Which of the following best describes characteristics of a computer's backing storage?

Backing storage, also known as secondary storage, is designed to retain data even when the power is turned off. This characteristic is essential for saving files, applications, and other important information that needs to persist beyond a single session or until the computer is turned off. Common examples of backing storage include hard drives, solid-state drives, USB flash drives, and CDs.

This is crucial because, without this ability to retain data, any information created, edited, or received during a computer session would be lost once the power is cut off. Unlike primary storage (such as RAM), which is volatile and cannot hold data without power, backing storage ensures that important data is preserved for future use.