The problem with data loss is that we are all aware of its existence, but none of us cares to think about it until it hits us really badly. General notions on data protection and prevention of data loss are still faulty and hazy, mixed with fact and fiction. There is a general myth, for example, that hard disks can last for generations, so all data is safe once put on a disk. The truth is that no hard disk company will give guarantee for their product for more than five years.



Data loss is a serious matter. Before we discuss its consequences for individuals or companies, we need to get a few basics cleared.

How Data Loss Happens

Data loss from any digital storage media happens in mainly two ways ? physical and logical ? indicating loss through hardware and software issues respectively.

Physical Data Loss

• All natural disasters cause data loss to various extents. Fire, flood, earthquake, tornadoes ? all cause data loss ? along with other losses of property and even life. Consequently, no one pays much attention to data loss at that time, and this delay compounds the effect of the data loss. Companies have started taking precautions now, resorting to methods such as off-site or online backup and other remote data backup provisions. But such solutions are still heavily cost- and infrastructure-dependent.



• Man-made disasters can have the same effect as natural ones. This includes terrorist attacks, bombing, war, arson and any other mass scale man-made damage. Once again, the same methods of protection may be applied, and the problems are much the same. The 9/11 event is a case in point.



• Electrical surge and spikes in the flow, electrostatic discharge or any other irregularity in the supply can be a source of trouble for data for any digital media.



• Heat, water, any other moisture, humidity, dust and shock all cause data loss. This includes all those human errors that are growing alarmingly common, such as forgetting the cell phone or dropping the laptop.

What the Consequences Depend On

But not all those who use data are equally affected by losing it. These are some of the factors on which the consequences of data loss will depend.

• What is the volume of the data lost? A student, a child, and the CEO of a company will react differently when they lose data from their respective computers. A home user losing data and an entire company database getting wiped out is never the same.



• The sensitivity of the data is the next important factor. If the data is high security, contains personal details or financial accounts, is the result of years of research, then obviously the value will be greater than the loss of the summer holiday photographs.



• The next factor in order of importance is the rarity of the data lost. Can you rebuild the data easily or after much expense and difficulty? Will it take a long time or can it be done quickly? Maybe it is impossible to rebuild it at all. The rarer data becomes, the greater is the consequence of its loss.

How it Affects Domestic Users

The pattern of individual usage of data has changed drastically over the past few years. The consequences of data loss for home users would depend on the factors mentioned above. Another additional factor that would come into force here is budget. While you may feel really sad for the pen drive that is not working and has your music collection, you may not be able to afford the software required to remedy this. Physical loss of data for home users usually spells doom.

Data Loss and Companies

The loss of data can be bad for a company to the point of being a fatal blow according to its dependency on the data lost. The worst part is that small companies often do not have adequate data security because they can't afford the cost that will be incurred by them in setting up the elaborate backups, security methods, tracking systems, and anti-virus software that protect a big empire. So, when the data loss happens, they end up shelling out more than these measures would have cost. In fact, many businesses have shut shop after data loss. Besides, loss of reputation and bad press are other consequences of corporate data loss.