Why file sharing increases the chances of getting hacked and what you can do about it

It is called File Transfer Protocol and it hasn’t changed much in the 40 years since its development in the 1970s. It may be a testament to a design that has been so useful that it has been preserved. However, with concerns over data privacy and new security issues with hackers, FTP may no longer be the best way to share file or information at all.  With hackers able to intercept data en route, new protection measures may help UK businesses stem the tide of data they lose annually to hackers.

One way UK businesses can keep their data private is by blocking peer to peer sharing and avoid using P2P networks or sharing technology. According to one 2011 study, a marketing research firm found 9 percent of users downloaded files from a peer-to-peer network. If using these programs such as BitTorrent, FastTrack, or KaZaa, users unsuspectingly give hackers an opportunity to gain access to sensitive information through a shared file.

How to stop viruses that act as peer-to-peer programs

While some applaud the Internet for allowing people to communicate across continents, it has opened the door to viruses being spread on P2P networks and increasing the chances that a UK business may receive an infected file. It may not take a virus to gain access to sensitive data.  In 2009, researchers at one college found 45 results for “birth certificate,”42 results for “passport, and ”208 results for “tax return.” it is  no secret P2P programs are a “common avenue” to submit viruses.

What is the best way to stop unintended data sharing and curb data loss? It may not be enough to simply have antivirus protection anymore. Companies need a platform that allows them to keep information private and solely for the email recipient the email is intended.  Businesses do need to look into encryption of emails and other files. However, they also need to consider having STF features that allow a user interface between customers and company employees, having policies that fall in line with the company’s sharing policy and technology usage, and allowing fast sharing of any suspicious activity or possible hacking within the network.

Whether your data loss is because electrical outages or because of physical hardware problems, experts can help. Let us recover your data before you attempt your own data recovery.

More testing, upgrading software and rebalancing needs may curb UK Company’s data Loss

With the introduction of the new data privacy laws, only 26 percent of UK businesses admitted that they thought they were in full compliance of the data privacy laws. Some UK businesses are still struggling to understand fully if they are in compliance and what the steps are to become so. In addition, many UK companies are using newer technology to keep sensitive customer and company data safe from hackers and thieves. Through a series of rigorous testing, companies ensure their systems are safe. But, are there enough tests a company can run on their equipment worth millions of pounds?

Some experts are of the opinion that it isn’t newer technology that is causing data losses and power outages. The culprit, they argue, is some companies buying cheaper software to run systems. More expensive software, with fewer bugs, may be available. But companies must decide if they are willing to pay more to have a developer work out the software bugs. Software development and testing is not cheap and it can take time to work the bugs out. While some business owners may be saving upfront to buy cheaper software, they may not be saving as much as they think. Some bugs can lead to vulnerabilities and open a company’s network up for an attack.

Is the ‘buggy’ software program really a human problem?  

A chief information officer at the London-based oil and gas exploration company, Tullow Oil, cites human factors are the reason for most system failures. Some employees may not fully be following testing procedures 100 percent.

This may be part of the reason why UK companies are experiencing a high number of data loss and might play a role in some of the ‘system failure.’ However, in addition to not running enough tests, human error for failing to comply all testing at some companies, and trying to save upfront costs, UK  companies may have a hard time preventing data loss because they set themselves up to fail.

The link between running outdated software and data Losses 

Some UK companies may think it is cheaper to buy the outdated software than buy the newer, more expensive software. But, they may not be ready for the cost of owning software that the manufacturer now longer supports or offers updates. Third-party vendors may be the only option some UK businesses have to keep their systems running. Why not simply upgrade to the newest technology and open the door less to hackers and the possibility of data loss?  Then, a company may increase spending by needing a specialist to recover any lost data when a system shuts.

Data storage solutions are expanding, but what does it mean for data Recovery?

With the amount of data growing, new ways to store data is needed. No longer is it enough for companies to store data NAS or SAN. Today’s newer machine use SMR or shingle magnetic recording to boost storage needs in a world of seemingly endless data. What do these changes mean for data recovery specialists and external hard drive data recovery? It may mean taking new courses to learn how to retrieve compromised data off a machine that is running SMR, for example.

