Data loss is a significant challenge and can have severe implications for any business, whether small or big. When you lose files, it also means you lose time and money trying to recover the lost information, which can cost you heavily in the long run.
Surprisingly, many businesses don’t have any disaster recovery plan in place. A study by Ponemon Institute on small and medium-sized businesses found that over 39% of these businesses don’t have data recovery plans. This article outlines the major causes of data loss.
1. Human error
Errors are unavoidable, as all humans make mistakes at some point or another. For a business, that may mean unintentional deletion of essential data files. Without knowing, a user may overwrite crucial files or even delete critical business information. Human errors that may lead to data loss include spilling liquids, formatting the drive accidentally, and corrupting the software.
A crucial remedy to data loss through human error is the proper training of the users by data specialists. You must ensure that your employees understand how data processing works and the functioning of the backup system. You can also minimize human errors through various software means like automation. This reduces human interaction with data and, therefore, fewer chances of deletion or overwriting.
Optimizing the workflow will also minimize human error, saving employees time while making it easy to spot mistakes.
2. Viruses and malware
It’s likely that whenever you hear of data loss, the first thing that comes to your mind is a virus, which can indeed delete swaths or steal data, bringing your business operations to a crawl or, in the worst case, destroy company functionality. Your computer may get a virus from an email-based attack or through phishing.
To guard against malware, you need to install appropriate antivirus software. Keep the antivirus software updated and do regular scans to arrest any viruses before they cause severe damage.
3. Hard-drive damages
Hardware malfunctions are the leading causes of data losses, with the hard drive being the primary perpetrator. These are the most fragile parts of computers, and research shows that 60% of the significant crashes are due to human misuse.
Hard drives can be damaged through overheating of computers, typically due to dust build-up or overuse.
To avoid such losses, ensure your computer is dusted regularly, handle your device with care, and if necessary, get a laptop data recovery and repair professional to help you recover lost data. Remember a data backup plan is the surest way to prevent data loss.
4. Power outages
Power outages are a leading cause of data loss and business interruptions. You’ve your system’s software shut down without warning, which results in loss of unsaved data and corruption of existing files. To avoid these problems, make regular automatic system backups.
Endnote
Your data could be lost in many ways, but the most important thing is to ensure you’ve got a backup system. You could have your data stored on a cloud system or external backup.
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