Data loss can happen for a variety of reasons – hardware failure, accidental deletion, file corruption, ransomware attack, natural disaster, and more. When important data is lost, it can have major consequences for both businesses and individuals. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to try to restore lost data. Here we will look at the key processes involved in data recovery.
Determine How The Data Was Lost
The first step is to figure out exactly how the data was lost. Was it due to:
- Hardware failure – e.g. hard drive crash, SSD failure, RAID failure
- Accidental deletion – files deleted and emptied from recycle bin/trash
- File corruption – files damaged and unreadable
- Ransomware attack – files encrypted by malware
- Natural disaster – e.g. flood, fire
- Operating system failure – e.g. won’t boot up
Determining the cause will dictate the next steps to take in the recovery process. It helps the data recovery professional understand what kind of approach is required.
Stop All Activity on The Device
Once data loss is discovered, it is crucial to stop all activity on the device immediately. This is because continuing to use the device could overwrite the lost data – reducing the chances it can be recovered.
Power off the device and do not attempt any other operations. With hard drives, you may hear clicking or whirring sounds as the drive heads attempt to read data – this is normal but you should still power it down.
Taking the device out of service protects the lost data from being permanently overwritten.
Evaluate Your In-House Capabilities
The next step is to objectively look at your own technical capabilities for data recovery. Do you have the skills, software tools and cleanroom facilities to safely extract the data yourself?
Data recovery requires specialized tools and techniques that go beyond normal IT skills. Unless you have dedicated data recovery experience, third-party help is usually advisable.
You must also consider if you can do the recovery work without further damaging the drive and losing more data. Professional data recovery firms use specialized read-only processes to protect the media.
Choose A Data Recovery Company
If you decide that professional assistance is the best approach, choose a reputable data recovery company to handle the process. Key factors when choosing a provider include:
- Experience – how long have they offered data recovery services?
- Track record & reputation – check online reviews and testimonials
- Capabilities – assess the types of recovery they specialize in (logical, mechanical, etc)
- Certifications – e.g. ISO certifications for processes
- Security – measures taken to protect & dispose of recovered data
- Cost – upfront estimates and cost structure (fixed fee, billable hours, etc)
- Customer service – responsiveness and channels available (phone, email, etc)
Be wary of firms that ask for payment upfront before any evaluation. Reputable providers will assess the media and provide a quote first.
Package & Transport Media Properly
Once a provider is selected, you need to properly package the media and safely transport it to their facility.
Carefully remove any drives from servers, enclosures and computers. Avoid directly touching circuit boards or connectors. Place drives in anti-static bags if available.
Cushion the drive to protect from physical shock and movement. Bubble wrap and foam padding work well. Secure the drive in a hard container like a box.
Store media in cool, dry conditions away from magnetic fields during transit. Ship via a tracked service with insurance. Follow any other specific guidance from the recovery firm.
Evaluate and Attempt Recovery
The data recovery company will first evaluate the media to determine the physical condition and best recovery methods. Simple logical recovery may be possible if the drive powers up and interfaces are working.
If there is physical issue, mechanical recovery requires opening the drive in a cleanroom to access and repair or replace damaged components.
Advanced techniques like disk imaging, data signal analysis and microsoldering may be utilized based on the specifics of the damage and data needed.
The recovery firm will usually communicate estimated recovery chances and a quote after diagnosis. You can then approve them to proceed with recovery efforts based on the probabilities and cost.
Manage Recovered Data
Once the recovery process hits success, you’ll need to manage the restored data. The provider will return the data on new media or via secure electronic transfer.
First, verify the data is intact and usable. Check for missing or corrupted files. Then safely store it – ideally on more than one media type, with at least one copy offsite.
Now you can resume business operations or restore personal files. Be sure to implement measures like cloud backup to prevent repeat data loss events.
Conclusion
Recovering lost data often involves specialized techniques and equipment best handled by data recovery professionals. But there are actions you can take to protect the data after loss and choose the best partner.
The key steps if valuable data is lost are:
- Stop using the device immediately
- Determine if you should handle recovery in-house or use a specialist firm
- Carefully package and transport media to the recovery company
- Let them evaluate the media and attempt recovery
- Securely manage recovered data once restoration is successful
Following this process gives you the best chance to successfully restore lost files and resume business or personal operations with minimal disruption. Just be sure to have robust backup policies going forward.