How Big is Big Data?
Think about the number of people who shop at your local Wal-Mart. The lot is typically full and the lines are typically long. The store keeps expanding its inventory and selling everything from blueberries to books. There are thousands of transactions logged in a day and millions in a year.Now, think about all the transactions at Wal-Marts nationwide. Then, consider Internationally. In 2017, Wal-Mart operated more than 11,000 stores throughout the world. Each of the transactions from every store provide a myriad of data.
Now, zoom out even further. Think about the entire big box retail industry. Think about healthcare, and the financial industry. Think about real estate, construction, transportation, and eCommerce. Think about the information we disclose about ourselves on social media. There’s a lot of data out there and the amount put into the world is growing by the second.
Defining Big Data
Big data is really in the eye of the beholder. What one person considers big data another may consider a normal set. One definition of big data may be any data set distributed on multiple systems.
Let’s say we have a spreadsheet with all our previous customers going back to the beginning of our company. Every time we’ve backed that list up on multiple devices, we’re distributing across multiple systems and using big data, by that definition. Most people wouldn’t consider this to be the case.
There are multiple ways to think about it, and it’s hard to set clear restrictions. On the other hand, there are some common statistics that will illustrate just how much data is out there. Big data is tough to define, but easy to picture in the abstract.
Big Data is Really, Really Big
Below are a few statistics that will give you an idea just how big we’re talking about.
- Research group IDC predicts that the world will be creating 163 zettabytes of data a year by 2025. The current rate is 16.3 zettabytes. (A zettabyte is one trillion gigabytes.)
- The average person uses 8 gigabytes of data per month on their cell phone.
- There are more than 200 billion emails sent and received each day.
- Mastercard alone processes more than 74 billion transactions per year.
- For Prime Day, Amazon sold more than 600 items per second. If that doesn’t sound like much to you, it equates to 36,000 items in a minute, or 2.16 million items in an hour. That’s 51.84 million for the day.
- Five new Facebook profiles are created every second. That’s 300 per minute or 18,000 in an hour. This equates to 432,000 in a day.
All of this is to say there is a considerable amount of data out there and it is growing exponentially fast. This should give you an idea of how big, big data can really be. No matter how you define it, the information created from the above examples would qualify as big data.
What Data is Right for You?
It’s no longer enough to guess when you need to make decisions regarding your business. Big data and analytics software allow organizations to make more informed decisions by reviewing the numbers.
Reviewing all the data that’s available would be a giant waste of time and prevent you from ever moving forward. It is possible to get so sucked into the numbers that you feel paralyzed in your decision-making capability. But if you evaluate the data that truly makes sense for your business, it can do you a tremendous amount of good.
It helps to have demographic information regarding your potential clients, and those who have already bought. It helps to know the direction that your industry is trending and where you fit in. Analyzing the right information can help your organization succeed in today’s economy.
Are You Making the Most of Your Data?
Whatever industry you are in, chances are your company has a significant amount of competition. The way you collect data and the decisions you make with that information can differentiate your company from these competitors.
Significant innovations and technological change are the new normal, and data is at the heart of this change. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things, and cybersecurity all revolve around the ability to collect, analyze, and act on accurate data.
The benefits of data aren’t limited solely to the most technological businesses, however. Simply put, data helps any organization in any industry make more informed decisions. Without it, you’d be stumbling around in the dark, and making significant business decisions based on pure guesswork.
Decisions in marketing, sales, product development, and manufacturing can all be analyzed on a deeper level using various types of data. You may think you know the answer to a particular question, but the incorporation of data can give you a more complete picture.
Let’s take a look at what we’re talking about when we talk about data. The term is a broad one, and it helps to have a clearer understanding. There are various types available, depending on the objectives of your company.
Let’s also look at how data is revolutionizing a few key industries of the future and consider how the information you collect may help you. How can this ever-expanding appetite for data apply to your industry? How can you improve your utilization of data to make more informed business decisions?
A Clear Definition of Data
Data has become a buzzword in business circles, and can mean different things in different contexts, or amongst different crowds. The definition is broad. Data is simply a collection of facts, numbers, words, or measurements that are recorded and collected in a way that computers can process.
It’s that simple, really. Think of a Google search result. An algorithm is sorting through vast amounts of data to reply with the best, most relevant answer in a matter of seconds. It would be impossible for a person to search the entire volume of the Internet and return an answer to your query in a year, let alone a matter of seconds.
Data is the backbone of the Internet, and businesses can greatly benefit from a strategic use of what’s available to help them make more informed decisions.
How You Collect and Evaluate Data to Build Your Business
Companies that fail to utilize the right information to make business decisions are at a distinct disadvantage in the 21st century. Let’s look at a few examples of what this means in terms of real-world practice. Here are a few types of data that might help you improve your processes.
Personal Data – An individual’s demographics, location, email address, social security number or any other identifying information would be considered personal data. This type of information can be highly valuable for operational decisions, but also needs to be highly safeguarded. Hackers who gain access to this type of information can use it for malicious intent and do a significant amount of damage to your customers.
For this reason, personal data breaches often become high profile cases in the media. It can also reach a high-profile status when companies use this data in an unconventional way. Personal data can also be aggregated or anonymized and then sold to third-party companies for advertising or competitive research purposes.
Transactional Data – This type of data requires some form of action to collect, typically ad clicks, submitting an email form, website visits, or product purchases. It can help businesses improve the customer experience and make more targeted marketing decisions.
Web Data – This refers to any data gathered from the web for research purposes. This could be anything from competitive analysis to government data. It could even mean last week’s football scores, if that’s what’s needed. Creative and strategic use of this type of data can provide a sound basis for business decisions.
Resources for transactional or personal data may be limited for start-ups and low-budget organizations, as they aim to collect more useful information. Web data can become an excellent accessible resource, especially when there are no other viable options. It can be used to generate leads, track competition, and much more. Web scraping tools provide a powerful way to access key data.
Sensor Data – This is simply data produced by objects. One main realm for this is the Internet of Things. For example, when your fridge is out of milk, it can use sensor data to order more. Another example may be a FitBit or smart phone tracking steps. When machines track what occurs around them, they can make adjustments that will allow an organization to save money.
Below are ways that data is helping revolutionize a few key industries for the future. You certainly don’t have to be part of these industries to make innovative use of your data. But you can find ways to apply what they’re doing to your company. What data is crucial to your business today? What information can help you make better decisions about the direction of your organization and your future?
What Is Big Data?
Big data is simply a reference to the numerous types of data being collected. As more individual pieces of information make their way online, companies and analysts can use it to form a more complete data picture. For instance, Facebook likely knows your political leanings, whether you are single or married, and what you do for a living. That collection of personal data can be used to determine which ads you will see on the platform.
Big data only refers to the use of larger data sets. The opportunity is there to view larger, complex data sets to gain a more complete understanding of the world around us. With social media, political campaigns can collect more information about voters in their district than was ever previously available.
Data, and the Industries of the Future
Self-Driving Cars
In today’s world, when a car breaks down, we take it to the mechanic. Whether it needs a simple oil change, or more complex engine parts replaced, the mechanic is the specialist most suited to complete this work.
