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Data loss can affect your
business when you least expect it. It can be caused by a myriad of factors
including weak passwords, social engineering attacks like
phishing, or equipment error. You might think that it can never happen to you,
but the truth is it can happen to anyone at any time.
These real-life examples of data loss illustrate
why it is so important to have multiple data backups and a plan for data
restoration.
1. AMAG Pharmaceuticals
AMAG Pharmaceuticals ran into a problem with data stored on Google Drive. A folder relating to HR activities was moved within the company’s Drive, it stopped syncing properly. As a result, all the files seemed to disappear. After checking everywhere, including the trash bin and desktop, it seemed like the data was completely gone.
Luckily the company was using a special tool
specifically for the backup of Google drive files. There were able to restore
all the files quickly and keep operations running smoothly.
2. The UK prison system
In 2008, a consulting firm lost a lucrative contract with the UK prison system when an employee misplaced or lost a USB drive containing the personal information and release dates of more than 80,000 inmates. This case goes to show how physical security is just as important a part of data loss prevention as cyber tactics.
The stick was lost when an employee went on
vacation and left it in her unlocked desk drawer in an unsecured area of the
company’s building. When she returned from her trip it was no longer there and
no one had any idea what had happened to it.
As a result of this lost data, the consulting
firm lost a big client and a lot of revenue, not to mention the hit to their
reputation.
3. DreamHost
Back in 2007, more than 500 websites hosted by a
company called DreamHost started to
disappear from the web. It was due to a bug on one of their routers. They fixed
the issue and thought everything would be back in working condition right away,
but they still found that DNS records were being deleted by the bug.
The lost records were not able to be restored
and all DreamHost could do was learn from their mistakes and apologize to their
customers. They worked hard after the incident to improve the security and
stability of their service and repair their image.
The fact that they’re still around is proof that you can recover from data loss, but imagine how much easier it would have been if their data had been backed up in a safe location.
4. Microsoft Sidekick
Microsoft’s Sidekick was a trendy mobile device
that could switch from a simple bar phone to a flip-up phone with a full QWERTY
keyboard. It was pretty revolutionary as texting was starting to catch on and
people needed more room for their fingers to express their thoughts.
In 2009, the Microsoft Sidekick
servers experienced failure, and lost tons of customer data including
contacts, calendar appointments, and to-do lists. The kicker was that the
sub-company that made the device, Danger, did not have a proper backup of these
files so the data was truly just
lost forever. What a disaster!
Curious about how to create a safe and secure data backup
and restoration plan? Contact a cybersecurity expert to make sure your
business has the right controls in place to avoid situations like the ones
listed above.
