Data Recovery

Tips for Data Loss Prevention

2012-01-01T20:32:00.001-08:00

Unexpected computer crashes that lead to a total loss of important business and personal data are making data prevention software essential for anyone who uses a computer. Almost anyone uses a computer to store files, from photos and music to secure documents. Professionals especially those who make their living online tend to have a majority of their business data stored on computers. This is the reason why you need to use software that will secure your files for you before a computer crash wipes your drive clean.

Top Features Available in the Best Data Loss Prevention Software

Top features to look for in good data loss prevention software include fast backup, minimal maintenance, efficient use of data space, easy accessibility, and high scalability. You also need data backup software to perform secure backups, which only accepts backup requests from clients.

Most users prefer software that perform fast and non-intrusive backups. Installation should also be easy. Most top-rated software can be installed in less than 20 minutes and the software automatically deploys clients to linked devices such as your phone or tablet. The top-rated software also performs automatic software updates but you can schedule when your computer checks for updates and how to install them.

Top-rated DLP software are also app-aware. This means that they utilize the minimum amount of disk space through an efficient system of duplicate reduction. Backups are made faster this way since you utilize less bandwidth. Quality DLP software also tweak how bandwidth is utilized in order to further increase the backup speed by choosing the optimal packet size coupled with the use of up to 8 threads in one network to make the best use of the bandwidth available. Administrators can further tweak this feature with the use of smart percentage bandwidth caps.

Quality data loss prevention software also allows users to restore their data using various devices anytime whether they are using browser-based restore options in their laptops and other mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad.

Excellent data loss prevention software can be the fine line that divides a successful business from one that you have to rebuild from scratch. If you do business online or if you store important data on your laptop, you need the security that only high quality data security software can give you. Start with the features mentioned above to find data loss prevention software that can give your files the protection they need.

How Can I Find Deleted Files on My Computer? Finding Deleted Files on Your Hard Drive Easily

2012-01-01T20:31:00.001-08:00

Did you accidentally delete a file off your computer? Have you been asking everyone you know this question; how can I find deleted files on my computer? Well if you have then you've come to the right place because finding deleted files on your hard drive is no complex task, it can quite easily be done and below I'll show you a few ways you can check out your deleted files and even get them back.

Well firstly the easiest way to find deleted files on your hard drive would be to use the system restore function in Windows, you see since most of Windows history is logged in the Windows registry, restoring it to a previous state will easily allow you to find some files you have deleted. Simply choose the date you want your PC restored to and viola, enjoy the results and your recovered files.

Now what you must know is that system restore saves a copy of the registry and certain system files but it does not save data file. So if you are looking to find deleted user data like videos, images word documents etc. then you will have to take a slightly different approach and I don't believe Windows provides any features to help get the job done. Although there still is a way to find your deleted data so don't panic just yet.

Before going into how to find the deleted data lets quickly take a look at what happens when we actually delete a file from Windows. You see when you delete a file from recycling bin it doesn't get permanently erased like everyone assumes it does, instead what happens is your hard drive frees up space that was occupied by your file and lists it as new available space. However until that space is overwritten you can still find and get your old files back with the help of professional Un-delete software.

Essentially the key to finding your lost files is to stop downloading or adding any new programs to your PC so you don't use up any more space. The more space you use up the more likely your deleted files will disappear for good. So if you are serious about getting those deleted files back then stop downloading or adding any new stuff to your hard drive.

Personally i had lost many files in the past due to accidental deletion and was always wondering; how can I find deleted files on my computer? It is only recently that i done some research and discovered that finding deleted files on your hard drive is not completely impossible, it can be done and to my surprise it was extremely easy.

Technology Consulting Tips for Creating an IT Disaster Recovery Plan

2012-01-01T20:29:00.002-08:00

Few businesses would survive without access to information technology. For this reason, every IT consultant and CIO recommends creating a strong IT disaster recovery plan.

To create an IT disaster recovery plan for your business, begin with a list of requisite IT tools that are needed to operate in a skeletal way. You may require access to company databases, on-site computers, email accounts and so forth - an IT consultant can help you determine which resources are essential to your operations. How long are you able to pause business to repair those tools?

