Free articles and Article Submission

The countries founding fathers and mothers kept records of their agricultural, industrial, and mercantile ventures using pencil and paper. While fire was probably the biggest cause of loss of business records, data, Australia faces a myriad of threats which can result in its loss.

Business owners and leaders--like the pioneers before them--depend on their records. Business continuity is driven by data. Data as we know it today are the files on laptops, personal computers or servers--customer records, spreadsheets, invoices, presentations, databases, photographs, emails, and more--but to a data recovery expert they are simply "zeroes" and "ones" organized on a computer's hard disk drive.

Hard drives do malfunction and do fail. These fragile mechanical devices’ read/write heads sometimes are not capable of accessing the data if the system is mishandled and damaged. Computers become contaminated with viruses or bugs after files are downloaded from the Internet or when software no longer works as it should. Power interruptions, power surges or blackouts, cause computers to shut down unexpectedly.

There always remains a threat that hard drives could be exposed to fire, extreme temperatures, smoke, and water that can damage the drive and impair its ability to access the data. And then, there is human error. The unthinkable can happen and data can be accidentally deleted by users.

The implications of data loss to a business can have both legal and financial ramifications. Lost data can cripple an organization and in some cases drive it out of business, especially a smaller company. In fact, according to research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), digital data is growing in sheer volume, even for small businesses, which are less able to manage it due to lack of IT skills. The report, “The Expanding Digital Universe”, also predicts that in 2007 the volume of information created and replicated will surpass the storage capacity available to store it.

There are several best practices that businesses can follow to reduce the probability of losing data:
1 Schedule and conduct regular backups of data and check to make sure the backup information can be retrieved
2 If possible, store backups offsite
3 Use anti-virus software and update it frequently to scan and screen all incoming e-mails especially those with attachments
4 Use power surge protectors since a power fluctuation can disrupt software, erase valuable data and damage the hard drive
5 Maintain computers in a dry, controlled environment free from dust and smoke
6 Buy USB or external hard drives and save data to these removable devices and perhaps provide one to each employee
7 Turn off computers immediately if they make unusual noises.

If business owners are not staffed with IT personnel and prefer not to attempt recovery of their irreplaceable digital data with a Do-It-Yourself solution, they would be well advised to seek the assistance of a reputable and experienced data recovery specialist.

Losing data isn't something businesses openly like to talk about. It’s not a matter of if data loss disaster will strike, but when. Lost data can result in lost revenue, so don’t let your data get caught between a rock and a hard drive.

SPOKESPERSON, Vicky Brauner of CBL Data Recovery Technologies ( www.cbltech.com.au )

SIDE BAR
Even if you didn’t study computer science at school, you can easily backup a laptop or PC and protect your data, though you might want to leave the recovery of lost data to the professionals.

CBL Data Recovery Technologies recommends that busy business owners and professionals invest in the purchase of external hard drives available from leading manufacturers like Western Digital and LaCie.

1) Identify what information is mission-critical data.
2) Plug your external hard drive into your computer’s USB slot.
3) Copy target files or folders that you want to backup from your computer.
4) Paste the files or folders that are mission critical to the external hard drive.
5) Confirm that files can be accessed on the external hard drive.
6) Unplug the hard drive and store in a secure place until your next scheduled backup takes place.

External hard drives are portable, so if you are in a small-office environment, one drive may service your need to backup the contents of several computers.

About the Author:
Vicky Brauner Managing Director CBL Data Recovery Technologies Pty Ltd. Brauner is responsible for the daily operations of CBL’s Customer Service Centre in Sydney and its Brisbane data recovery laboratory where data recovery services are performed in its clean room facility for computer users who experience data loss. Under Brauners’ leadership, the Australian operations of CBL Data Recovery Technologies have witnessed impressive growth since 2003 when the company first established a presence in Australia. Most recently, Brauner was instrumental in CBL obtaining Certificate of Supplier Endorsement for the Australian Government and ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. The occasion also secures CBL a place in the Australian IT history book as the first Australian data recovery company to achieve ISO status. When not counseling staff or assisting customers, Brauner will be found actively promoting the CBL Data Recovery Advantage Partner Programme to the Australian channel community with a goal to drive more sales through DRA partners. Her keen business, management and people skills have also contributed to the company’s growth in the region. Brauner has helped position CBL in the Australian market as a counselor to customers who call CBL panic-stricken and facing the potential loss of business-critical, valuable or sentimental data. Brauner leads by example and ensures all staff members lend an empathetic ear and voice when a customer calls CBL.