Natural Disasters Raise Data Recovery Awareness
Natural Disasters Raise Data Recovery Awareness
Technology v Nature. The fight still continues without any clear winners. Nature s fury occasionally reminds us of how easily it can overwhelm all that modern technology has to offer, but indomitable man just goes back to the drawing board to come up with an improved solution. The tremendous advances in data storage technology have been taken for granted by most users for whom the phenomenal growth in storage capacity can hardly keep pace with their appetite for more and more data. At the same time, the high-tech world of computers gives the users a false feeling of invincibility. While data storage devices have become more robust than in the past, the sheer numbers have made data disasters more common than ever before. There are many reasons why hard disk drives and other data storage devices can ” and do ” fail. When Mother Nature strikes, as with the recent tsunami that ravaged half the earth or the winter storms that gripped much of North America, it is big news. While loss of life is truly irreplaceable, these disasters affect many other aspects of life. At times like these, there is a heightened awareness about data loss and data recovery. But the single biggest culprit in data loss is human error, claims Allison Beckley, VP (Customer Service) at Disk Doctor Labs, Inc., one of the pioneers of data recovery. And a close second is the inherent limitations of the data storage technology itself, adds Tariq Aslam, the CEO of Disk Doctors. It can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anybody. If you deal with data extensively, the odds are you will suffer data loss sooner or later. The important thing is being able to cope with it. And different types of users need to have different strategies for safeguarding their data. A high school student who uses his PC for gaming and the occasional term project cannot be expected to have UPS, tape back-ups and RAID systems. On the other hand, a bank cannot feel complacent that it has protected its database by installing the latest anti-virus software and anything else is overkill. The user profile, the data criticality, available budget and resources all impact the data protection strategy. However, these are some general tips Disk Doctors has for avoiding and surviving data loss: Make a regular back-up of all your important data (including laptop drives) Test your back-ups regularly (especially if it is a tape back-up) Carry laptops in padded cases If it is mission critical business data, store it on RAID systems Use power surge protectors, and UPS systems for critical data Use regularly updated anti-virus software Restrict unauthorized access If you experience problems with your drive, move the data to another drive; don t take any chances unless your data is worth less than the cost of a new drive If you still lose the data, do not panic; seek professional advice Data recovery is a specialized field, and not every computer technician can retrieve data If the data is critical, or if the drive makes unusual noises do not try DIY solutions When you shop around for a data recovery company, don t consider the recovery charges only Look at the company experience, expertise, locations, facilities, testimonials, etc. You should not have to pay an up-front diagnostic fee, or pay for any hidden extras over the quoted price, or pay for the effort if you did not get your data For more information on the data recovery please visit http://www.diskdoctors.com/
Disk Doctor Labs, Inc. is a pioneer and leader in the data recovery industry. It was founded in 1993 in Atlanta, and has since grown to 16 full-service labs in most major metros spread across the US, UK, Australia, and India. With qualified technicians, clean room facilities, proprietary recovery software and hardware technologies, and an indefatigable attitude, Disk Doctors has been providing data recovery services to all kinds of customers. Disk Doctors is unique in the industry in that it provides free evaluation and consultation, a no-obligation firm dollar quote (with no hidden extras), and a no recovery no charge guarantee.
An Introduction to Computer Forensics
Computer Forensics is the process of investigating electronic devices or computer media for the purpose of discovering and analyzing available, deleted, or “hidden” information that may serve as useful evidence in supporting both claims and defenses of a legal matter as well as it can helpful when data have been accidentally deleted or lost due to hardware failure.
However, this is a very old technique but now it has been changed a lot because of technological advances, modern tools and software s which makes Computer Forensics much easier for Computer Forensic Experts to find & restore more evidence/data faster and with more accuracy.
Computer forensics has change the way digital evidence is gathered & used as evidence of a crime & it is done using advanced techniques and technologies. A computer forensic expert uses these techniques to discover evidence from an electronic storage device for a possible crime. The data can be from any kind of electronic device like Pen drives, discs, tapes, handhelds, PDAs, memory stick, Emails, logs, hidden or deleted files etc.
Most of us think that deleting a file or history will remove it completely from the hard disk drive. In realty, it only removes the file from the location but the actual file still remains on your computer. It is easier to track what has been done on your computer but difficult to say by whom though it is possible to alter or delete the data completely from your storage device. It depends on computer forensic expert s skills how well he can find and restore the data without any loss or change.
