Data is one of the most powerful weapons a business has. It provides key insights about employees, customers, products and competitors. It’s collected from a whole host of sources and can make or break a firm’s success. 

Data recovery is the process of restoring the data that has been deleted, corrupted or made
inaccessible unknowingly. There are various events in which we may lose our data without our knowledge which needs to be recovered. This data could be very crucial for an individual or an organization and cannot be lost at any cost. For recovering data, various methods are put together so that no data is lost. Many organisations follow a variety of methods and objectives to retrieve lost data.

Data Loss

There are various factors from which data can be lost. It can be lost by crashing of hard disc, failure of software or even by human error. Some of the reasons data can be lost are:

• Human Error
• Viruses & Malware
• Hard Drive Damage
• Power Outages
• Computer Theft
• Liquid Damage
• Disasters
• Software Corruption
• Hard Drive Formatting
• Hackers and Insiders

Data Recovery

There are different processes for recovering data which are based on the circumstances of how the data was lost; whether the data was deleted, or formatted, or deleted without taking any backups or if the data got corrupted. There are various tools which are used for such retrieval processes.

Recovery of data is only possible because a file and the information about that file is stored in different places.  The actual file to be recovered may still be on the hard drive in flawless condition. If the file still exists and it is not damaged or encrypted, it can be recovered. If the file is damaged, missing or encrypted, there are other ways of recovering it. If the file is physically damaged, it can still be reconstructed. 

Organizational Goals

Every organization has certain set policies in place for Data Recovery. This could be for
in-house or services that are offered to their clients.

1. To define and apply a clear backup and restore standard for all corporate informational systems;
2. To prioritize systems accordingly to data sensitivity;
3. To definition backup and recovery standards as per data prioritization;
4. To prevent the loss of data in the case of an accidental deletion or corruption of data, system failure, or disaster;
5. To permit timely restoration of information and business processes, should such events occur;
6. To manage and secure backup and restoration processes and the media employed in the process;
7. To set the retention periods of information contained within system level backups designed for recoverability and provide a point-in-time snapshot of information as it existed during the time period defined by system backup policies.
8. Backup retention periods contrast with retention periods defined by legal or business requirements.

 Organisational Policy

An organization has to follow a basic policy for the recovery of data. Although these can be different for each organization, some of them are a must for every company/organization.

• Data will be protected by regular backups.
• All backup data MUST be stored in an encrypted manner.
• Backup copies must be stored in an environmentally protected and access controlled secure offsite location.
• Stored copies must be stored with a short description that includes the following information: Backup date / Resource name / type of backup method (Full/Incremental)
• Stored copies must be made available upon authorized request.
• A record of the physical and logical movements of all backup copies should be maintained.
• Appropriate procedures need to be developed for the handling and storage of information in order to prevent unauthorized disclosure, misuse or loss. 

Conclusion:

Data is very crucial for every organization and if lost it takes every possible way by the organization to recover it. Having a data backup and recovery plan is important to the overall success of your business. Without one, your business can suffer from permanent data loss, massive downtime, and unnecessary expenses.