The effect of data loss to a business cannot be overstated. Whether there is a monetary value or not assigned to it, companies recognise it’s a business risk as it can have significant negative effects on operations.
About 88% of data loss is said to be as a result of human error, according to a 2016 report by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office. These errors could be in form of accidentally deleting information or overwriting important files.
Other reasons that could result in loss of data include lost or stolen laptops, power outages, crashing of hard drives, software malfunctions, spillage of liquid on computer and even viruses and malware. Hackers and even employees could be responsible for theft of data.
Data loss is a serious issue for any business it happens to, especially in the case of data breach or cyberattack. Information stolen can be used to perpetrate all sorts of criminal acts, compromising the clients trust in an organisation. The UK Data protection Act makes it a punishable offence to recklessly disclose confidential information.
Data recovery usually costs a lot of time and money. In some cases of data loss, especially when there is no backup; the information could be lost forever. However, there is always a way out of every fix.
Steps taken towards data recovery decide if such loss is left as a minor glitch or becomes a full-blown crisis.
- The first step to take is to find out the level of damage done. The nature of the lost information as well as the cause of the data loss will determine the next course of action. If the lost data has been stolen by a hacker, find out if the information can be used or exploited. If the stolen data is encrypted or hashed then it could be difficult for the hacker to use. Then consider changing the password to your database.
- Find out if there are any legal obligations needed to be fulfilled. Now that you have assessed the damage done, you will know if the lost information can be recovered. In cases of cyber attacks, you might need an attorney’s advice on the necessary steps to take; whether you should inform your clients or not.
- Data recovery: Recovering lost data is a process that works based on a storage scan. This scan can be used to locate the deleted or lost files and reassemble the structures of the file system. You should take note that the main cause of the data loss, as well as the steps you take towards data recovery largely determines if the information can be recovered. Your best bet is to seek the services of data recovery specialists as it would require a professional to recover lost information.
However, data loss is an issue that can be easily prevented. Below are some tips that can help you avoid it:
- The best way to prevent data loss is by having a lot of backups. Cloud storage has made it easier to backup files which can be easily accessed from the internet through many devices.
- Keep important information encrypted so that in a case of data breach your information would remain secure.
- Stay up to date with antivirus and other software that protect your device.
- Update your software regularly.
- Keep water, coffee and other liquids away from your device.
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