As we inch toward self-driving cars, it’ll be more than just engine mechanics who work on these machines. Even in their earliest infancy, self-driving cars are data-collection sponges. The algorithms that tell the car how to behave in an infinite number of scenarios will arrive at their decisions based on the evaluation of data.
Self-driving cars collect and evaluate data to stay on the correct route, obey traffic signals, and transport you from Point A to Point B on time, with little to no human input. When something goes wrong with your car’s data collection systems, you’ll need to find a specialist equipped to handle these types of problems, too. This will likely be a data recovery specialist.
Self-driving cars are a premiere example of what’s possible with machine learning and artificial intelligence. What looks like magic to the uninitiated will be possible only because of the ability to instantly evaluate large swaths of data and make informed decisions.
If data can be used for such complex actions as driving an automobile without human assistance, what processes could you make more efficient within your business through the use of data? Do your employees perform any functions that could be automated?
The technology is here to do more with your data. When you consider what’s possible, data can become another arm in the future of your company.
Healthcare
Wearable technology provides patients and medical professionals access to data that was previously unattainable. Doctors can use this information to analyze long-term trends to make more informed care decisions or monitor whether a patient is following their treatment plan. This data can also be used to establish new disease patterns.
Home products previously unrelated to health care can be used to provide new data. For example, a smart toilet could potentially monitor users for bladder function, diabetes, protein, hydration levels and more. Existing healthcare products can gain new value. An inhaler with an embedded GPS tracker can give medical personnel more information about asthma impacts on the individual, while also tracking larger trends.
Data can be used on the peripheral edges of the healthcare industry as well. For instance, it can be used to give patients more accurate information on wait times. In an environment where patients have plenty of choice, an app that gives patients a realistic look at what their wait may look like can be extremely helpful.
Technology is also changing the way health data is stored and transmitted. Electronic health records are shared amongst different providers and can trigger reminders and warnings to all relevant providers when a patient should receive care.
As data, technology, and medicine converge, it means greater care for the patient. It’s another industry where data specialists are likely to play a more prevalent role. There are more creative innovations coming to market every day in an effort to cure diseases, and accomplish things previously thought impossible.
What have you written off as impossible within the confines of your industry? Are there ways that data and emerging technologies can help your company accomplish more? Can you rethink the way existing technologies are used to benefit your customers?
Retail
When it comes to retail, the customer has endless amounts of choice – yet they selected your company. Whether online or offline, data can be used to create a better customer experience and keep them shopping with you.
Online, data can be used to create a personalized promotion. Browsing history, cookies, and other data points can help you to create a custom offer. This can be combined with localized marketing and coupons to develop individualized social media ads. When customers are enticed to login, robust profiles can be built that help define all future website, email, and social media interactions.
Online analytics changed the way that retailers create an in-store experience. New types of data can be used to keep customers in the physical store for longer amounts of time, in similar ways to how it is used to keep people on a website. Analytics tools can be used to monitor people’s paths through a retail store by monitoring their cell phone signal. RFIDs and QR codes can be used to track customer activity.
This knowledge allows the retailer to optimize store layout, in a way that places popular items in a prominent location. It allows them to make design considerations that maximize the dollar amounts of each purchase.
Data can be used to help retailers improve their inventory management and tracking processes. Stores can replenish their inventory in real time in order to avoid product shortages.
Retail outlets are looking for ways to improve the entire shopping experience. How can you use data within your industry to optimize the customer experience and better serve each customer? Are you overlooking data usage opportunities?
Why Data Collection is Crucial to Your Business
Let’s say you want to make and sell a new software application for your company. You could build it with a hunch that young people will like it. Or, you could build it with an understanding that more than 50 percent of 18-25 year-olds in the U.S use a similar application, but it lacks several important features.
A strategic analysis of data can help you arrive at the second conclusion. It can help you identify the improvements you can make to the existing app, thereby establishing your own place in the market. Market research and existing competitors’ web data can provide extensive information that will help you build a better product. When this information is driving your decisions (versus blindly guessing), you end up with a stronger product.
We no longer have to guess, rely on anecdotal evidence, or implement outdated methods to make business decisions. We can streamline product development, hiring, distribution and other aspects, while saving money and improving profits. Data allows you to see problems you otherwise would never know that you had.
Leaders in tomorrow’s economy will see data as the key to unlock success. The challenges are significant, but the rewards are promising. The volume of available data is higher than at any point in history. It’s critical for businesses to know what types of information will benefit them and use it strategically to help them grow and flourish.
Data Recovery Tips for Businesses
Data is central to most business operations in the 21st century. With that in mind, every business should have a basic understanding on the importance of in-house data recovery, should something go wrong with the information they depend upon. There are often simple, practical steps that can be taken to safeguard data, or recover it in the event it is lost or damaged.
Data and business operations are becoming more intertwined than ever. Data represents a significant investment for your business, so learning how to safeguard it is important. To understand why businesses should pay close attention to safeguarding their data and data recovery, first we have to take a look at the importance of data in running 21st-century businesses.
Data is at the Core of Every Business Decision Made
Analyzing the right numbers, facts, and trends will lead to better decision-making for your company. When you can properly collect and analyze this information it can lead to stronger brand positioning.
Without data, businesses are guessing on key decisions that will impact the future of their business. Let’s look at a few of the scenarios where collecting and analyzing the right data might help.
- The recruitment and hiring of key personnel.
- The discovery of high-impact market segments, and isolation of the audience most likely to purchase.
- The establishment of proper manufacturing, warehouse, or supply-chain operations for a more efficient system.
- The creation of an efficient sales process, in an effort to close more leads.
If you were to approach any of the above scenarios without analyzing the appropriate data, you’d essentially be guessing as to the proper course of action. The desired outcome becomes far less likely without a historical understanding of the process at hand.
Businesses benefit from collecting and analyzing the right data. When you can eliminate the noise and analyze the appropriate figures to make decisions that will drive your future, data becomes one of your business’s most valuable currencies available.
The problem becomes that we live in an age where Murphy’s Law still applies to much of the technology that we use (Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong). We also live in a time when our data is under increasing levels of threats and scrutiny.
When we lose access to our data it can disrupt the entire flow of our business. Much of the information that is collected is necessary for the day-to-day operation of our business. It can hamper profitability. It can even impact our ability to keep the doors open.
There are important steps that companies can take to safeguard data. Sometimes it’s necessary to call in data recovery specialists. Sometimes businesses can handle the safeguarding and data recovery processes on their own.
Safeguarding Against Data Loss
There’s no getting around it – data loss can be emotional for a business, especially when it’s highly critical to your operations, or if it’s sensitive data that customers have trusted you with. You’ve built your company around this information, so if it disappears, panic is a perfectly natural response. But it’s not always a helpful one. There are steps you can take to help prevent data loss in the first place. This is an important place to begin.
Consider the impact that data loss could have on your business. How long could your business withstand inaccessible data? Your goal should be to reduce this downtime and have your business up and running as quickly as possible.
Create a Data Loss Plan – If your company lost critical operational data, what would you do? The best time to consider this question is when you’re not facing the natural pressure that accompanies this problem. You can create a contingency plan ahead of time with step-by-step procedures for such an event.