Many specialists may not understand how this newest technology works and why it is valuable to external hard drives that store massive amounts of storage. Did you know drives will use perpendicular magnetic recording only is able to store 1 terabyte per square inch? However, by lapping data files the storage space is increased to 1.3 to 1.4 T per square inch. Data files are stored by overlapping each other, similar to how a roofer would put on shingles.

Why retrieving data files may be more Time-Consuming

With the introduction of drivers that use SMR to sandwich and squeeze data onto drives, data recovery specialists may need to rethink their processes of recovering data using traditional methods to restore data. But since it has been roughly six months or less, since data storage solution companies have shipped this new storage solution for hard drives.

It isn’t the only way data recovery is changing, as laptops are also now being shipped with solid state drives. This new technology may also prove to be challenging for laptop data recovery. Less moving parts may mean less time-consuming measures of troubleshooting and using imagery to see inside a drive. However, it also could mean less moving parts to be able to perform external hard drive data recovery or laptop data recovery.

Will deduplication cause headaches when it comes to data Recovery? 

Instead of taking so long to read and write across the entire drive, newer solutions allow read and write solutions that only read and write over part of the drive at a time. This allows for much faster results. But, without reading the entire drive, will this have any effect when a laptop does develop errors? Will it change how laptop data recovery is offered?

Will data be able to be recovered using the same techniques if drives will be having fewer parts and able to read and write at much faster speeds? Will layering of data have any effect on how much of the personal data is retrievable? These are questions which may be answered after people have time to spend with this new technology and data recovery specialists have had time to explore how data recovery changes may affect data retrieval methods.

Four practical reasons amateurs need professionals to handle logical data Recovery

Computers can be advanced machines. If you lose data there can be reasons why data is lost.  There are different types of data loss that may require a professional, such as virtual data recovery, logical data recover, and hard drive data recovery. Professionals can recover your using different methods depending on the type of data lost. For example, an expert can clone your drive and recover files from an image.

While mechanical errors may mean distinctive clicking, it can signal hard drive failure. How can you tell which type of error is affecting your computer? This is why this is a job for a professional. Did you know that a logical error can be so great that it cause a computer to not even be able to boot a drive that is attached.

Power outages can stop logical data from being stored Correctly

If a power outage happens at the wrong time, it can keep data from being correctly written and stored to a storage medium. However, problems with Raid controllers, drivers, and crashes, all have the same effect on a laptop or desktop computer. Why call an expert? The file system is left in an inconsistent state. Problems with logical data can cause recursing directories, drives recording negative free space. These are problems that the average computer user may not be able to fix on their own.

Most of the time, logical problems aren’t caused by physical hard disk drive problems with your hardware. There are exceptions. Sections on a hard drive can be unreadable and unwrittable due to heads being dirty or the platter coating being degraded. Only a professional who has expertise in data recovery can help you diagnose the problems that you may have with your data.

Why running a program to correct errors  with logical problems may cause Damage

• Running any type of program designed to fix problems can make logical data errors worse.
• These programs fix errors by moving files around and they may not repair file system structures. 
• Forget writing anything to a drive that has suffered logical data errors, as it may hinder a professional’s ability to recover lost data.
• If files are are written to a drive that isn’t operating correctly, these files may not be able to be recovered because files are overwritten.

How hackers trick users and ways companies can effectively secure Data

Hackers have ways of effectively stealing data. If hackers can bypass security programs, such as Norton, and other network defences, encrypting emails may not help keep data safe. Company professionals may need Raid data recovery or laptop data recovery. Here are six ways that hackers use to steal customers and also business data from Raid systems and force businesses to pay for Raid 5 data recovery.

• Bad Certificate - It can be one of the easiest ways hackers steal data is to trick users into accepting a bad certificate. Did you know this is a classic strategy for those that use secure sockets layered-encryption data technology?
• Fraudulent Certificates - These may be valid certificates which have gotten past HTTPS security. They may look like legitimate certificates, but they are used for malicious things. Several companies have been tricked by what looked like valid Google certificates. Once hackers have these certificates, they can easily get past HTTPS securities.
• Stripping - All it takes is a single mistake for a hacker to gain control of your computer. For example, a website to say HTTP instead of HTTPS.
• Man in the Middle Attacks - This involves hackers eavesdropping by gaining access to webcams and microphones on your computer. This may leave you a victim and susceptible to the messages a hacker sends to your computer. While this is considered a low level threat, it could over time mean a hacker could gain access of a computer. It also may mean you need laptop data recovery to restore sensitive data.

