Whether you store business data or personal files, data loss can be your worst nightmare. Data loss is worrisome for every user but it has a more severe impact on an organization’s financial health. Irrespective of the size and type of a business, losing files means losing time and money. Businesses store several valuables files and documents that are crucial for day to day working. And if those files somehow become inaccessible, it’s imperative to restore or recover that business information.
Data loss scenarios are quite common and often linked to the way we store and handle our data. If you suffer data loss and you don’t have a backup, it is possible to get it back with some methods. However, data recovery is not always possible and the process of recovering is also very complicated. Unless you’re a computer genius, you’ll need the assistance of a professional data recovery specialist to get back your valuable data.
Even if it’s possible to get back your data, it’s better to take precautions to avoid such a data disaster situation. Businesses, as well as individuals, can minimize the chances of data loss by understanding the common causes of data loss. So, here is a list of the most common causes of data loss to help you avoid these situations and prevent data loss.
- Mechanical Damages
Hard drives are most crucial for storing data. These drives are quite fragile and every drive will eventually fail. HDDs have several moving parts which makes them vulnerable to damage. When a hard drive fails, it leads to data loss. There are multiple reasons for hard drive failure like physical damage, logical error, and aging. Sometimes, drives show signs of damage but they may also crash suddenly. In all such situations, you’ll need the help of an IT professional to safely recover your important data.
- Human Error
Unintentional deletion of data files and folders is another most common cause of data loss. Sometimes, users accidentally delete files or update the system without taking a backup. It is commonly seen that users perform hard delete by pressing a Shift+Del key which permanently deletes data. Actions like updating files, system registry settings, alteration of system files location and incorrect installation of OS results in data loss. To avoid such situations, it’s important to maintain proper workflow procedures and backup strategies.
- Virus Attack
Hundreds of computers suffer virus and malware attacks every day. Hackers keep targeting businesses that lead to the data breach. Any computer which is connected to the worldwide network is at the risk of virus attacks that can harm or damage essential data. There are many different types of viruses that a system may get from any third-party application links or from any external devices such as an external hard disk, pen drive, memory card, etc. So, to protect your system and data from such malicious programs, make sure to install and keep updating anti-virus software. Also, make a habit of taking regular backups of your data and store it at multiple locations.
