| The digital goods and services company that | | | | gone into the reasons behind some of the most |
| undertook this survey of domestic computer users | | | | prominent causes of data loss. |
| was not surprised when the majority quoted viruses | | | | Hardware Failures |
| as the top cause of data loss. | | | | Hard disk crash is the most common form of |
| Next in line were other types of software related | | | | hardware failure. This happens due to overheating, |
| problems including any ways in which data might get | | | | failure of any of the components, circuit board or |
| deleted, corrupted or lost. Hardware issues did less | | | | motherboard getting blown, electrostatic discharge, mal |
| well, with a sizeable part of the British population | | | | handling of hardware devices, exposure to dust, |
| managing to cite only a hard disk crash as an example | | | | temperature changes, moisture and impact. In case of |
| of hardware faults. | | | | hardware failures, it is strongly advisable to approach a |
| At the end of the list came a mixed lot of causes, | | | | professional data recovery company as soon as |
| natural disasters and human carelessness were both | | | | possible without tampering with the affected device in |
| included in this category. The above data indicate how | | | | any way. Hardware defects are not manageable |
| we see, or rather, like to see the reasons of data loss. | | | | otherwise, and it is important that we do not |
| Now let us look at the actual and official figures of | | | | complicate matters by trying to rectify things ourselves |
| what causes data loss. | | | | if we value our data. |
| The Statistics of Data Loss | | | | Human Errors |
| Hardware or system component malfunctions / failure | | | | People driving over their laptops, leaving USB drives |
| accounts for a total of 44% of data loss in the | | | | sitting in someone else's computer, scratching CDs and |
| country. Next is the rapidly expanding category of | | | | DVDs, electrocuting one's own hard drive by |
| human errors, accounting for over 32%of all data loss | | | | mishandling it while installing new cards, deleting files by |
| cases. Software faults of various kinds cause an | | | | mistake, there are so many ways we can go wrong. |
| overall data loss in 14% of the cases. Viruses actually | | | | And when the machine does not work properly, there |
| account for data loss only in 7% of the cases. Data | | | | have been instances of people throwing it out of the |
| loss caused by natural catastrophes is the least | | | | window, ripping apart parts of it etc. |
| harmful - at only 3% of all data loss cases. | | | | Software Errors |
| The differences between assumptions and facts are | | | | This includes OS crash, accidental deletion of files, |
| quite clearly defined by this comparison. Hardware | | | | accidental formatting, fragmentation, corruption of files |
| failures are somehow not acceptable as of yet, and | | | | due to mismatching media or wrong ways of storing - |
| people are usually unprepared for the casualty. One | | | | these are all ways in which data loss can happen |
| may assume that it is part of human nature to | | | | through software failures. It is now possible for home |
| overlook the growing degree of 'human errors'. | | | | users to rectify minor problems by using DIY software |
| Software flaws are more visible in general, and the | | | | themselves on their affected machines or devices. |
| threat posed by virus attack has been blown entirely | | | | Virus Attack |
| out of proportion due to its high media coverage, and | | | | We all know what is antivirus software and how to |
| general level of public awareness. | | | | install it, but thereafter we leave it like that instead of |
| Trends in Data Loss | | | | updating it and running regular scans. In the case of |
| Data recovery companies and digital magazines all | | | | corporate firms, data oriented crimes are becoming |
| over the world also keep track of the 'trends' in data | | | | alarmingly common with instances of hacking on the |
| loss, i.e. the rate at which reasons for data loss are | | | | rise at a rapid pace. |
| growing or decreasing. In all surveys, both hardware | | | | Natural Disasters and Manmade Disasters |
| related problems and human error mistakes are on the | | | | Natural catastrophes such as earthquake, fire, flood, |
| rise. In fact, human error related problems are 'evolving' | | | | wars or terrorist attacks are relatively rare, but when |
| as a trend, meaning that people are becoming more | | | | they do happen, the scale of such events cause |
| creative and frequent with their mistakes. Cases of | | | | massive data loss. Disaster recovery measures have |
| taking out one's anger or frustration on the machine | | | | been adopted in many countries for this now. |
| are on the rise all over the world. Below, we have | | | | |