How can computers keep their data safe so that they are not affected by these attacks? It is no surprise that 40% of companies in a 2010 Gartner survey named patch management, identifying and allowing access to secure personnel only, intrusion prevention programs, antivirus protection and also DLP as the ways to insure a company keeps their most sensitive data safe on laptops, etc. are safe. What can companies do to see these goals are being met, in a world where third-party vendors often have the responsibility of ensuring data is safe? Having a third-party vendor may mean companies do not have to pay extra for Raid data recovery or laptop data recovery, when needed. Having regular checks of a network or security system may help ensure data is safe. However, companies, too, should put into place a plan for improving their security and testing it regularly to ensure no breaches of the system are occurring. By having regular monitoring, companies can better protect their systems by recognising a security breach before it has been rather than months after an attack and sensitive data has already been stolen. By having a detailed plan of compliance, this can help employees know how to react in a situation where a disaster relief and even a day-to-day data plan is needed. They also can also a pro to perform Raid 5 data recovery, if needed.

Generic I/O errors: More reason to call in computer Experts

How can you tell if that message that pops up and says “I/O error” could be code for a number of computer problems, or it is time to call an expert to repair any hard drive problem? If a computer message says “non-accessible I/O error,” the error can be a number of problems. A loose cable can cause an I/O error.  It could occur when a program is deleted, or file deleted. It may be may be more complex, for example, a bus interrupt error.

Why call a computer expert when these errors occur? They may be errors that affect the overall operation of your computer. A computer can recover from many errors. However, if there are errors in the computer’s hardware registry, it may affect the computer’s ability to process complex functions.

Computer experts can test peripherals and hard Drives

Since there are a number of generic I/O errors, computer pro can test if cords connect properly. What is considered a peripheral? A computer keyboard, monitor, mouse, microphone, and a printer may all be considered examples of peripherals. All most all peripherals are also considered I/O devices.

Hard drives can tell users the problem if they are able to decipher computer language. Ask an expert for help. They can decide if a computer problem is caused by a bad or corrupted drive or a disk is not inserted into a hard drive correctly. If the I/O error is because of loose cables in the computer’s casing, it is best an expert oversee the wiring. If not properly handled, there is a risk of electrocution.

Why non-access I/O errors maybe aren’t as Critical?

While these errors aren’t as troubling as the errors that appear because of an I/O error that acquires in the hard drive, any I/O error should not be ignored. It only takes one-I/O error for a computer to not be fully functioning and if left untreated, it may over time affect the machine’s functioning severely.

Depending on the error, it may not cause the entire hard drive crash. But, it still you may not want to wait and do nothing for the computer’s ailing hard drive. With computers, errors do not improve the machines given time. There is time for a hard drive to fail completely and leave the computer user with a costly bill.

Partitioning a hard drive may improve computer speed and give hackers nothing to Steal

Should you partition your hard drive? For home computer users, partitioning a hard drive may be a smart option. By partitioning, critical data that a computer uses is not stored on the same drive. Why is this helpful? There are several advantages; however, the best reason to partition a hard drive is that no one has to lose all their computer data at once. With a partition, even if a person accesses the partition index file and learns where an important file is stored, that file cannot be accessed if the drive has been partitioned.

Your computer cannot boot off that drive, even when using a recovery disk. This means the data cannot be accessed. Since your computer treats the partitions as separate entities, keeping the system and apps in a partition separate from data is safer. Because a recovery disk does not usually include a computer system or its apps, it will take less time to secure valuable data.

Wavering about Partitioning?

Did you know that partitioning is useful in an emergency? If the computer suddenly dies, you still may be able to salvage the data. All you need is a bootable operating system and some diagnostic tools. By doing this, you can save your data and easily retrieve it. It may also be a far cheaper option than having a computer expert recover sensitive data that has sentimental value.

