Protecting critical data is something every business must do to protect the business itself. Therefore, an effective data recovery plan is an essential part of every business IT plan and the most important means of protecting this data. To get the most from data recovery services, a company must understand how these services operate as well as other details that could affect successful data storage and recovery should the unthinkable happen.
It is important to be aware of two important aspects of data recovery: how data can be lost and how data is recovered later. Knowing this can help shed some light on the entire process and allow a business to improve the way in which they handle their data altogether.
The Various Ways Data Is Lost
The two main contributors to the loss of digital data are hardware failure and human error. These two things account for nearly 75 percent of all data lost by businesses every year. In addition to these main reasons, data is also lost through computer viruses and malware attacks, corrupted software, and physical damage to computer equipment. The data that is being lost is more significant today than it has ever been before, since IT now allows for the storage of much more data in a much smaller storage space.
As a result, companies are now generating much more data than in the past in addition to storing more sensitive and important data. When equipment is damaged or some kind of error happens, the loss of this data is that much greater due to both its quantity and its importance.
Digital media has always been fragile and the chance for error during a backup has always existed. This has increased the necessity of backing up to offsite servers, or to the cloud, as a more reliable means of protecting data. By understanding all the reasons why data loss occurs, businesses must take necessary steps to keep their networks secure. By having the right plan for data recovery in place, it is possible to avoid many of the ways that data can be lost.
Planning for Efficient Recovery of Lost Data
Since it is impossible to eliminate all data loss risks, using the right data recovery services is essential to prevent permanent loss. Data recovery begins with determining which data must be preserved, then deciding the best way to preserve it. A good plan should include an effective means to quickly recover essential data to reduce downtime. Preparing for data recovery requires much more than simply backing up the data generated; it also means knowing which applications and processes will be involved to successfully download and access stored data.
A data disaster that requires data recovery can involve a variety of crises depending on what actually causes the loss. Therefore, a plan must be established to deal with each potential crisis in order to get the business up and running again. Restoring function quickly is the priority, which can happen in a number of different ways depending on the extent of the damage and how much data was actually lost. Whether a loss is due to hardware, software, or any other reason, different plans for restore functionality must be set up ahead of time. That way the company knows what to do and when in all situations.
The loss of critical data can cause trying times for any business, making it essential to understand why losses occur and how they can be prevented. Similarly, a company should prepare ahead for how they will respond to different loss situations so that effective data recovery services can be put into place. Successful data recovery depends on good planning ahead of time and working to reduce the incidence of various data risks in the first place!