There are free software programs for data recovery that you can download onto your computer before you need them. These programs have limited capabilities in comparison to a data recovery company, but it would offer an added level of reassurance. They may be enough to recover a single file, or a small amount of data. You may also want to consult with colleagues who have faced data loss issues in the past and find out what they have done to work themselves out of such situations.
There are additional questions that your organization can evaluate during the planning process:
- How critical is the data you use?
- How easily would you be able to recover a missing or damaged file?
- What kind of impact would downtime, damaged hardware, or a server or network failure have on your business?
- What other types of situations might impact your access to necessary data?
It’s critical to plan for any unexpected scenarios before you find your business impacted by them.
Create Flash Drive or External Hard Drive Backups – When key operational data exists in multiple locations, it is safer. It takes commitment to the habit of backing up your data on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, but you’ll rest much easier knowing it’s there.
If something were to ever go wrong with your computer, knowing that the data exists in multiple locations can prevent the initial onset of panic. It can make all the difference in being able to continue with your day-to-day operations.
This step is the business executive’s version of living out the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. All it takes is locating your external device and being ready to reload that data once your computer issue is resolved.
Cloud Storage – This is an easy way to store files in a location that won’t be impacted by things like hackers, corrupted hard drives, broken devices, or other types of malfunctioning hardware. There is a reason that so many computer and smart phone companies are providing their own version of cloud storage.
Cloud storage has sparked questions about the security of information being stored there, but most platforms use some form of encryption, or a complex algorithm used to encode and protect your data. This makes it less likely that your information can be compromised in any way. It also requires you to create a user name and password to access data, which creates another level of added security.
When your local data is compromised, cloud storage can help you quickly regain access to useful information used to run your business.
Consider Other Locations – If you’ve accessed a particular file from another location, or sent it as an email attachment recently, you may be able to recover a recent version of it. Make sure that you consider all the other places a particular file has lived before you take extreme steps for recovery.
For instance, Gmail has a particularly powerful search feature, and the attachments now show up without clicking on the individual message. If it’s a single file, or a small amount of information that you are hunting down, this can be particularly helpful.
More Data Recovery Tips and Strategies
Data loss can happen, no matter how prepared you are. When you lose data that is crucial to your company, the instinct is to panic. The problem is that panic can lead to questionable decisions.
When you discover that you are missing data, it’s important to consider whether you’ve taken any of the steps above to reduce the impact of the loss. If so, you can take the necessary steps to fix the hardware problem and redownload the data in question. You can consult your plan if you have one and take the necessary steps toward recovery. If you haven’t taken any of the above steps, you can still recover data, but there will be some additional steps involved.
Check the Recycle Bin – This is a basic reminder that when you accidently delete a file, it may still be recoverable in either the Windows or Mac recycling bin. If this is all that happened, you can simply open the recycling bin, locate the file, and drag it back to the desktop or the previous storage folder.
You’ll still want to act fast when you discover a file is missing, and never use the recycling bin for intentional storage, because it has a file capacity limit. Once it hits that limit, older files will be deleted, making recovery much more complicated.
The shift + delete command in Windows bypasses the recycling bin, making these files inaccessible. If this is how a necessary file has been deleted, you may need to download a third-party data recovery tool, or contact a data recovery company. The same is true of files immediately deleted off USB flash drives or SD cards, where there is no recycle bin available.
Act Fast – The faster you discover missing or deleted data, the better your chances are at recovery. If you save another file to the disk, including any data recovery software, there is a chance you may rewrite the very files you are trying to recover.
Your computer’s operating system is reading and writing to your drive on a regular basis, whether you are actively using the computer or not. Your computer may see deleted data as space that can be overwritten to make room for new, additional data. This can obviously make recovery more complicated.
The best thing you can do is to shut down the drive when you realize data is missing. You can clone the drive and attempt recovery from the clone. This way any potential damage from the recovery process would have a minimal impact on your hardware. You could then scan the clone with a few available data recovery programs.
Data Recovery Tools and Software – Most files are recoverable when you know where and how to look. As long as they weren’t shredded or deleted with a secure data deletion tool, there are options available for data recovery. Even files that have been emptied from the recycling bin can often be tracked down and recovered. Unless the file has been written over with entirely new data, the majority of the file remains.
Lost data can often be recovered with free data recovery tools, but it’s typically a cumbersome and detailed process. While the software can be effective, there are inherent risks if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
There are no shortage of free or paid software options for running a data recovery search on a Mac or PC computer. Some simple online research can help you determine which software options may be right for your business or your specific situation.
Professional Data Recovery – Data loss can have a devastating impact on a business. Many businesses close as a result. A quick and speedy recovery is necessary to keep your operations alive.
A professional data recovery company has likely seen a case similar to yours. They often employ a team of IT professionals, engineers, and other data specialists who can find innovative ways to gain access to lost information. In many cases they may discover new ways to recover data previously thought inaccessible.
Conclusion
Between cybersecurity threats and damaged or malfunctioning hardware, your data is always at risk. It’s best not to wait until you are in the midst of a crisis to determine how you will handle your organization’s data recovery process. Instead, you can create a plan and be prepared.
It’s always good to back up your files to remain prepared, should your business experience data loss. It’s also important to understand that backups don’t prevent data loss from occurring in the first place. External hard drives, flash drives, or SD cards can all be lost or damaged themselves.
Make sure you understand how long your business could last if your most crucial data was inaccessible. From there, you can plan the necessary steps and precautions to minimize this downtime and regain access to crucial data.
Just remember that data truly is the backbone of your business. It’s what your business lives and dies on. Professional data recovery specialists provide the most reliable option for businesses looking for a quick rebound. They often have the most innovate solutions for recovery and can provide the best results.
How Businesses Can Get the Most from the IoT
While people are largely in favor of the benefits that the Internet of Things will bring, they remain skeptical of the companies that bring these services.
Assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home will likely become the focal point for a connected home or business. They are the products that allow customers the ability to control the thermostat, adjust lighting, or monitor utility usage. They allow customers to make simplified purchases when possible, and they serve as the operational hub for the Internet of Things.
There has been a widespread concern throughout the media regarding these home assistants, however. Stories appear on a regular basis about whether Alexa is eavesdropping on you. There is a concern over the level of data these companies can now collect by simply leaving the microphone on, and how much easier these devices make it for law enforcement to conduct surveillance.
Regular household devices and appliances are being manufactured with the ability to make the home and office more efficient. From washing machines to refrigerators to light bulbs, our inanimate objects are developing the ability to communicate with each other.
The companies that provide these devices will need to overcome consumer fears in order to make the most out of the Internet of Things. People can make their homes and businesses endlessly more efficient and they are likely ready to do so, but they need to have trust in the products that fill their home.
Below are a few simple steps IoT companies can take to earn and maintain their customers’ trust.
Remain Vigilant on Security – Many tech companies have adopted Facebook’s motto: move fast and break things. While it’s an inspirational approach to innovation, the problem is that it allows security to be treated as an afterthought.
There are common IoT security exploits that must be addressed in order to help consumers better trust the devices in their homes.
Clarify Your Data Policy – Europe’s GDPR regulations are pushing tech companies in this direction. A clear data policy that allows customers to understand what data is being stored and under what conditions will minimize customer fears and more effectively build trust.
Customers need to be able to trust that when the device has not been woken up, that it’s not listening to every word.
