Five steps to prevent critical data loss

We all hate to hear “I told you so!” when we are recovering from the aftermath of the catastrophe which every technology user is scared of — their hard drive crashing. Even though we are all aware of the terrible consequences of data loss forever, we remain ignorant about the prevention of the same. Here is a list of five efficient ways to prevent data loss.

- Always backup

This is one of the most popular ways and believe it, there is no substitute to it. One should not only back up data, but also check the backup too by copying it again from the tape back to the computer. This may sound a simple task but it takes a lot of effort and time to complete it.

- Never store data files in the same drive as the OS

One should never store data or word files in the same drive as the operating system. Whether it is system failure or a virus attack, operating system is the first thing that gets affected and sometimes formatting the OS and reinstalling it is the only way out. In such a case, you are bound to lose all data stored in the drive.

- Keep a watch at email attachments

Beware of how you save word files attached in the mail. If there is a file with the same name as another file in the drive where the attachments are saved automatically, the old file would be overwritten by the new permanently. The best practice is to select a unique place in your computer to save email attachments.

- Beware of static electricity

Your entire precious data can be erased completely by static electricity surges. Today’s storage media is more vulnerable to extraneous static discharge.

- Always classify the data

One of the most common mistakes we all tend to commit is to treat all data the same. It is not. Data should be identified according to its importance and then classified with utmost care, like some may be classified, some unclassified, some confidential and some public. Once this task is done, treat the data accordingly. This is one of the most important steps to prevent critical data loss.