5 everyday disasters that will destroy your data

Data backup is important, which I’m sure you’ve heard before.  You know the spiel…  What happens if there’s a tornado or snow storm and your hardware is completely destroyed?  How are you supposed to recover your data if you ever expect to regain operational status?

But here in Kern County, that’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.  The only thing we’re worried about is not having enough water.  At this point, a massive flooding would be welcomed with open arms.  And if there is an earthquake, we’ll end up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, right?  Our data will be the last thing we think about.

So does that mean you don’t have to worry about data backup?  Since we aren’t normally prone to destructive natural disasters are you immune to data disasters altogether?

Not exactly.  You see, there’s such a thing as an everyday disaster and these bad boys will destroy your data faster, better, and more times than a tornado, earthquake, or fire ever could.

Power Failure

If a power failure occurs in your building, the potential for hardware malfunctions and corrupted files is pretty high.  Say you’re working on a very important presentation and the power shuts down.  A few minutes later when the power kicks back on you attempt to work on your presentation again.  But, for some reason, every time you try to open up your files you’re greeted with an error message.  Instead of being able to recover all that work, you have to start from scratch, losing time, money, and productivity.

Spilled Liquid

If you’re going to drink coffee, water, soda, or any other liquid while you’re around hardware, you’re playing a very risky game.  With sugary drinks especially, liquid can corrode your critical hardware components and corrupt the data it contains.

The Wrong Button

This category contains the, “Whoops.  Did I just do that?” and the, “I’m so frustrated I’m going to pound on my keyboard for a few seconds.”  And, unfortunately, accidentally deleting items is far more common than you may think.  There are ways to permanently delete files from your server and even ways to delete system files that allow your PC to function properly. When this happens, the only way you can recover files or fix your workstation is if you have the backup solution that allows you to do so.

Vindictive Employees

Usually, when someone is fired, it isn’t something they necessarily want to happen.  And, many times, the anger and contempt the freshly unemployed have for you and your business can boil over to instigate vindictive acts.  If they can find a way to access your database, they can do some serious damage; damage that can be expensive, embarrassing, and highly destructive to your data.

Common Malware

If you don’t have the best security or the most private employees, malware and hackers can easily slip into your network.  Once they’re inside, they can steal, corrupt, or encrypt your data—all of which is expensive and extremely difficult to recover without a comprehensive backup and recovery solution.  For example, Cryptolocker is an extremely rampant virus at the moment.  This nasty malware will encrypt your files and force you to pay for a decryption code.  And the delivery of the code after payment is never a guarantee.

The future of passwords separated into 3 categories

Passwords are slowly reaching their point of extinction, emphasis on the slowly.  It’s too easy to create a weak password, and it’s way too easy to crack one; therefore, something must be done, and everybody knows it.

It simply boils down to the ‘when.’  When will society overcome the convenience associated with a password and hop on over to a more complex sign-on method?  And, surprisingly, it may come sooner than we all think thanks to 2-factor authentication.

2-factor authentication can be an alternative or additional layer to the customary password, and can be applied in a variety of ways.  CNET describes these ways or methods as something you have, something you are, and something you know.

Something you have

All three categories are self-explanatory in nature; therefore, something you have is something you have.  When you enable 2-factor authentication and utilize this approach, you will receive a notification asking you to approve the login, usually a push notification on your smartphone.  Even if someone has physical access to your computer or if there is keylogging software installed on your computer, they still could not reach your inbox.

Something you are

Something you are would involve a biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint or retinal scan, which isn’t as far-off or as high-tech as you may think it is.  Google is currently working on a project that involves identifying a user not by whatthey say, but by how they say it.  Considering many cyber security analysts believe a fingerprint can be just as hackable in the future as a password is, this is an innovative idea that may just be the level and convenience of security everyone is looking for.

Something you know

Many of us actually utilize this method of 2-factor authentication without even realizing it.  This would involve answering a question with a predetermined answer, such as, “What is the name of your favorite football team?”  Websites tend to stick with the same questions and people tend to stick with the same answers, making this category not as secure as it should be.  For instance, the football question only has a few possible answers, which makes it easy to crack.  And if it happens to be a question regarding your maiden name or the street you grew up on, that’s easily found on your Facebook page, LinkedIn, or online dating profile.  You see the point.

There’s no reason you shouldn’t apply 2-factor authentication to any of your online accounts that offer it.  Even using something as basic as “something you know” adds a second layer of protection to your account.  A second layer makes it more difficult for hackers to crack your password and may give you the opportunity to change login credentials after a breach occurs and before your account is accessed.  Although it may add a few seconds to the login process, it’s well worth it.