Transparency – The companies that make smart home devices need to remain transparent about the purpose for their data collection. Customers want a simplified shopping experience and a better home assistant. It’s good to remind them of those purposes once in a while.
Otherwise consumers may feel like their privacy has been invaded when they receive emails or Facebook ads for the products they were shopping for. The same thing goes when they receive reminders to purchase products they are almost out of.
Remaining transparent about the purpose of IoT products will help customers to build more trust and use them for the long haul.
Recent Cyber Attacks and Vulnerabilities Worth Our Attention
The reality of cyber attacks is upon us – whether we like it or not. These attacks are not just something that faceless governments and organizations need to worry about. Individuals need to take steps to protect their personal data online as well.
Events over the last year give off the impression that nothing seems safe online. Below are some of the most prominent attacks and what individuals and companies can learn from the experience.
Equifax
Hackers broke into the Equifax database and compromised the personal data of 145 million people. This was considered among the most significant data breaches because of sheer size, and the sensitive information exposed – everything from social security numbers to addresses.
The company also delayed two months before reporting the attack – and the public doesn’t know who is responsible.
Lessons
The Equifax attack raises concerns of how much information data brokers are able to obtain, and who maintains responsibility for that information. It’s also critical for businesses that undergo a breach to report it immediately, to begin the process of damage control.
Businesses also need to do everything possible to quickly patch vulnerabilities, so they don’t remain exposed to hackers.
Yahoo
Every one of Yahoo’s 3 billion email accounts were hacked in 2013. The company only found out about the breach in 2016 – and first reported that 1 billion accounts were attacked. No one yet knows who was responsible for that breach.
Lessons
Email provides a wealth of unencrypted user data. The hackers had total control of the accounts, security questions, and could also access recovery accounts listed that were outside of the Yahoo system. End-to-end encryption with no centralized points of attack can help cut down on vulnerability.
FedEx
An unsecured Amazon S3 server has exposed the personal information of tens of thousands of FedEx users. There were scanned documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, security IDs, and more. FedEx certainly isn’t the only company to experience data vulnerabilities this way.
For example, Tesla’s AWS servers were hijacked by cryptominers. It’s a vulnerability not unique to Amazon, but possible with any cloud provider.
Lesson
You can make use of new AWS tools to create a more secure experience for your customers. It also helps to schedule more frequent audits of your cloud platform and to better look for security risks on your own.
Conclusion
Advancements such as cloud computing, open source software, and SaaS make it possible to run your business more efficiently than ever. But these conveniences often come with a price. It’s critical to factor in the security of your customers’ personal data into the development process.
New regulations such as Europe’s GDPR make it increasingly important to take these extra steps to guard the data that is crucial to your business. Let these examples be a lesson and make sure that you are doing everything you can to protect sensitive information.
What Are the Best Cloud Computing Resources for IT Professionals?
Cloud computing is a field that’s always changing, and with that, it takes a continuous vigilance to protect your clients’ data and information.
There are new tools, resources, and training options available on a regular basis.
We have listed some of our favorite blogs and web resources for cloud computing. Go forth and explore. Bookmark these sites as you need them. They will help you to better understand the technology you’re working with on a daily basis.
Security Week
This publication is a go-to for any IT professional who is looking for more information on how to protect cloud-based platforms from the variety of threats that they face. There is a wealth of content on this site about malware, cybercrime, and mobile and wireless threats.
This is a great publication to read for understanding data protection in the 21st century.
https://www.securityweek.com/
SC Magazine
Companies and organizations worldwide are taking more steps than ever to protect their data. This is a necessary, positive step. SC Magazine explores the stark look at what happens in a world where data protection fails.
This is a great source for the latest in malware, hacking, phishing and more. It’s a great place to stay current on industry threats.
https://www.scmagazine.com/cloud-security/section/6948/
InfoWorld
This is a great resource for those looking to brush up on AI/machine learning, big data analytics, cloud computing and more. They also highlight various aspects of cyber security. InfoWorld remains a great way to stay ahead of the ever-evolving technologies that dominate the business world.
The also offer a variety of industry white papers and case studies to further your knowledge.
https://www.infoworld.com/
The Cloud Lawyer
Usage and compliance are increasingly important aspects of cloud data. This is a great place to brush up on other aspects of data security. Cloud law, technology contracts and data security are growing in significance – especially as the European Union has implemented GDPR.
Make sure that you are up on any relevant rules and regulations.
https://thecloudlawyer.net/
Adventures in Automation
This blog is written by TJ Maher, who has worked in the software testing field since 1996. He’s been an automation developer and blogger since 2015. He writes about issues such as automated testing frameworks, security testing, and software quality assurance.
There are also pictures on recent posts of his new baby – which should also be good for readership!
https://www.tjmaher.com/
David Strom’s Web Informant
Strom’s blog offers a number of insights on a variety of IT and computing topics. A B2B IT journalist, he writes about how to protect your computers from cyberattacks, and lists some of the most notable vulnerabilities.
This is a great blog for keeping up on the many issues surrounding cloud computing and security.
https://blog.strom.com/
Conclusion
Keeping data secure is critical – especially as cloud computing changes what it means to conduct your business online. The above sites are some of the best out there for keeping track of news and changes in our industry, but there are many more.
What You Can Do Today to Protect Your Data
We’ve all experienced the pit in our stomach – the bottomless anxiety – that comes with lost data. This is especially true if it’s data or information critical to the central nature of your business.
There are active measures you can take to make sure that you can do to better protect your data. As mentioned below, regular backups help. But there are measures you can take to make your data safer and reduce the chances you’ll end up in a compromising situation to begin with.
Back it Up
This is among the more common sense yet overlooked solutions. Too many businesses have an inadequate strategy when it comes to backing their data up. You can use external hard drives or cloud solutions to provide a duplicate copy of your most important data. This makes the recovery process simple.
Data Encryption
There is more than one way to have your data stolen. One scenario is being hacked, but another scenario may involve having a laptop or mobile device stolen. We’ve grown so comfortable with the conveniences of easy access, that we often forget the downsides.
If you have access to customer or client data, bank information, or other sensitive data, your devices should likely be encrypted. A secure password, key file, or special USB device can all be used to encrypt files. You don’t need to be an IT specialist to encrypt your data anymore. There are practical solutions that make safeguarding your data easy.
Power Off
Shutting off your computer when you’re done with it is a common piece of advice for saving energy, but it has another benefit as well. It removes your computer from the internet, and takes away the ability for hackers to install malware or commit any other type of cyber crime. Simply narrowing this window of time can help.
Disable File Sharing
If you’re not frequently sharing files back and forth through this method, the risk may outweigh the benefits. File sharing makes the contents of one computer visible on another. This can open you up to a significant level of unnecessary risk.
Protect Your Wireless Network
There are a lot of reasons that people may try to access your Wi-Fi network, and not all of them are outright malicious. For instance, you may simply have people near you who are looking for free Wi-Fi access. But without a secure password, your data may be at unnecessary risk.
You can hide your W-Fi network so that it does not broadcast the name.
Install Updates
These updates can be a gigantic inconvenience for the user, but they really do keep your equipment safer. The updates contain security patches that protect your computer, and failing to do so can put your computer at risk. It’s best to set your operating system to update automatically. Many systems allow you to schedule the updates so that they don’t interfere with working hours.
