Data Loss is a Reality
What to do if an individual or an organization loses its vital data? The lost data is not an umbrella or a walking stick, for which you can place an advertisement in the lost and found columns of some local newspaper. It requires much more then this. Data loss is an undeniable and inevitable reality in today’s techno savvy world. It may occur due to a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the thing to be kept in mind is that despite all the technological advances, all the storage media that are currently popular tend to have a definite life span. For example, hard drives have a life span of three to six years. Optical discs have an average life span of about thirty years. Hence data loss may occur due to failure of storage media. Other common reasons for data loss are hardware or system malfunction, virus or malware attacks, human error, software corruption or program malfunction and natural calamities. Necessity is the mother of invention. As it is possible to loss data, so we need data recovery.
What is Data Recovery?
Data recovery is the process of recovering data from a damaged or corrupted storage media, when it becomes impossible to access it using the regular procedures. Data recovery also involves salvaging deleted files from a storage media. Data recovery services are usually provided by highly specialized concerns, which have the expertise and know-how to perform this complicated task. Highly skilled data recovery technicians use an array of software and hardware tools that are at their disposal, to retrieve the lost data.
Why Do We Need Data Recovery?
Due to widespread digitization of institutions and organizations in the last few decades, the rate at which data is being generated per year is constantly on the rise. Businesses and corporations have totally computerized almost all the aspects of their day today activities. In such a situation, where companies rely heavily on the saved data, a potential data loss disaster can jeopardize the very survival of a concern. Physical assets are increasingly being replaced by virtual assets and every bit of data is sometimes worth its weight in gold. As per a recent estimate, the value of 100 megabytes of lost data stands to be approximately $ 1 million. In a scenario where 43 percent of the companies facing a data loss disaster end up in bankruptcy, data recovery is a necessity.
Reasons for Data Loss
Generally speaking the reasons for data loss can be classified into two categories i.e.:
1) Physical Damage
The storage media can get damaged due to a number of reasons. Optical disks may have their data storing layer scratched off or damaged due to mishandling, exposure to light, high temperature or moisture. Tapes may simply warp or snap due to a faulty head or some other reason. Hard drives may suffer a mechanical or electronic failure due to damage to some internal component. Most of the times, physical damages can not be repaired by the end users and they often require the services of expert data recovery technicians to salvage the lost data.
2) Logical Damage
Logical damage occurs due to a file system corruption. This may happen due to a number of reasons such as a malware attack, accidental deletion of important files or folders, power spike or electro-static discharge. This leads to a fault in the program design, owing to which it responds inappropriately or may completely crash. Sometimes, the logical errors can be corrected using the DIY data recovery software. However, if the damage is substantial, it may necessitate the services of a data recovery company.
Is Lost Data Always Recoverable?
Most of the times lost or erased data can be recovered with a high success rate. Often when a file is deleted, it continues to reside unharmed in the unallocated clusters on the disk and is recoverable. Sometimes even the files which get written over can be recovered, using highly sophisticated data recovery techniques. So, practically speaking, we rarely come across cases, where the lost data is hundred percent irrecoverable.
Essentials for Data Recovery
Owing to a continuously rising demand, a number of data recovery companies have mushroomed over the years. However, the companies which are genuine and authentic can be counted on fingers. Proper infrastructure (Class 100 Clean Room facilities), skilled technical staff and customized tools are the indispensable requisites for any good data recovery company. Moreover, a bona fide data recovery company should be backed by dedicated R&D to offer a wide range of solutions to its customers.
So next time you lose any data, do not get scared or anxious. The chances are that some good data recovery company will be able to save the day for you.