Computer forensics got widespread attention during the Enron scandal widely believed to be the biggest computer forensics investigation ever. Nowadays Computer Forensics & Electronic discovery is becoming a standard part of litigation of all types, especially large litigations involving corporate matters in which there are large amounts of data.
Computer forensics can be used to uncover a fraud, unauthorized use of a computer, violation of company policies, inadequate record keeping etc by tracking e-mails, chat-history, files, tapes, sites people browse or any other form of electronic communications.
Data security is one of the biggest issues that the corporate world is facing now by publishing company s internet/policies & consequences for violations, signing of compliance documents by employees. Businesses can initiate monitoring their own computer systems to avoid legal consequences in future. Making employees aware that monitoring software and Computer forensics personnel are available could prevent workers from wrong doing.
With the use of computers in everyday life and increasing amount of hi-tech crimes, Computer forensics is a growing niche in the litigation support sector. Unlike many jobs in information technology sector, chances are that computer forensics services will not be outsourced to other country because of the confidentiality of the data business which will not allow it to travel just to save a little cash.
<p>Kevin Cohen is an international computer forensics consultant. He is president of Data Triage Technologies, LLC.(http://www.datatriage.com), a <a href="http://www.datatriage.com/computer_forensics.php">Computer forensics</a> and <a href="http://www.datatriage.com/electronic-discovery.php">Electronic discovery</a> firm based in Los Angeles, California .</p>
Entensys Calls for Partners in Distributing its Software Posted By : Helen Markova
Entensys, an international vendor and developer of security software, announces the opportunity to join the company for distributing its award-winning Internet sharing and network security solutions.
Document Management: Workflow Issues
What Is Workflow?
In the context of documents, workflow means moving the documents. Goods Delivery Notes accompany merchandise and come back to the seller duly acknowledged by the buyer; Invoices have to be sent to the buyers; Checks have to be sent to suppliers; Letters have to be sent to many persons and organizations; and so on.
In addition to the external communications illustrated above, there are internal movements of documents. Attendance cards have to be sent to the payroll clerk; Pay sheets have to move to accounting and treasury departments; Memos have to move from person to person.
Need for Workflow Control
Unless the flow of documents is controlled through carefully developed policies and procedures, the result would be chaos. Goods Received Notes acknowledged by customers could be misplaced leading to disputes about invoices. Intended recipients of official memos might dispute ever having received the document. Employees might not get paid correctly or on time.
The issues of confidentiality and business interests might also be compromised unless the flow of documents is controlled properly. Legal regulations require you to keep several kinds of data confidential. Business interests might require that you keep certain sensitive data accessible only to a restricted few. If you have inadequate control over the document flow, confidential and sensitive data could easily fall into the wrong hands.
Kinds of Documents
Before we look at how document workflow is controlled, let us take a quick look at the kinds of documents that arise in a business organization.
Text documents: Letters, Reports, Statements, Contracts
Drawings: Blueprints, Organization Charts, Workflow Charts
Images: Photographs
Printed materials: News articles, Reference materials
Forms: Invoices, Orders, Attendance cards, Bin cards
Almost every one of these documents involves some kind of workflow. Information has to be gathered from other documents for preparing a letter or report. Contracts have to be reviewed before signing. Information from other documents, collected from other persons or departments, have to be summarized for preparing statements like a sales analysis.
Controlling Workflow
Policies and procedures, carefully developed and properly implemented, are the key to document workflow management. Implementation would also involve adequate training to personnel who handle the documents.
The policies would seek to identify opportunities for saving costs while meeting different requirements. In the absence of such policies, it is quite easy to incur unnecessary costs. For example, documents could be kept for unduly long periods, or in perpetuity, because no one knows when a document can be destroyed, or how to destroy it.
Procedures would implement the policies on the ground. Documents would be routed efficiently to all concerned persons. Access to sensitive documents would be controlled through such means as passwords and permissions. Needed actions would be flagged as they become due.
Workflow Patterns
The basic functions are summarized by three words: Capture, Manage and Distribute.
Data has to be captured at the best point considering convenience and cost. The captured data has to be managed effectively to serve intended purposes while keeping the data safe. Data and documents would have to be distributed to concerned persons in a manner that ensures their safety and minimizes the cost involved.
And the basic workflow pattern is summarized by: Creation, Updating, Review and Approval.
When data is captured, a record or document is typically created. The creation process must be designed for ease and error-free operation.
Created records and documents would typically need to be updated ” changed, worked on further or deleted. This must also be an easy and error-minimizing process.