Conclusion
When data is lost or compromised, it can be devastating to your business. Taking these simple measures can help keep your business safe. Don’t take the day-to-day operations of your business for granted. Make sure that you do everything you can to protect yourself in a worst case scenario – and minimize the odds of data loss from occurring in the first place.
How Will SaaS Products Make Your Business More Efficient?
It used to be that when you wanted to add Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop or any other program onto a computer you had to go to the store and buy a box. Inside that box was the disk you needed to load the program onto any given computer.
A lot has changed over recent years, including the use of SaaS, or software as a service products to run your business. This is true of the programs listed above, but there are also CRMs, accounting software, and other options.
How SaaS benefits IT and Small Business
A SaaS model is simply the usage of software that is maintained by its creator and hosted remotely. These are programs no longer downloaded on each computer, but instead run in the cloud.
Everything from content management systems to the more routine software used in daily tasks can now be purchased on subscription basis and hosted in the cloud.
Saved Time and Money
If you’re part of a large business or organization, a new software install used to take months to get to a point of operation. With a SaaS solution that time until your business is fully operational can drop to weeks, days or hours.
This ease of installation can save your business a significant amount of money on implementation. This savings is realized in less work for your IT team. It’s also realized because you won’t need to make any modifications or expansions to your company’s hardware for hosting capabilities.
SaaS has a significantly lower cost of entry.
The SaaS Vendor Will Increase Security
It’s only natural to be skeptical of what falls outside your control. Many companies and IT professionals become skeptical when the security of the programs they use takes place externally.
But the truth is that the cloud offers SaaS programs added levels of security. There are more secure data centers at your disposal. The data your company relies on pass through more secure checkpoints.
SaaS products also benefit from more frequent automatic upgrades – making the software itself more secure. All of these added security features allow your IT team to shift its focus and concentrate on other aspects more central to your business.
When it comes to data security, companies that use SaaS products have added peace of mind.
With an SaaS Solution, You’ll See Benefits Faster
Many SaaS companies offer free trials so you enter into usage knowing exactly how this software operates, and what benefits it can provide to your business. SaaS vendors operate with APIs that can complete the order within minutes.
Since the software is based in the cloud users can access it via mobile devices or from home. This added flexibility allows your business to quickly adopt to any situation.
SaaS products not only let you run your business more efficiently, but they can actively help you safeguard your data. They offer another layer and another means for your business to recover lost or stolen data.
More software solutions are becoming available in this space on a daily basis. At We Recover Data, we encourage our customers, and all businesses to experiment with, and implement the appropriate SaaS measures to more effectively manage their business.
Cloud Vs. Shared Hosting
All websites need to be hosted somewhere, and the most conventional answer for most companies or organizations has been shared hosting.
We think nothing of calling large hosting companies such as GoDaddy, HostGator, or Blue Host and asking for their most affordable shared plan. In certain circumstances this may be all you need to solve the problem. But it’s important to understand there are other options available.
Let’s look at the benefits and risks of both shared and cloud hosting. It’s important to understand the difference when you look to safeguard your company’s digital presence.
Shared Hosting
This is the most common type of hosting plan, and it’s easily affordable. A shared solution means that the user shares the server space with other users. All applications and data resources that are being used by your account are being shared across the server.
Common resources such as the server’s CPU, memory, disk space, bandwidth and more will be shared with all other websites being hosted on the server. Most hosting companies tend to keep their servers full.
This means that if one website experiences a significant spike in traffic, it can have a detrimental impact on everything on that server. It may cause all the websites on the specific server to experience slower speeds and downtime.
Shared hosting is still one of the more affordable ways to host your website. If you are an individual or small business with a smaller online footprint, this can still be the way to go. But if your client runs a larger company with more online features, cloud hosting can offer a stronger alternative.
Cloud Hosting
With cloud hosting, your site is stored on multiple servers in the cloud, to improve resources and maintain consistently high up times and speed.
This gives you a dedicated hosting space – meaning your site is not lumped into a mass of other sites. This is a critical advantage for high traffic sites, or sites for companies that are looking to rapidly expand.
Below are a few circumstances where it might make sense to go to a cloud hosting option:
- Website downtime or slow speeds could be devastating to your business.
- You are anticipating spikes in traffic.
- You need features or applications that aren’t typically available on shared hosting accounts.
While cloud hosting plans are typically more expensive, they are also more dependable.
Finding the Right Hosting Plan
Finding the right hosting plan will depend on your needs, or the needs of your end client. There are certainly more advantages to a cloud-based solution – but it may not be within everyone’s price range.
Some small businesses and solo entrepreneurs may find the costs associated to be prohibitive.
That being said, if you are a larger business or a startup that is depending on a strong digital presence at the core of your business, a cloud solution will be a more dependable choice.
Where Artificial Intelligence Is Right Now, and Where it is Going
You just returned from vacation on the California coast, and sit down to upload a few of the best photos to Facebook.
As you pull your Samsung S8 out of your pocket you look into the camera, and the iris scanner unlocks the phone for you. Facebook asks if you want to tag your wife in the photos you’ve uploaded. (It’s probably a good idea. Thanks Facebook!)
When you confirmed your Airbnb location before the trip, the app asked you to take a selfie, which it compared to the driver’s license you scanned in to create the account. The airline compared a scan of your face to a passport photo to automate the bag check in. This made the lines move a little faster.
These are just a few examples of artificial intelligence at work around us. There’s also our trusted home assistants Siri and Alexa. Netflix is even using AI algorithms to improve streaming quality and offer recommendations based on past viewing. Countless apps and vehicle technologies are making our commutes a little easier.
When it comes to AI there is a tendency to romanticize the future and downplay the present as simple machine learning. But there was a time when all of the above capabilities were romanticized too.
Below are more examples of mind-boggling AI technologies. Some are in the early stages of implementation, and some are still being researched and perfected.
Improving Business
AI will offer businesses the ability to improve decision-making capabilities in complex situations. Many AIs automate complicated tasks, or evaluate mass amounts of data to make recommendations or decisions. Either can have tremendous value in the business world.
The AI community made major advancements in recent years, as computers beat the world chess and go champions. But experts have stated that humans paired with AI would make for an even stronger team. Both have their distinct advantages. The same will be true in business. Businesses that pair AI automations with creative human decision making could benefit the most in the future.
Self-Driving Cars
Major automotive and technology companies are hard at work perfecting the first self-driving cars. Driving can become a more efficient activity on all fronts. Humans will no longer have to pay attention to the wheel. This can free them up to concentrate on other activities for the duration of the commute.
Vehicle efficiencies can reduce carbon emissions. A sounder decision-making paradigm can potentially keep the roads safer. While there are still significant ethical and programming questions to work out before self-driving cars become the norm, the benefits to this type of travel are apparent and astounding.
Improving Elder Care
Seniors may struggle with basic tasks as they work out the details of how to age in place. Often a home healthcare professional is needed. AI, or a home robot may be able to help seniors move around the house, use the bathroom, or simply sit down. With the right kind of assistance, they can trust they can live independently for longer.
Dangerous Jobs
AI robots can help out in high-risk situations. Drones have been used to spot who needs help in the aftermath of a hurricane. Robots can also perform some basic welding tasks, or even diffuse bombs.
