| In the use of information technology, the | | | | For instance, in a business environment, the cost of |
| consequences of losing data or information can be | | | | data loss may run into millions of dollars per hour. |
| very critical. | | | | Data recovery time depends on the capacity of the |
| Loss of data may take place as a result of the | | | | media and it may take days to recover lost |
| following occurrences: | | | | information. |
| - Human errors including: | | | | In addition, recovering lost data can be very |
| - Accidental reformatting of a hard drive | | | | expensive, depending on the extent of damage done |
| - Intentional or unintentional deletion of vital data. | | | | to the disk or hard drive in question. |
| - Hard disk and storage drive failures including: | | | | It is important to stress that the highest cause of |
| - RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) | | | | data loss can be attributed to human error, so the |
| failure | | | | onus is on us to prevent the loss of our valuable |
| - NAS (Network-attached storage) Failure | | | | data as much as possible. |
| - Server failure | | | | The following simple but crucial steps should be taken |
| - Natural disasters and physical damages, | | | | to prevent loss of data: |
| - Software failure and corruption of file systems | | | | - Regular backup of data (both internal and external). |
| - Virus and Malicious attacks | | | | - Installation and constant update of antivirus |
| The indisputable fact is that current technology offer | | | | protection. |
| sophisticated data recovery solutions at all levels. It | | | | - Continuous update of computer systems and |
| does not matter the type of media involved, the | | | | servers to apply latest security fixes. |
| brand of computer system, the operating system | | | | - Installation and effective maintenance of firewalls to |
| platform or the capacity of your computer server, in | | | | prevent intrusion and malicious attacks. |
| most cases data is recoverable. | | | | - Installation of DLP (Data Loss Prevention) systems |
| However, the cost of data loss can sometimes be | | | | to monitor and protect data usage by organizations. |
| immeasurable, when you consider the consequences | | | | - Installation of appropriate mechanisms to protect |
| of not having the data anymore, the time you need | | | | against power failure and power surge. |
| to recreate or recover the data and the negative | | | | It is impossible to completely prevent the loss of |
| impact it will have on family, colleagues, an entire | | | | data. However, in as much as everyone or entity |
| management information system, business or | | | | using a machine to process and store vital information |
| external parties involved or have a stake in the lost | | | | is at risk of losing it, taking adequate precautions to |
| data. | | | | minimize the risk is always a wise decision. |