Next, set up a phone tree for disaster communication. You'll probably settle on a disaster leader as you create a communication web. Your marketing department can help you decide how to communicate with customers in the case of a disaster.

Generally, IT disaster recovery plans incorporate the following components:

Consistent backups of employee desktops and laptops. Most employees find it handy to save items on their computers' desktops. However, if a disaster strikes, those documents could be permanently lost. Consistently backing up company computer is also wise for other reasons - in case a machine is stolen, hacked or lost, for instance. Basically, backing up your data ensures smooth operations regardless of circumstance.

Good technology defense. An IT consulting firm will often check the health of IT systems by testing for potential failures. By conducting such testing, companies proactively defend themselves against attack. In addition, it's a good idea to install virus protection and firewalls on each computer. Finally, make sure employees immediately say "yes" to system update messages. (Conduct regular trainings on the importance of installing updates, which are patches for known weaknesses in software.)

Offsite storage for backup data. Don't ignore the possibility that your entire office could be destroyed. In case of a total disaster, offsite data storage could save your company. Computers may be replaced; crucial data can't. If your entire office is ruined, access to key data makes continued operation possible. You can take the classic technology consulting approach and store data on tapes. Mobile cloud backup products and disc-to-disc solutions are more cutting-edge data storage methods. However you store your backups, check their functionality before they leave your office.

Once your disaster recovery plan is official, don't forget about it. Think about your disaster plan as a living document that will require regular updating. At the very least, your plan should have a formal review at least once a year. In this time, it's likely that you'll have changed out some major equipment and will need to revise insurance numbers and recovery techniques.

IT Consultants & Disaster Recovery

An IT consultant can be a valuable asset in creating your disaster recovery plan. Here are some of the things a technology consulting firm can help with:

Virtualization. One popular gig for an IT consultant is setting up server virtualization. By allowing a large amount of data to be stored on a single server, virtualization creates large amounts of data storage space at a small cost. Many technology consulting firms also recommend virtualization because it can cut down on hardware costs.

Disaster recovery testing. Recovery testing makes any company more likely to survive a disaster. Technology consulting firms conduct disaster recovery testing to make sure all systems will work as planned in an emergency.

Recovery plan design. IT consulting firm representatives are knowledgeable about the latest developments in IT disaster recovery. They can recommend the best backup methods for your organization.

Fear, Loathing and Disaster Recovery Planning

2012-01-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

"One of the most overused and abused statements used to scare small and medium-size businesses into buying a disaster recovery plan goes something like this:

"According to SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Businesses, 50% of businesses who suffer a data disaster lasting longer than ten days will go out of business within five years."

These mythical, Armageddon-like statements are usually written by backup and recovery software makers do a Google search on "disaster recovery statistics" and find the statements on other disaster recovery software sites. Following these statements to their source almost always proves futile, and if you can track the statement to its source, as I have, it's common to find the statement was based on a published figure that may be seven to as much as 10 years old.

Still there's a kernel of truth to it all

While these statements perpetuate a myth, there is, as with any myth, a kernel of truth: you have a right to be afraid of you, your customers, and your partners lose access to your application data for an extended period of time. How long depends on an evaluation of each application and how important it is to your internal staff, your customers and the partners who are tied into it. Whether you're looking for Windows Server Recovery, Exchange server recovery, VMware Server recovery or Hyper-V server recovery, here are four steps you can do to get your own DR plan off the ground, and reduce the fear and loathing you may have for the process.

1) Prioritize on recovering first those applications everyone depends on first, like Exchange Server email and SQL applications, along with mission-critical infrastructural components like your domain controller. Move down the list to more static back office functional areas that you can put on a secondary recovery tier, like your Human Resources applications.

2) Concentrate on protecting all these resources from a single management point. If you've recently virtualized some of your physical servers, it's likely you used a different backup and recovery product to protect them, compared to either your physical machines or other virtual platform you may also be running. This can come back to bite you in a disaster recovery situation, where pressure is high and speeds is of the essence. It's always better to try to consolidate all of your disaster recovery under a single solution. After all, a single solution is much easier to master than two or three, and it's cheaper to pay for and easier administer one product.