These machines will be able to help with high risk jobs that can put human lives at risk. A human may still be needed to control the robot from afar, through some of these tasks.
Reducing Commutes
AI and machine learning have the capability to reduce the amount of time you spend on your morning commute. First, apps such as Waze can make it easy to avoid routes with construction and accidents.
Ridesharing apps such as Uber or Lyft are using artificial intelligence to predict the ETAs for their rides, and the estimated time of delivery for food. This advanced knowledge can make the roads more efficient for all.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a significant tool in our lives. Those who know how to use it in their day-to-day lives will benefit the greatest. It’s adding an extra layer of efficiency to everything we do.
What are some of the ways you’ve seen artificial intelligence impact the world?
How Increased Data Will Transform the World
There are more than 3.5 billion Google searches conducted on a daily basis. Amazon and other online retailers track our history and purchases in order to show us new products we might like. Every time we talk to our home assistants, that information is stored. Wearable technology collects data as well.
This data is already making a tremendous impact on the world. Businesses and organizations can make more informed decisions with a wider view of human behavior. Below are just a few of the ways that big data is impacting the world.
Changes in Healthcare
Easier access to health data could lead to a more personalized healthcare approach. Wearable technology can track more information on a consistent basis.
If your wearable bracelet is telling you that you didn’t burn as many calories yesterday as normal, it may be able make diet or exercise suggestions to accommodate. Or maybe a new type of toilet could help you detect for disease in your home.
Genome tracking can give doctors a complete picture of your health history, and where you stand today. All this data paints a more complete picture that allows for better, more accurate treatment – improving the patient experience.
Law Enforcement
Data allows law enforcement to examine where crimes may occur and who may commit them with startling accuracy. With this information, departments are able to adjust how they staff certain shifts, and where they patrol. They are able to anticipate and be proactive.
This is called predictive policing, and some large city departments are already employing these tactics – resulting in a correlating drop in crime.
Business Opportunities
The department store Macy’s uses analytics software that digs through social media, store transactions and data from their own website to provide customers with real-time pricing, that reacts to tiny fluctuations in the market. Another example is how Amazon ads for a product you just searched for may pop up in Facebook, or other websites.
Companies have new opportunities to provide value to their customers. Data allows companies to make more informed sales and marketing decisions. They can send reminder emails to customers who may be about to run out. Businesses are now given the opportunity to reach out to customers at the perfect time in the sales cycle – making their marketing more effective.
Protecting the Environment
Data can allow us to track the health of the environment in specific locations in real time. We can more accurately look at the effects of carbon emission, and greenhouse gasses. Wearable technology can tell us where we might need to focus future efforts.
Residents can benefit from this information, too. Weather alerts for pollen and ozone levels allow those with allergies and asthma the ability to adjust their plans.
Education
You no longer need to be admitted to an Ivy League school to receive access to elite data or information. Cloud computing and the advances of the internet allow users all over the world to download lectures and learn valuable skills. People from middle class or poor backgrounds can learn valuable skills by watching YouTube videos.
The prevalence of cell phones allows people to walk around with massive amounts of data in their pocket. It’s no longer necessary to go to the library to look up all 50 state capitals or the list of American presidents. It’s what we do with the available data that will set students apart. The ability to think creatively and innovate will be at a premium.
Conclusion: Focus on Results
Increased data allows for more informed decisions. These decisions are starting to benefit humanity across the board in everything we do. As we continue to develop new data and find ways to employ it for our benefit, that data will need to be protected.
Make sure that you are backing it up in multiple places including the cloud, and external hard drives. Make sure that you are taking added security measures to protect and encrypt it. But also, understand that if it is lost, you have options. We Recover Data is experienced in helping businesses and organizations recover lost data under difficult circumstances. Contact us today to find out more about who we are and how we can help.
Can You Recover Deleted Files?
The Stresses of Data Loss Can Be Overwhelming
Your clients can almost always recover deleted files…
When your IT clients lose data or documents, their sense of panic is real – and understandable. It might be a report their boss has been after for days, or an Excel sheet with sensitive data. Maybe it’s accidentally deleted emails.
Whatever the case, data loss can put a lump in their throat, as they wonder how to explain the missing nature of critical documents to their superiors. As IT professionals, it’s our job to provide a calm sense of optimism in a world swirling in chaos and uncertainty.
To them, the outlook may seem dim, but there is always some level of hope that you can recover deleted files. We’ve seen data recovered in all kinds of cases. There are reasons for your IT clients to remain optimistic that they can recover whatever valuable files may have been lost.
The First Line of Defense
The first line of defense is usually somewhat obvious – but well worth noting. A file that appears to be lost to your client may not be lost at all. Maybe it’s not where they originally created it, but that document has had a life in other locations:
- Was the document ever emailed?
- Has the computer ever been backed up on an external drive?
- What about cloud storage, or a company server?
IT professionals can easily create a mental checklist of possibilities, but someone in the midst of panic over the loss of a critical document may have a tough time thinking clearly about alternative locations. It’s understandable under the stress they’re probably feeling.
From there, the options are more complex.
Diagnostics or Reformatting a Hard Drive
Let’s say for example that the client took precautions to protect their data. There was a significant number of important documents, so they used an external hard drive and regularly performed backups.
If the office switched from PCs to Apple computers, or the other way around, those external hard drives would likely need to be reformatted. If the data is still on the computer, it may be ok to reformat the disk and then back it up again.
If the data was lost due to an accidental reformatting, erased or repartitioned, a data recovery specialist can still help. With the right care, the ability to recover deleted files is still very possible.
Many clients will want to run their own utilities on the disk at this point in a last-ditch effort to recover the file. We wouldn’t recommend this. Many well-intentioned efforts can damage the ability of a future recovery.
Running (or Trying to Self-Repair) a Damaged Internal Hard Drive
A client may be tempted to fix an ailing hard drive on their own. Again, their motivation is perfectly understandable, but the risks in this situation are high.
If they hear a clicking noise, the best thing they can do is to stop any attempts to repair the drive on their own and contact a data recovery specialist. That way the data can be saved before the hard drive completely fails.
The Good News in the Attempt to Recover Deleted Files
You’ve probably dealt with the clients who believe that their situation is beyond hope. Some may have even been told by other companies that the data was unsalvageable. Maybe you’ve had to tell clients that data is unsalvageable.
The good news is data is often recoverable. We can help recover data in a number of complicated situations including:
- Flood and fire damaged hard drives
- Drives that have been reformatted, erased or repartitioned
- Accidental deletions
- Situations where other companies said a recovery would be impossible
It’s the data that keeps your clients’ businesses running smoothly. Losing critical data can have a devastating impact on their day-to-day health, and livelihood. It may make sense for you to partner with a company with a proven record of being able to restore that data when things go wrong.
If you have any questions or would like to talk further about what we do, contact us today!
Interesting Facts About Hard Drive Data Recovery
If you are as invested in research and development in data recovery as we are at WeRecoverData.com, you quickly build up a list of interesting facts about the subject.
There are a lot of misconceptions about hard drive data recovery that are circulated both online and through general information. In some cases, IT professionals may also be providing misleading information that is outdated or no longer relevant in the data recovery industry.