Did you know some computer manufacturers, such as Lenovo, include an emergency drive inside their computers? Homeowners can backup and save their data more easily. Even if the computer does not have an emergency partition, it is easy to create one.

Try other Systems

Have you ever wondered what it was like to use Linux? If you have a Windows operating system, running Linux isn’t possible unless you have partitioned your hard drive. However, you also still need to create a dual-boot drive in order to use Linux while running a Windows operating system on the machine.

However, do partition your drive, first. Otherwise, these two drives cannot co-exist; they would step on toes. There would also be no way of easing into Windows 8 without a dual bootable drive.

Isn’t good to know that if your computer does have an error, you don’t have to try to figure out how to solve the problem yourself? Isn’t it useful to have a bootable drive handy?  It may save you a costly data recovery effort instead. 

Why employees need to encrypt files on their company USB flash Drives

If companies aren’t using file-encrypted USB flash drives, company owners should rethink their security policies. Did you know that a recent poll found Londoners lost roughly 4,500 drives a year, leaving them in taxi cabs, libraries, offices, etc. Without encryption, anyone can view your files on a flash drive, regardless of which city you are in.

Why if an employee loses their USB drive, it isn’t just the files on the drive that might threaten a company’s reputation, etc. Do you know the true cost of lost data? If a USB flash drive goes missing it can have widespread effects.

• Lost productivity and creativity affects an organisation’s cost.
• Additional fines for not abiding by UK data privacy laws.
• The cost of the data breach alone.
• The loss of intellectual property that belongs to the company
• The cost of having an IT team doing a forensic investigation
• The cost of the time of doing a study. 

Due to EU privacy laws UK businesses are required to implement data usage Policies

Companies should train their employees to keep their flash drives encrypted. This keeps files safe in case a USB flash drive is lost. This allows companies to keep their most sensitive files safe from hackers. As long as employees know what the company policy is and how it affects data regulations, this can companies to stay complete with EU data regulations. People may think that having encrypted drives may mean the loss of convenience; however, by encrypting drives, this keeps company files safe and still allows the convenience of allowing employees share information with clients and within the company.

By using port management software, this ensures only encrypted flash drives are used in company machines. This may also ensure that companies avoid the fines of more than £1,000 per an incident in a security breach. Why are encrypted files safe? Unless a hacker has a deception key or original credentials, it can be difficult to reconstitute encrypted data.  Many businesses may take data encryption too lightly, thinking a hacker cannot steal data off a hard drive or external hard drive. Without heighten security measures, companies can may find hackers too glad to take their trade secrets and sensitive information.

Have you ever had to consult a data recovery specialist because you lost data? Isn’t it nice to know a specialist can retrieve your data? Isn’t nice to know data may not be lost if a hacker steals data. We recover data from Raid systems, laptop hard drives, external hard drives, USB flash drives and more.

HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console

The above might sound like a bit of a mouthful and indeed to those who aren’t familiar with it, it can be. Here at Glasgow Data Recovery our engineers are indeed familiar with the HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console and the manner in which it brings a whole host of hardware storage devices together to function as one large unit with continuity and overall stability assured.

There are occasions however, as our engineers can attest, when things go wrong and the Control Management Console will either fail itself or fail to recognise certain ‘nodes’ attached to it across the networked array. The HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console allows its users to take one or more storage ‘nodes’ made up of a number of drives internally and links them together to produce clusters that are accessible via iSCSI and therefore accessible across a networked setup which includes server running your applications and storage ‘nodes’ that hold the data you and your staff are working on.

At Glasgow Data Recovery we have been asked by some of our clients to assist with the recovery of data from storage ‘nodes’ that are no longer accessible as the result of problems that have arisen from the HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console.

This may be because the storage ‘nodes’ or some of the drives within them have failed or because of issues involving the LUN (logical unit number) which is an allocation of a portion of drive space or the drive as a whole. A failing LUN will be reported by the HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console as unusable and as Hewlett Packard themselves have stated since the system’s inception in 2008, unrecoverable.