3) Keep your recovery plan up to date. Using the same example as above, let's say you've gone through a significant virtualization effort in 2011. Are your new machines as well protected as your existing stable of machines? Review at least annually and be safe.

4) Practice, Practice, Practice!

It works for every profession, whether you're a soldier going out on combat, a baseball power hitter taking cuts in the batting cage or an IT administrator encountering a fire or flood in the server room. If you've practiced, you're more likely to be able to recover successfully. In the end, that matters the most, for your company and for your job. Quarterly "events" and annual DR simulations will keep you sharp, and you'll learn in advance what needs to be fixed before you really need to carry out a disaster recovery.

Some of the Challenges of Cloud Computing

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

As people start to get involved in more advanced Internet and networking platforms, they are starting to hear more and more about cloud computing. This is one of those concepts that has been brewing in the corporate world for years and is just starting to see the light in the consumer world. But there are several hurdles that this new technology will need to overcome before it can be accepted by the mainstream Internet user and tap into the general Internet market. Some of the problems are with the platform while others are problems with perception. As more people start to use the service, it will become more widely accepted. Until then, it will face a long list of challenges.

One of the main challenges that cloud computing faces is with the perception that it is just not secure. Internet companies have been quick to admit that the early days of Internet security were challenging. But it has been shown that people who follow good Internet safety procedures can protect their personal information and safely purchase products and send information over the Internet. The concept behind security in the cloud is exactly the same. The cloud providers know that people are extremely concerned about the security of their personal information and that is why many of the newest security innovations are being developed for the cloud first before any other platform.

As was discussed earlier, some people avoid the cloud because they just do not understand its benefits. One of the key benefits of the cloud is being able to save your data to a source that you can access from anywhere in the world. That spurs some people to ask why they would use cloud computing for something that they can do on their computer's hard drive. The answer is that when your hard drive fails, you will lose everything on it. A cloud computing system is backed up several times to prevent failure. Your data is just as safe, if not safer, being saved in the cloud.

Another popular misconception about cloud computing is that it requires the user to buy special equipment. The only people involved in the cloud that have to buy special equipment are the providers. Users can keep using their existing computers and buy any kind of computer they want to access the services and benefits offered in the cloud. It is a platform that is ready for users to enjoy regardless of what kind of computer they have. If you can access the Internet, then you can access the cloud.

Why Backing Up Computer Files Is Essential?

2012-01-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

In a large company the department of Information Technology (IT) is in charge of backing up computer files.

In spite of this, since you are responsible of the data on your computer it is wise to know and learn why backing up computer files is so essential.

For users of Windows 7 there is an easy tool that you can use to back up computer files. Additionally, there are more advanced programs and services that you can pay for to make sure that your files are safely backed up.

If you have ever been through a complete computer crash where you lost important docs like pictures, emails, music, and videos you certainly know why is critically important to schedule daily, weekly or monthly backups.

In most cases, people just forget to run backups. They usually have the intention of doing so, but they keep putting it aside. Do not risk your files just because you are not willing to buy an external hard drive, otherwise you will regret it. I´ve had unpleasant experiences having to reload the entire system several times a year.

Really, a secondary or external hard drive should have sufficient space not only for the files on your hard drive, but also for a system image. If you use CDs, DVDs or USB flash drives Windows won't have enough space to create a system image which you can use to recover from hardware failures.

Backing up computer files locally is something you should always do, although there are online services where you can back up data "in the clouds", or on remote servers. An external drive works better than an internal secondary drive because you can take it from one place to another, and it is easier than having to open a computer to remove the drive to take it to another system.

For security reasons, it is more save to use an internal hard drive since it resides on your computer and it is moved around less. Many external drives get damaged when they are accidentally dropped.

With the improvement of technology there are tons of online backup providers and backup software solutions. You can start some of the services free and then upgrade for additional options. The features, advantages and benefits of these services are above the conventional back up procedures that were mentioned before.

Backing up computer files over the internet is something you need to contemplate since your data will be kept on highly secure and redundant servers conveniently located at several data centers, and you can easily restore or access these files no matter where you are in the world by only having an internet connection or even via mobile devices.