Recovering after a virus strikes
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Data recovery expert Ontrack offers some top tips to avoid the worst The vast range of physical and virtual security threats to businesses today means even the largest of organisations have trouble maintaining up-to-date security, business continuity and disaster recovery procedures. For SMEs the challenge is even greater.
SMEs often do not have a dedicated IT director or manager, and as such lack the resource and knowledge to effectively design, implement and manage technology solutions. Whilst this is not surprising, it is unfortunately the most cost-effective solution. The problems this can cause are brought to light only once a crisis, such as the recent Sasser virus, has already happened. The good news is there are some simple steps that can be taken to remedy the problem.
The greatest danger any business faces in light of a physical or virtual ‘disaster’ is data loss. Electronic data has become one of the most valued assets any business possesses, so it is all the more astonishing just how few businesses proactively protect and back up critical business information, or understand the ramifications of losing such data. In fact, statistics indicate that 78 per cent of businesses that have not recovered business critical data within ten business days go bankrupt (Guardian Online 2002). Despite these facts, a report from industry analyst Gartner estimates that only 35 per cent of SMEs have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place.
Since many SMEs are now in an ‘always on’ environment, i.e. they are permanently connected to the Internet, the speed with which internet-based viruses such as Sasser can spread has increased dramatically. Viruses like Sasser and Netsky can spread through hundreds of machines in a matter of seconds and have been identified as one of the five main causes of data loss. Other causes include hardware or system malfunction, human error, software programme malfunction, viruses and natural disasters. No form of storage can be completely fail-safe.
The first simple step is don’t panic! Never presume that data is lost for good, no matter how catastrophic the damage or loss seems at the time, since there are a variety of simple, cost-effective methods to retrieve the information.
However there are several, simple but critical tips that can help lessen the chance of losing data permanently as well as preventing further damage - many of which people in panic don’t consider.
- Regularly run a defragmenter tool on your computer - this can improve the quality of recovery since it puts the files in a more recognisable chain
- In a networked environment, infected users should always disconnect the network cable from the back of the machine to help prevent the virus from spreading through the office
- Do not browse the Web from a machine that is infected - if the virus deletes files, surfing the Web will overwrite data
- If you are missing data, turn the computer off immediately - do not shut down Windows. Don’t assume your files are permanently lost, but don’t install or write to the drive so files can be recovered more easily
- Run a Virus Scanner from a Boot Disk/Boot CD to remove the virus before re-booting
- Contact a data recovery company to help restore missing data
Furthermore, not all types of data loss require the assistance of an expert. In the event of accidental file deletion, virus infection and inaccessible or unbootable partitions, free diagnostic tools exist to assess the condition of your computer system and advise whether you can repair the damage yourself. Powerful, do-it-yourself software solutions exist that are capable of recovering and repairing lost or inaccessible data safely.
For example, Ontrack has a three-pronged solution for data recovery. For severe data loss, computers can be sent to Ontrack’s labs for recovery. Here, engineers work around the clock to retrieve lost information. Alternatively, companies can use Ontrack’s Remote Data Recovery (RDR) services, where data can be recovered by an engineer via a modem, over the Internet. Through RDR, the time taken to retrieve information is vastly reduced, as hard drives don’t need leave the office. The third option is Ontrack’s EasyRecovery product detailed above, which is designed specifically for SMEs, SoHos and individuals. This incorporates five solutions including file repair, data repair and professional care. This software is downloadable from Ontrack Data Recovery’s website at www.ontrack.co.uk
It is important to remember that deleted doesn’t always mean deleted. Data might appear to be gone forever, but in reality that’s rarely the case. The key to recovery is keeping calm and taking the most appropriate action. Panicking and immediately attempting to fix the problem yourself without first seeking advice may only make matters worse. A computer hard drive is extremely resilient and hard to break - in fact in one case Ontrack recovered data from a PC that had been shot - so rest assured it’s very rare for a virus to be fatal.
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