At Glasgow Data Recovery our engineers have developed a method by which the information on these ‘nodes’ and their constituent drives can be recovered to a new media which was something previously HP said could not be done. Indeed HP have said that such a thing was not possible because storage ‘nodes’ from both the HP P4000 and P4500 were unrecoverable.

Now obviously we cannot give away our trade secrets here but what we can tell you is this; at Glasgow Data Recovery our engineers have developed a method of reconstituting your information from a damaged ‘node’ using a process of reverse engineering; using forensic techniques which ensure the data is recoverable to a new media in a reusable and accessible form.

Those familiar with the HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console will know that by incorporating it into your SAN (Storage Area Network) you can add additional ‘nodes’ (blocks of storage made up of sets of hard drives) as and when they are needed and this can be a cost effective way of increasing the size of your IP network without breaking the bank.

However you will also be aware of the time lost in terms of man-hours trying to reconstitute data from such a setup should one of the ‘nodes’ fail or register as having failed when used in conjunction with the HP StoreVirtual Centralized Control Management Console.

The downfall of ‘secure data’: Companies need to monitor tweets

Should companies have a policy to monitor Twitter tweets? According to one study, 70 percent of employees said social media sites are blocked at their workplace. However, another 30 percent of workers said social media was not blocked and was allowed. Should companies care about social media? Being a social media site and tweeting may increase the chances of hackers getting a company’s valuable information.

Why are Twitter and a social media website, such as Facebook, putting a company in danger? Social media makes it easier to share information. However, it may open the door wider to hackers to have more easy access to employees’ data. Why is there a danger to using social media sites, such as Twitter or Facebook?

Companies may not be able to trust a social media website to provide security

Some companies may use social media for their marketing, because it offers benefits. However, those benefits may not outweigh the risks. Why do companies use social media?

• Some companies use a Facebook account or Twitter account to promote their brand with customers. Companies know that in order to keep their brand on store shelves, they need to gain customer’s loyalty and likes.
• Companies use social media to also protect their brand image. Through the use of social media, companies can bond with customers by interacting with them through social media and interacting with users on social media.

However, there will be dangers companies face by using social media, such as Tweeting.

A company can successfully use Twitter and provide the service to its employees, but a policy must be in place. This will protect employees from causing a possible layoff or protect a company’s image and brand.

 

Have you ever had to consult a data recovery specialist because you’ve lost data? Have an employee ever used Facebook or Twitter and infected the company’s network of computers?  We recover data from Raid systems, laptop hard drives, external hard drives, USB flash drives and more.

Why companies using tape drives desperately need to consider Upgrading

Tape drives just cannot be trusted. Did you know that they fail 100% of the time? With a Raid array, a business’s IT department may have time to hot swap failing disk drives before entire Raid 4, 5, or 10 systems go down. Plus, your tape drive will only be AWOL when you need it most. Since you can only retrieve data from a compatible tape drive, there is a good chance that an older, aging tape drive is no longer made, cannot be upgraded, and you cannot even order another model. This means even if your tape drive does not completely fail misreading data, you still may not be able to access the data that is there.

Are you prepared to lose an entire day’s work? Unlike some backup programs, tape drives cannot open any files. They also cannot perform continual backups, as some Raid array systems can. This makes them more obsolete. At the end of the day, if the system crashes, you still can lose all your work and have to begin again. Newer systems designed for data recovery perform virtual backups. It may take a snapshot of your work every 15 minutes. This way if your system fails, you won’t lose all your work for the day. The other good news is that the system can also backup all the other files you have left open before you headed home.

Tape drives do not save everything!

If you aren’t careful, tape drives will make a liar out of you. This is because they do not always record what you think they are recording. While it is true that tape drives will record your files, this doesn’t mean that your computer settings, data that you have typed in, or printer or Internet settings are getting saved. If a fire occurs, you may simply have to rebuild your backup server and you still lose data. Unlike the newer Raid systems or Mac external hard disk drives, you may not even be able to pay a professional to recover your sensitive information. Many businesses have moved to newer technology in order to protect what is most valuable to them. There may not be many specialists who have experience retrieving data off tape drives and converting it into a more usable form.

