Top Causes of Data Loss

The data has become so valuable in the contemporary business environment that it is practically considered to be a virtual asset of immense importance and value.

A variety of storage devices are used to save data. The most commonly used storage devices are hard drives, floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, memory sticks and memory cards. All these storage devices have one major flaw that they are susceptible to data loss owing to a number of reasons. Uptill now, technological innovations have failed to come out with a storage medium that is foolproof and immune to data loss.

Despite the technical innovations and improvements made in the existing storage media, the incidence of data loss is showing a continuous and unrestrained growth. There are several trends that are responsible for this increase in the rate of data loss. As the capacity of storage devices is increasing, they are becoming more compact and sleek. Today’s storage devices are capable of storing large amounts of data. For example, modern hard drives can store five hundred times the data that could be stored on hard drives of ten years ago. Increase in the storage capacities of media has amplified the severity of data loss incidents.

All the major functions and activities in the institutions and organizations are getting digitized. Computer users of today tend to store large quantities of data electronically. Thus, more mission critical data is being stored in a digitized format, the loss of which could lead to serious financial, legal and technical ramifications. With the increase in the criticality of data, the gravity of data loss incidents has increased over the years.

As a precaution against data loss incidents, users prefer to back up their vital and important data. However, most of the times, backup tools and techniques fail to extend a hundred percent reliability. In case of a data disaster, users often find that their backups have either failed or are incomplete and not up to date. The unreliability of backup tools has worsened the impact and cost of data loss incidents.

Leading Causes of Data Loss

Some of the leading causes of data loss are:

a) Hardware Errors

Hardware errors or system malfunctions are responsible for approximately 44 percent of the data loss incidents. Hardware error may occur due to some damage to the internal mechanical and electronic components of a storage device. Hence, care should be taken to keep the storage devices in clean, dry, dust-free and shaded areas. Any mishandling of storage devices should be avoided.

b) Human Error

Human error accounts for 32 percent of all the data loss incidents. It may result in accidental deletion of important files and folders. Human error often results in some damage to the hardware owing to mishandling or negligence. The best precaution against human error is to leave all the complex installation and repair procedures to the experts. One should avoid moving computers, especially when they are being used.

c) Software Error

Software corruption accounts for nearly 14 percent of all the data loss disasters. Software errors may include damage caused by DIY data recovery software and configuration problems. Hence, diagnostic or repair tools should be used with caution and care should be taken to meticulously back up all the critical data.

d) Virus Attack

Computer viruses are responsible for nearly 7 percent of all the data loss situations. Though most of the viruses are not malicious, but many are. Thus, care should be taken to install some quality antivirus software in your computer, which should be updated on a regular basis. Scan all the incoming data and try to ensure that you procure all your software from some reputed source.

e) Natural and Man-made Disasters

Though natural disasters tend to be rare, yet they cause nearly 3 percent of all the data loss incidents. Natural and man-made disasters like fires, floods and lightning may chronically damage a storage medium leading to a severe data disaster. Thus, care should be taken to store multiple copies of all the critical data at safe off-site locations. One should avoid storing critical data in a flood plain.

f) Electrical Failure

Electrical failure and power surges do have the potential to affect a data disaster. Hence, one should ensure that all the hardware is fitted with UPS and surge protectors.







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