This is what some the world’s largest banks of malware look like stacked as hard drives

The malware research organization vx-underground, claiming to hold the largest compilation of malware source code, recently revealed that its extensive database comprises approximately 30 terabytes of data. In a response from Bernardo Quintero, the founder of VirusTotal—a service that scans files for malware using numerous antivirus engines—it was noted that his platform has amassed around 31 petabytes of malware samples contributed by users. To put this in perspective, a petabyte is roughly 1,000 times larger than a terabyte. Such vast collections are vital for cybersecurity firms, AI researchers, and threat intelligence companies, as they provide essential resources for training detection models and comprehending the evolution of cyber threats. This leads to a fascinating question: How would these monumental datasets appear as stacks of hard drives? After some quick calculations, we can visualize vx-underground’s 30 terabytes of malware data. Assuming the use of standardized 1 terabyte internal hard drives, each measuring one inch in height, stacking them would result in a tower of 30 drives, reaching a height of 30 inches or approximately 2.5 feet. For context, the average height of an adult is around 6 feet. On a grander scale, the data from VirusTotal would fill an astonishing 31,744 hard drives. When stacked, these would tower at about 2,645 feet high—just shy of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 2,722 feet. To give another reference point, this amount of data is equivalent to about two and a half Eiffel Towers, which measure 1,083 feet in height. The sheer volume of data stored in these malware repositories underscores the immense scale of the cybersecurity landscape today.