Isn’t it nice to know that data recovery doesn’t have to take days to complete?  If you haven’t made the switch from tape drive to a Raid system or an external or internal hard drive, what is holding you back? We recover data from hard drives, Memory sticks, Raid systems and more. 

Why backing up data in a cloud is just not enough for Businesses

Sometimes, business owners see ways to protect sensitive data as “one-size” solutions. But, the real truth is that clouds may not be the best way to keep data safe and it won’t allow a professional to recover data from a hard drive if it is only saved in a cloud. What are the best data solution for your large or small business, even if you may need to recover data from an external hard drive or need data recovery services in the UK?  

Here is a look at some of the reasons why business owners need to consider carefully their data storage options before spending thousands on a Raid system or opting to use Raid software instead of Raid hardware. If a business is considering a cloud, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to data storage, before you need to recover data from a hard drive and have trouble retrieving information from a cloud.

• Know your data - Is it best to back up your data on a USB drive and also have a Raid system to protect sensitive data? How important is the data to business operations. This may help determine how much security your company needs, and if they need a data recovery solution where they can recover data quickly from an external hard drive. 
• Don’t store redundant data - Many companies will store redundant data and this will eats up space on a hard drive. It may cause problems if a professional must recover data from a hard drive because much of the data are redundant. Thanks to disks being cheaper, many companies store much more information than they need to. Companies need to be selective in what they store. The same can also be said in what data are retrieved using data recovery services in the UK.  
• Make sure you can find data - Once data is saved, have a plan for finding your data. If you cannot find your data, you may have to pay unnecessary fees for data recovery services in the UK. Clouds don’t necessarily let you know where your company data is. This also makes it hard to plan how safe your data is.  
• Use companies that use reduplication, snapshot, and cloning - These technologies may it easier to restore data if you ever need to recover data from a hard drive or recover data from an external hard drive.  
• Make sure data are secure - Some business heads think clouds are nontaxable, but this isn’t true. One way to make sure your company data are safe is to have it backed up on multiple sources and also have off-site backups. This prevents the possibility that a Raid system may completely fail and all data are lost. However, in the event data is lost, professionals may be able to use data recovery services in the UK to retrieve the most sensitive of information more than 80 percent of the time.  

Have you ever been forced to consider how to recover data from an external hard drive? Isn’t it nice to know data recovery specialists can recommend the best ways to retrieve data? We recover data from hard drives, Memory sticks, Raid systems and more.

Storage encryption: It might save UK businesses plenty

Why invest in a storage encryption strategy in the face of the new data recovery policy in the UK? Does the data storage recovery policy contradict the laws already in place for businesses that use data storage?  It may not contradict as much as people realise. Customers data still needs to be kept save and access limited to a few with authorised access.

Why is it good to have a data storage plan? What type of data will UK businesses be protecting? Is it customers’ telephone calls or credit card information? Depending on the type of data, a UK business may need to look into different encryption strategies. For example to protect against hackers, credit card information should be rendered unidentifiable and unreadable. Hackers won’t have a way of accessing credit card numbers and using them to make purchases online.

Why the UK law may seem Contradictory

It is no secret that as much as 26% of businesses employees admitted not understanding the new UK data privacy regulations. In part, the new law does seem to contradict itself, stating customer’s data from credit cards must be deemed unreadable. But, data from telephone calls must be stored. How can a UK business fully comply with the law and keep data safe without suffering any data loss that would jeopardise customers’ safety?

Do UK businesses simply make portions of the telephone calls with the credit card information irretrievable? Would this keep customer data safe? Should UK businesses invest in enterprise storage systems that have triple DES or AES security? Which is better? How can UK businesses best make certain they are in full compliance with a data storage plan?

Rotating a data key on a regular basis with safeguards in Place

All UK companies need to have some way of rotating encryption keys for their data. Having a strategy means companies will have access to files in the future and still be in compliance with UK data privacy laws. However, IT professionals must work closely with an attorney or legal team to access what data needs stored and how it is going to be used. Companies can also determine how much encryption they need to protect their networks and servers. Is it enough to use Smart flash drives for individual employee’s data? Should the company invest in triple DES encryption data storage?