A single person rarely has complete control over a document or record. Proper authentication and prevention of errors and frauds would typically require that one or more persons, not involved in the creation or updating, review the created/updated documents.
Another typical practice is that while the creation or updating is done by operating level personnel, it has to be approved by a supervisor or manager before it is put to intended use. Thus, approval is usually the last process before the workflow moves to the next stage.
Processes Involved in Workflow
If you observe the operations in an office, you would typically find the following processes taking place:
Writing or typing
Making copies
Getting written or printed originals or copies
Moving these documents to another person, either inside or outside the organization. (This might involve some preparations like putting a document in an envelope or other protective packing)
Communications
Monetary transactions based on documentary authorizations
Storing documents away, safely and in an organized manner
During earlier times, all documents involved paper (including carbon paper) and paperboards (for folders and tags).
The Modern Workflow
Document management systems have undergone a radical change since the appearance of computers and Internet. So has workflow.
In a modern computerized and connected office, workflow typically involve
Creation of digital records on computer disks
Sending records to other persons using digital means
Getting printouts at the points needed (instead of sending printed documents by hand to various places)
Scanning to convert printed materials into digital format
Using OCR technologies to make the scanned documents editable
Making copies as needed instead of preparing the maximum number of copies at the stage of document creation itself
Using fax and email for mailing documents
Modern Workflow Tools
With the change in the practices came new tools.
Fax machines
Computers
Desktop printers
Copiers
Scanners
Internet connectivity
The modern workflow consists of typing at computer terminals or scanning printed materials, printing needed documents at your desktop or a central printer and emailing or faxing the documents to concerned persons
The appearance of digital signature protocols is eliminating the need for paper documents even further.
And content management systems, where many people access a central database and work collaboratively on documents, have made the document workflow and its management far more productive.
Dustin Baker of Ademero, Inc. invites you to learn more by visiting his <a href="http://www.ademero.com">Document Management Software</a> site. Browse the Ademero resource section which includes the largest collection of posts from real users reviewing ALL of the most popular DMS systems available, free and commercial. <br/> Sign up for a live demo of Ademero's <a href="http://www.ademero.com/index.php?page=products§ion=demorequest">Document Management System</a> now!
Your Ipod Crashed Now What - Can It Be Saved?
Your Ipod stopped working for some reason and you don t want to lose all your data. Don t panic this article will help. First of all and most important is DO NOT CONNECT YOUR IPOD TO ITUNES. The default setting for Ipods is to auto sync your Ipod to Itunes when connected. In most cases you will lose everything. It cannot sync to an Ipod that is not working correctly. Here is a list of most common symptoms and the cures Frozen Ipod ” If your Ipod has frozen up and will not respond to any of the buttons try these steps. 1.Make sure you do not have the hold function engaged on your Ipod. This feature locks all the buttons on your Ipod to keep them from being accidental pushed. Slide the hold button backward and forward and check to see if your Ipod is now unfrozen. 2.Reset Your Ipod ” Resetting your Ipod is like re- booting your computer. To reset push select and menu buttons at the same time and hold them for 10 seconds. If your Ipod resets and is now functioning normally you are safe to use it and connect with your Itunes Your Ipod displays a sad face - If your Ipod displays a sad icon it is usually not a good sign. In most cases, the sad Ipod icon indicates a more serious hardware problem. You can try this. Test your Ipod by manually placing your Ipod in disk mode. If this works it is not a hardware problem. To place your Ipod in disk mode. 1.Toggle the hold switch on and off 2.Press and hold the menu and select buttons until the apple logo appears on screen. 3.When the logo appears, release the Menu and Select buttons and immediately press and hold the Select and the Play/Pause buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears. Your Ipod show an exclamation mark with a folder ” This is a sign of a communication error. Possible hard drive problem You pressed your Ipod restore button ” The Ipod restore button re-formats the hard drive and restores your Ipod to the original condition like when it was new. If this has happened and you no longer have any songs or data on your Ipod your only option now is to use data recovery software. Most of the problems listed above including formatting your Ipod will not completely lose your data. If the above solutions do not correct your problem you can use a data recovery software and save your songs and other data. After crashing my Ipod several times by dropping it. I bought a data recovery tool that works great. I am now the neighborhood Ipod specialist. I have restored all my friends Ipods.