To clarify some common misconceptions and to put the role of hard drive data recovery in the age of cloud-based computing in perspective, here are some interesting facts that explain the importance of our service – now more than ever.
- Businesses that are struck by a natural disaster that destroys their server or data center or data storage system are very likely to close within one year if they cannot complete data recovery. In a study by Geek World News, half of these businesses that are struck by fire, flooding or other natural disasters will fail in the first year after the incident.
- One-third of businesses do not have a backup plan for their data. They rely on a single server or another storage device as their sole data storage option.
- Remote recovery of data through internet connections is a highly beneficial option to quickly restore mission-critical aspects of the business. Our team of engineers can remotely restore data in many types of situations, eliminating the need to send the drive for data recovery. With this process, the system can be restored using secure encryption and typically within a few hours of the call.
- Even badly damaged hard drives that have been dropped, hit, submerged in water or are in a fire can go through our hard drive data recovery process. As we offer a no recovery no fee policy, there is no risk to our customers.
If you have any questions about our process or data recovery, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-866-400-DATA for USA/Canada or internationally at +1-212-594-5946. Click here for more information.
What Not To Do If You Need Data Recovery Services In London
Sometimes, knowing what to do is not all the information that is required. For individuals and businesses in London that have experienced a hard drive failure, there are also some important things not to do before you give our data recovery experts a call.
Unfortunately, many people, including some IT teams, will make the mistake of trying to complete data recovery on their own. Not only can this make it more difficult for our technicians and specialists to extract and recover data, but it may wipe out data that could have been fully or partially recovered.
What To Do
If the hard drive starts to act differently than normal, it is important to discontinue use immediately. For an external drive, this is a simple disconnection of the drive from the device. Internal hard drives will continue to attempt to read and write over existing data, so immediately shutting down the computer or device is essential to prevent further data loss and fragmentation.
On our website, we provide information on removing an internal hard drive as well as how to pack the device for shipment. For our customers in London, we have an office in Soho Square that offers 24/7 service by appointment, which is a critical consideration for many of our corporate customers. Once we have the drive, we can begin the process of data recovery, starting with evaluation and analysis of the drive.
What Not To Do
To maximize the potential data recovery, even with physically damaged drives or devices, do not attempt to use utilities or software downloads to recover the data on your own. We have the cutting-edge software, which will be more efficient at recovery and provide a higher recovery rate than online software options.
For more information on the services we offer at WeRecoverData.com, contact us today at 1-866-400-DATA for USA/Canada or in London at +1-212-594-5946.
Our US Hard Drive Recovery Process
At WeRecoverData.com we have developed a streamlined, efficient and highly effective way to recover data from a wide range of data storage devices. We can provide recovery services for memory cards through to complex RAID arrays, virtual servers, and databases, and we also provide hard drive recovery for businesses as well as private individuals.
In the US, as well as in Canada, Europe, and South America, we offer locations in the major centers. Our largest network is here in the US, and we have physical locations in many states with the option to mail in your hard drive for recovery services from any location both nationally and internationally.
Regardless of the type of hard drive recovery service required, we follow a specific process throughout all of our service offices. This allows us to provide consistent, cutting-edge technology to recover files from any data storage device.
To help you to understand the process, here is a general overview of what we will do for your hard drive recovery.
Submit Your Case
The first step will be to use our web portal to submit your case. This is a form you will complete online through our secure site. Once you submit a case, you will receive a case number. This number can be taken into one of our locations, or we can generate a free US or Canada shipping label to send your drive to us.
The Next Steps
Once we receive the hard drive will evaluate and analyze the drive. This allows us to provide you with an accurate quote for the recovery process. Once we have your approval, we will convert the unreadable or inaccessible data to readable data in the format of your choice.
We will then send you the verification of the recovery and then copy the recovered files to the media you request. This process allows you, as the consumer to understand how the process is going throughout the entire recovery.
To learn more, browse the website, submit a case or call us at 1-866-400-DATA for USA/Canada or internationally at +1-212-594-5946.
Important Factors In Hard Drive Recovery Services
There are a lot of very good reasons why Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and home computer owners turn to WeRecoverData.com when they have hard drive problems.
Our extensive experience in providing hard drive recovery services gives us an advantage over general computer repair services or even other specialized data recovery services. Keep in mind; we also provide recovery for RAID arrays, servers, removable media, databases and other types of storage devices.
There are several key factors in our hard drive recovery services that make us very different from the competition. These factors are always important to our clients where data recovery is needed for an enterprise or to get the family photos off a memory card.
Fast Turnaround Time
Our goal is to have an evaluation of the hard drive completed within 24 hours of submission. This provides you with information on the cause of the failure as well as the cost of recovery given the issue, the amount of data and the type of device.
Then, most data recovery will be completed in three to five business days. We also offer priority hard drive recovery services in one to three days and the same period for weekend services. For those clients requiring emergency recovery, we can provide 24/7/365 remote recovery, in-lab recovery or even come directly to your premises.
Unbeaten Ability to Recover Data
We offer the highest industry success rate in data recovery. This is a big advantage for our clients as many have been told by other very good data recovery services that the hard drive is not recoverable. With our state-of-the-art labs and our ongoing research and development, we offer cutting-edge technology that is capable of significant recovery even with flood or fire damage.
WeRecoverData.com also offers a no free for recovery if we can’t capture the data. To learn more about our services, call us at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 internationally or contact us online to submit a case.
The Importance Of Our Hard Drive Recovery Lab
At WeRecoverData.com, our focus has always been on providing cutting-edge data recovery programs for our clients. This includes the Fortune 500 companies we work with on an ongoing basis in their global enterprises as well as the home computer user who has just experienced a hard drive crash.
One of the ways that we can continue to provide state-of-the-art services to our clients is through our emphasis on research and development. Unlike some data recovery services that use the latest in technology, we are at the forefront in creating that technology to keep our company in as a true industry leader.
The Importance of a Clean Room
In our hard drive recovery lab, we use very specific protocols to maintain the clean room environment. This is essential to prevent small debris, microscopic dust, and organic materials as well as dust and even lint from clothing from becoming a problem while we are working on the hard drive.
This same type of clean room technology is also used in our research and development labs. Like our hard drive recovery lab, this is an area that is completely isolated from the rest of the facility, even to include specialized air filtration to remove microns sized dust and airborne matter.
Our Research is in the News
Through the work of our engineers, scientists and technicians working in our hard drive recovery lab and research facilities, we have developed new software to clone disks and safely copy data from physically damaged drives or unstable drive areas.
We have also made the news from our hard drive recovery lab in recovering information from damaged optic discs and in recovery from OCZ SSD drives that was previously thought to be unrecoverable.
Take a few minutes and browse through our data recovery research and development section and read the press releases and our case studies. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 internationally. Click here for more information.
What Is The Cost To Recover Hard Drive Data?
Perhaps the most common first question we get from anyone new to working with the team at WeRecoverData.com is about the cost to recover hard drive data once the hard drive has crashed.
It is only natural that people want to know how much the service is going to cost, something that is very understandable. However, there can be many things that have contributed to the hard drive problem, with the potential for all of those factors to make a recovery more difficult and time-consuming.
