Data Loss Prevention and Protection

Now that we understand the importance of data, let’s start comprehending what is data loss and how to prevent it.

Data loss is a situation or condition in which data/information is lost, deleted or corrupted. Various reasons that cause data loss may be user’s negligence,
software or application malfunction. In case of data corruption the data does exist but becomes unreadable.

Data loss prevention or DLP on a corporate level is a management frame work that is centralized to protect an entity’s data that is being used either in transit or on network. This way data is kept safe from breach and malpractices that lead to data loss To learn different ways to prevent data loss, it is quite essential to know how data loss happens. Following are the most common data loss scenarios categorized
accordingly:

Data loss due to deletion:

We all delete data frequently either
to gain more storage space or to protect privacy. And then we
suddenly realize that important data has been accidentally deleted.
This particular data loss scenario is quite disappointing especially
in cases when the Recycle Bin as well has been emptied.

People use various recovery methods
to get back deleted data like system restore, restoring data from
Recycle Bin, data recovery software etc.

Even after implementing different
methods, data recovery still remains a probability. As prevention is
better than cure here are a few ways you can prevent data loss due to
deletion:

• Always maintain a regular
  backup of your important data
• Organize files into folders
  depending on the importance
• Do not save important data in
  frequently used partitions or locations to avoid any harm
• Verify your Recycle Bin before
  emptying
• Avoid using SHIFT+DELETE
  shortcut that permanently deletes file

Data lost due to file system
errors or improper OS re-installations:

Generally lost data corresponds to
files or folders that go missing abruptly. You suddenly want a
certain file and when you go looking for it, the file is lost.

Files go missing or lost due to file
system errors. A file system in OS is accountable for maintaining a
record of where data is placed on the storage medium. Hence when you
try to access data, file system fetches the information with regards
to file size, type and location. After fetching the information, the
Operating system then decides which application should be used to
open the file.

Nevertheless if the file system
fails to fetch the information due to corruption, virus infection or
operating system errors the file can no longer be seen in the
explorer and the data is considered lost. Fundamentally, this means
that the data still exists on the hard drive but there is no way you
could visually see or access it. If you are wondering how
to recover files from hard drive refer to the last
section of the write-up.

How to prevent data loss due to
missing files:

• Safely removing external
  storage devices like hard drives and flash drives
• Performing virus scans
  regularly
• Avoid hiding files and save
  them onto a separate folder
• Use only trusted third party
  software to avoid errors in operating system
• Maintain a schedule to create
  System Restore points punctually
• Follow proper shut down
  procedures
• Protect computer from power
  surges and outages
• Defragment traditional hard
  drives to keep bad sectors at bay

Data loss due to corruption:

Data corruption is one of the major
causes of data loss. When the original data is altered during read,
write, storing and processing operations, errors occur in computer
data that lead to corruption. These corruptions make data unreadable
and hence data loss. Other causes include bad sectors on hard drive,
virus infection, wear and tear of hard drive.

Considering the scenario, the only
recovery possible is through repairs. A lot of third party file
repair software are available for repairing specific files like
videos, images, word documents etc. As most of them do not deliver as
promised, your data might be lost forever.

Follow the below tips to keep your
data safe and avoid data loss due to corruption:

• Keep monitoring hard drive
  health for any bad sectors
• Keep a tab on malware with the
  help of anti-virus software
• Do not interrupt any data
  transfers
• Use recommended procedure to
  terminate any applications that access data
• Safely eject external devices
• Follow a virtuous routine to
  avoid errors in the operating system

Conclusion

Lastly, all the data loss scenarios
can be avoided when proper cautions are taken. Many a times, even
with all the vigilance data loss becomes inevitable.

As data loss scenarios can be very
tricky and may require multiple data recovery techniques to
completely get back the lost data. Use integrated data recovery
software as a last resort. Remo recover can get back your lost
data even under complex data loss scenarios like lost or deleted
partition. To enhance deleted and lost file recovery, the tool is
equipped with a scan algorithm that supports for more than 300 file
types.

The tool also lets you refine the
recovered results, create disk images and perform RAW signature
search to customize your data recovery preferences. Known for its
simplicity, Remo Recover can efficiently recover data in just 4
clicks.