accessible.

Our next launch will take place in Leicester central library at the end October, where we’ll be partnering with the Media Archive for Central England. So, we’re looking forward to future discussions sparked, and more stories shared. 

- Sinéad Beverland, Replay Engagement Officer.

The Inside the Archive blog is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.