Two Categories
There are two general categories of hard drive failure. The first one is a logistic or software problem that has corrupted or affected a part of the drive. This may occur with incorrect formatting, accidental deletions, re-partitioning of the drive or any number of non-mechanical or physical types of issues.
The second reason people may need us to recover hard drive data is a result of a mechanical or physical failure in the disk. There can be several things that contribute to this including spindle motor problem, degradation of moving parts in the hard drive or even a fuse problem.
With software problems, it may be possible to use software to remedy the situation. Our cutting-edge software can often recover data that other programs are not able to find and restore.
Mechanical problems will require our technicians to attempt to fix the hard drive and retrieve the data. This is a more complex issue that can take more time.
A Quote
After we understand the cause of the hard drive failure, we can provide a quote for the cost of the recovery. If we are not able to recover hard drive data for some reason, we do not charge a fee for the recovery attempt that was made.
To learn more or to get started in submitting a case, visit us online. We can also answer any questions you may have at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 for international clients.
What To Do Before Calling A Hard Drive Rescue Service
While we are called by our clients and those looking for a hard drive rescue service after the drive crashes, there are some important things to do before you get on the phone.
The technicians at WeRecoverData.com will be able to analyze and evaluate your drive and determine the most efficient and cost-effective way to recover the data once we receive your drive. However, before we do anything and before you do anything else, here are some important things to do immediately when you have a hard drive failure.
Ideally, and this is a very critical point, take these steps as soon as there are any issues with the hard drive. Crashes on startup, grinding noises when the hard drive is running, strange messages or files disappearing or being randomly renamed are the most common signs you may soon need our hard drive rescue service.
Shut Down the Computer or Disconnect the Drive
It is important to prevent further loss of data with internal hard drives to immediately shut down the computer and stop using it at all. The system will continually try to read and write to the drive, which may include writing over files that you want to recover.
For external hard drives, disconnect them from the computer and do not use the drive until you talk to our experts.
Avoid Running Utilities
While it may be tempting to try to do a scan, defrag or use a downloadable “fix” for the hard drive, these can just make the hard drive rescue service more complicated. Unless you understand the reason for the problem, such as a formatting error or other type of software-based issue, don’t use the utility programs.
When in doubt, call our experts at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 for those outside of North America. We can provide you with information specific to your hard drive problem.
Make Us Your US Hard Drive Recovery Company
At WeRecoverData.com, we realize that our clients have a lot of different options when it comes to hiring a company for US hard drive recovery. With our headquarters in New York and locations all across the United States, Canada and in Europe and South America, we are a world leader in the industry.
Focus on R&D
Our focus always has been and will continue to be on continual research and development into US hard drive recovery. Unlike some companies that use the existing technology, we are also creating the technology of the future, setting the bar for other hard drive recovery companies.
With our experience in RAID arrays, flash drives, hard drives, servers, magnetic media, memory cards and even tapes, we can provide a complete service for personal use devices, corporate and business computers, laptops and devices and everything in between.
Hiring the Best
In our US hard drive recovery locations as well as our international locations, our labs and facilities hire only the best in the industry. This allows us to quickly and effectively analyze the cause of the hard drive or storage device failure and provide an accurate quote for recovery.
Additionally, we understand that this is a process that can be time sensitive. Typically, most orders are completed in 2 to 3 business days, but we also offer expedited services to meet your timetable.
We also recognize that your hard drive doesn’t fail only during business hours, so we offer a full 24/7 emergency response service that can quickly get critical systems back up and running with minimal disruption to your business.
To learn more about our services or to take a look at our list of clients and case studies, browse the website werecoverdata.com. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 for international calls.
Managing Broken Drive, Lost Data Recovery Requests
At WeRecoverData.com, we work with all types of clients. We provide full data recovery services for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, independent professionals and even home computer owners.
To accommodate this wide range of different clients and needs for data recovery services, we have developed a very streamlined process that provides for quick, responsive data recovery with full transparency for our clients.
When we get a broken drive lost data recovery questions from any new customers, we can quickly provide information on what people want to know. We also provide a quote for the cost of the recovery services within 24 hours, which is essential in giving people the information they need to decide if they wish to complete the data recovery process.
Time is Important
Some of the most common broken drives lost data recovery questions we get to include the time for the recovery process to take place. We will be able to provide an analysis of the hard drive within 24 hours. Often, we can complete services on the same business day depending on when it is received by our team.
Once you have approved the process, we will complete most recoveries within one to two business days. We will then provide you with a list of the recovered data and, once you have verified the ones you need, send it to you in the format required.
Cost of Recovery
We will provide the information on the reasons for the failure and a quote for the cost of the process. This is a no-obligation quote as part of our broken drive, lost data recovery process. There is no charge for the evaluation unless the seals on the drive have been broken or cracked.
The specific cost of the recovery will be based on the type of media, the condition of the media and the amount of data to recover. Each data recovery process is unique, so each quote will also be slightly different.
It is important to note that when using WeRecoverData.com if we are unable to recover the data there is no fee. This is an important point for most of our clients and sets us apart from the competition. To learn more, give us a call at 1-866-400- DATA in the US and Canada or +1-212-594-5946 from international locations.
Data Recovery in New York City
Data Recovery in New York City: A Four-Step Easy Process
Loss of data is particularly stressful, no matter how it occurs. Whether you broke your flash drive, lost the external drive with important data or your firm’s server died, you need to solve the data loss problem. Countable individuals don’t know about data recovery services until they require them.
Fortunately, whether you’ve lost data from a hard drive, mobile phone, thumb drive, microSD card, or RAID server, data recovery New York City specialists can assist you. From the simplest to the most complex and catastrophic data loss situations, recovery of your data is an easy four-step recovery process.
Step 1: Consultation
Data recovery in New York City can be easily achieved by following an easy procedure. The first step is by calling in for a phone consultation. During this step, a data recovery NYC professional will assess your data loss situation and determine the best, yet cost-effective, way of recovering your data.
During the process, the recovery expert will provide you with an overview of the entire data recovery process. This includes informing you of the available service levels and pricing options for different data recovery methods.

Step 2: Device Evaluation
The professional data recovery New York City lab will provide you with a report of the results of the assessment and request your approval before actual data recovery commences. This critical step will help you make smart decisions like:
• Finding out details about the analysis of your device and the condition of your data
• The likelihood and potential for guaranteed recoverable files
• Provision of a guaranteed fixed price for the data recovery service accompanying a detailed analysis report
Step 3: Actual Data Recovery
Once approved, the data recovery engineer will proceed forward utilizing both advanced equipment and proprietary software to recover the meta-data from the damaged media. WeRecoverData.com utilizes the most advanced hard drive recovery software in the industry to complete your task. You will also receive the status and ongoing details of your data retrieval.

Step 4: Recovery Project Completion
When data is recovered successfully, the WeRecoverData.com data recovery NYC will provide you with the following:
• Recovered data to your media of choice; either a DVD, FTP, or hard drive (based on data capacity)
• Simple instructions on how to access and obtain your data from the recovered data drive.
• Top-notch customer service and technical support available to you if any common problems arise accessing the data.
After successful data recovery, you have two choices on what happens to your original storage device. You can either easily request the device sent back or give the data recovery company the authorization to properly destroy the media. If you do not specify what should be done, your device is set for professional recycling at a later date.