While encrypted data storage solutions may be expensive, the question is can a company afford to the loss of valuable data is lost? It used to be company may only need to take a hard drive to a data loss professional to retrieve missing or lost data. With hackers and viruses designed to extract information, company heads may also need to consider the implications of being in violation of UK privacy laws. If data is not protected and a company is found in violation, it can be jail time for the company presidents, large fines for UK companies and the loss of customers.

How will your company respond to UK privacy concerns? If you do lose encrypted data by accident, it did you know a professional may still be able to retrieve the data? We recover data from hard drives, Memory sticks, Raid systems and more. 

Is technology making it harder for UK employees to Focus?

Data is around us and like it or not, many UK companies are learning to adjust to new data strategies and new storage solutions, thanks to new EU data privacy regulations. For some employees, the new laws may create an extra workload. However, is this hurting a company’s overall production and increasing the amount of data losses suffered because of tired employees, etc.?

A 2005 study from the Institute of Psychiatry from the University of London found IQ drops 10 points when employees are constantly fielding emails, text messages, and telephone calls. Did you know men fared worse than women, on average? Women are better able to multi-task and so they may not suffer an IQ loss as deeply. Is sleep deprivation to blame for data losses and why some UK businesses may need to call a data recovery specialist to recover accidentally deleted data?

UK company heads may not understand privacy Laws

Many UK companies have admitted to not understanding UK privacy laws, as 26 % said they didn’t know if they were in compliance or not. Only 10% of UK businesses said they were in full compliance with UK data privacy rules and could reproduce encrypted data, if requested. Is the struggle with data because many business IT professionals and business heads do not understand data or it is changing too rapidly?

It may be a combination of the two. Researchers have also identified that changes in data retrieval, loss, and use may be tied to megatrends. Economic growth, globalisation, political and also individual change has had an effect on the rapid expansion of data and subsequent loss of data. However, population and climate change must also be factored in for many of the third-world companies that are currently offering services in the UK. This may impact why UK businesses have suffered data losses or struggled to find companies offering data technology that may keep pace with their changing needs.

Why should UK companies consider all these factors before determining which data storage equipment to buy? Have you had a good experience in purchasing encryption data storage which will meet your company’s future needs? We recover data from hard drives, Memory sticks, Raid systems and more.

Too hot to handle: why high heat can hinder Raid recovery Efforts

Have you ever wondered what happens to your Raid data systems if they must withstand heat from a fire? The heat may be enough to cause the data on virtual drives to become irretrievable. But, it isn’t only the heat that can do the most damage to a hard disk drive. The film, from the smoke that sets on a hard disk drive, may make it hard to access information on the drive. What is the danger from even a little smoke? Smoke may cause circuit boards to short out prematurely because the smoke film coating acts as an insulator. It can cause components to overheat quickly and cause premature failure.

It isn’t only the smoke film that is dangerous. Particles in smoke are extremely corrosive and may cause oxidizing on a hard disk drive. Should a company buy equipment from a business that has had a fire? There is a danger in getting equipment that won’t function properly or be a reliable backup for data files because of excessive pitting and danger of overheating.

Could fires back the need for off-site data Recovery?

A business owner may have adequate equipment to back up daily files and also do incremental saves of data. If a business owner has four take backups off-site and one backup drive onsite, it may be a challenge for a trained professional to retrieve much-needed files. What is a little heat? The reality is that not every fire is the same, though all produce heat and smoke.

A small flame, a candle flame, can generate enough heat to be able to affect and even damage a hard drive. Pair this heat with a drive that is incrementally backed up and requires several other drives to restore data and this can be the beginnings of a recipe for disaster for any UK business. One UK business experienced first-hand the mistake of not having data backed up, after customers ordered tickets for events. After setting a backup drive to incremental, this meant that data on the master backup disk was needed to start the retrieval process for the other backup disks that were stored off-site. Did you know even a small fire is hot enough to “melt” any usable data in a hard drive.

Shouldn’t you have a data loss disaster plan in case the unthinkable happens? Have you ever had to have a data specialist recover data lost due to a fire?  We can help recover data lost because of hackers or is erased or a disaster. 

