Loosing data can have very negative consequences and it is something you will want to avoid, whether you are a business or even just an individual. After all we’ve all heard of businesses failing after losing their data; and whilst it might sound like scare-mongering, the truth is that most of us cannot afford losing our data as it contains information that is vital to our lives and businesses. Luckily for us there some tools we can use in the advent of impromptu data loss.
Disk imaging tools
One of the most common methods of recovering deleted / formatted data is to use Disk imaging tools. Those tools come in the form of software which are capable of many tasks, from recovering images of damaged data to retying bad blocks on failing hard drives. This sort of software can also recover a hard drive by cloning the information byte to byte onto another hard drive, allowing the user to recuperate and access the data.
Data recovery software
Another method is Data recovery software, which works similarly to the software mentioned above. This software can restore access to emails, photos, documents and even executable files. File recovery basically recycles information which hasn’t been fully deleted, allowing to recover files and even their folder structure in some cases. It is worth mentioning that using software solutions will not always guarantee a full recovery of all the files, as some might have been replaced on the magnetic platter, making the byte-to-byte data unavailable to recuperate.
Hard Drive & RAID recovery
Physically broken drives on the other side are a more complex matter as they required physical interaction to recuperate. Hard drives are very fragile, and exposure of the magnetic platter to natural elements such as dust and finger prints can make the data irrecoverable. This is why broken drives are mostly given to hard drive recovery professionals as they are not only equipped for this, they also have the skills to deal with recuperating data from broken hard drives.
The same applies to recovering data on a RAID system, which is a complex endeavor. After all, not all RAID setups are the same, and fixing them without the professional knowledge will most certainly lead to losing the data permanently. As most RAID setups tend to be used for business purposes, the best we can do is to hire a RAID recovery expert who knows what they are doing.
Forensic software
Other software used to recuperate data takes place in the form of Forensics software. Similar to disk imaging tools, forensics software goes further by looking for specific types of files which are most known to contain evidence of cybercrime (photo files such as JPEG…). This software then recreates the files similarly to disk imaging tools, going through a byte to byte process. Because this sort of software is more specific to forensics investigations, it is better aimed at the specifics of cybercrime, making it more efficient and faster at reconstructing incriminating data.