Why small business owners may want to rethink Open SSL options

Many small business owners may think their sensitive customer data is safe because they use open-source encryption software. Did you know vulnerabilities in open-source SSL encryption could cause headaches for business owners? How much is cybercrime affecting small businesses? According the UK Federation of Small Businesses, rampant cybercrime may be keeping other small businesses from joining. There may be far more cybercrime than reported because small business owners are not aware they have been hacked.

Still, the problem is deeper than not worrying about data loss or data recovery.  A company’s IT professional may not install patches for programs correctly. IT techs may not aware of the loss in a timely manner. If a company’s software causes a security breach, it can cause the loss of from thousands to millions a year. Businesses lose much more than data. Customers may see a business as a security risk if steps taken do not ensure customer data.  A customer may not have only had personal data stolen; they also may have lost a customer’s trust, loyalty, and devotion.

Why it is best to make employees undergo training

Employee mistakes, according to one software security firm, might cause more data theft and higher numbers of data loss for companies. Employees may accidently delete data. Utilising employee training reduces the number of leaks in a company’s sensitive data because they are not well trained.

Should a company’s IT department insist upon passwords that are longer than eight characters? While it may do little to protect against Heart Bleed, it may help against many viruses that will halt company operations, cause the loss of sales, and income from productivity. If employees understand how vital company procedures, policies, and rules are for protecting data loss, they may help keep data loss down. It may also help employees understand why data needs protecting.

Lax attitudes about data recovery have contributed to losses. Here is a look at why data loss cannot be ignored or shrugged off.

• According to the software security company, AVG, 43 to 53% of employees were more concerned with tidying their desks than protecting data and put more into changing passwords.
• Only 18% of businesses have confidence that data protection laws are enough to keep data safe.                           
• Though 41% of businesses represented in the survey felt the new data laws were enough to keep Brits safe, another 69% of UK businesses admitted to being ready if a breach did occur.
• Only 13% of UK customers are demanding transparency of where data is stored, as companies are recognising the need to keep data safe outweighs the need not to know where data is stored.

Five ways not ‘de-clouding' can cause more you more in data Recovery Costs

In a world where businesses are looking for faster options to connect with clients, better solutions to solve computer processing speed problems, etc., it is no surprise business owners do not give the need for Raid 5 data recovery a second thought or set aside a budget for laptop hard drive recovery or external hard drive data recovery. By following these five tips, you can keep your data safe so you will not need Raid 5 or external hard drive data recovery soon.

• Be aware of what it means to store data in the Cloud. The Cloud will not necessarily help you keep your data safe and secure. If you use the cloud, you still give a third-party access to your personal information. If your data is stored in the cloud, you may not be able to retrieve it easily and there is no way to index data in a cloud, this may make it difficult to do data recovery, when needed. This is why it is best to stick with your personal hard drive. If you need laptop hard drive recovery, you know who has access to your data. In a cloud, your data may be accessed by a third party and you may never know.
• Use a traditional email provider - You do not have to worry about a traditional email provider putting your sensitive messages in the cloud. If your email messages are in a cloud, this means other people can track the messages that you send. It is better to store email on a hard drive. This way if a Raid server fails, it is to perform Raid 5 data recovery.
• Use an encrypted USB flash Drive - This keeps hackers from easily reading your important messages to business clients or having access to sensitive company data by accessing an external hard drive. External hard drive data recovery may be needed if a hard drive is hacked. However, with an encrypted flash drive, it makes it harder for a hacker to steal personal information. It also means you do not have to worry as much about needed laptop hard drive recovery.
• Use a traditional Word processor - Did you know you cannot be tracked on Microsoft Word as easily if you aren’t sending your most sensitive documents via Google Docs? This is why it is better to use applications that allow you to stay offline more.
• Avoid posting photos to Flickr or Instagram.  It may help you keep from needing Raid 5 data recovery if several drives on your Raid server are accessed.

Shouldn’t you have a data loss disaster plan in case the unthinkable happens? Have you ever had to have a data specialist recover data lost due to a fire?  We can help recover data lost because of hackers or is erased or a disaster. We recover data from hard drives, Memory sticks, Raid systems and more.