Mike D Tucker is a self employed entrepreneur and product reviewer. Download A Free Copy Of Ipod Recovery Software - http://www.data-recovery.rave-reviews.net/Recovering_iPod_Data.html
Electronic Discovery, or e-discovery refers to the discovery of data from electronic storage and other electronic media for example e-mails, Hard Disk Drives, Databases, CAD/CAM files, websites and any other electronically-stored information which can be used as an evidence in a law suit.
Electronic Discovery 2.0, or e-discovery 2.0 refers to the next generation of processes, technologies, and services that streamline and modernize the traditional e-discovery process as well as allows businesses to manage huge volumes of data, lower costs, and meet tight deadlines. In this Electronic Discovery process civil litigants seek to acquire information from both parties and from third parties.
In the early days Electronic Data & Evidence Recovery meant just handling over a few boxes of paper, but in today s rapidly growing world where it involves terabytes of electronic data & valuable time, it is a different story. To deal with the increasing volume & complexity of e-discovery issues, companies have to adopt new technologies and processes.
If technology has created problem, then it can also solve it. In recent years lot of new technologies have emerged which enables organizations to store and search through their data to fulfill electronic discovery obligations.
As the cost of disk storage is reducing, people are moving from tapes to disks. This enables them to keep their data online and readily available for e-discovery from basic keyword search to sophisticated analysis tools. That mines all meta data from e-mails and groups them together for relevance and allow users to search thousands of mails and logs in minutes to identify and export the data.
From the company s perspective Electronic Data Discovery has become a core competency and a part of doing business.
Kevin Cohen Kevin Cohen is an international computer forensics consultant. He is president of Data Triage Technologies, LLC.(http://www.datatriage.com), a Computer forensics and Electronic discovery firm based in Los Angeles, California .
Where Did My Internet Explorer Favorites Go?
When we turn on our computer, go online and we look for a page we previously visited we usually go to the favorites or the bookmarks section of our internet explorer browser. Normally we find what we are looking for and we can continue with our routine. However, what if suddenly one day you went online and found that your favorites were missing. Every single link was gone. It has happened to me several times.
In order to eliminate possible problems in the future, you need to back up your Internet Explorer favorites. You can do this by opening Internet Explorer and going to the file menu and clicking on import and export. Then specify the location you want to save this backup and press save. If you go to this location and open the file, it will open in a web browser and it will display a list of every single website in your favorites with a link to that website.
Now that you have backed up your website, you can now go back to the file menu, click on import and export and then import your favorites back into Internet Explorer.
<a href="http://www.comptechtutor.com">Comp Tech Tutor</a> provides free video tutorials that demonstrate how to use Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows. To see a free video tutorial related to this article, please visit <a href="http://comptechtutor.com/internet-explorer/saving-your-internet-explorer-favorites/">http://comptechtutor.com/internet-explorer/saving-your-internet-explorer-favorites/</a>.
How to Use Windows XP "System Restore"
Whether it’s the word processor, spreadsheet, or
financial package that isn’t working, most people do not know
that Microsoft Windows XP has a built in feature that just may
come and save the day. That feature is called “System Restore.”
Basically, System Restore is like a little hound that runs behind
the scenes taking “snapshots” of various parts of the Microsoft
Windows XP operating system. So, if a part of Microsoft Windows
XP stops working one day, the System Restore utility is able to
reference one of the “snapshots” it took and restore your system
from a previous day (a day when your computer worked). It’s kind
of like going back in time to a day when your computer worked.
All your current data (Microsoft Word files, etc.) are still
retained, so you don’t have to worry about losing any present day
files.
In order to restore your computer just follow these simple
steps:
1. Close any open programs.
2. Click on the Windows “Start” button (normally located on the
bottom of your computer desktop)
3. Click on “All Programs”
4. Click on “Accessories”
5. Click on “System Tools”
6. Then click on “System Restore”
7. At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will
have two options:
a. “Restore my system from an earlier date”
b. “Create a system restore point”
If you just need to restore your system and get it working
correctly again, just select option “a” and click “Next.”
8. On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that
you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your
computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the
calendar and click “Next.”
9. The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the
information on the screen and click “Next.” Windows XP will then
reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the
date you selected.
The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30
minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to
do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a
screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was
successful, you can then log into the system and start using the
computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now
hopefully gone.
Now, on step 7b above, I mentioned the “Create a system restore
point” option. This option is for when you want to force Windows
XP to take a snapshot of your system just before you install a
program or alter any system settings that you are not sure of. It
is like a safety net for when you install any internet programs
(sometimes riddled with spyware) or system drivers (video, audio,
etc). If you want to revert back to a virgin state just create a
restore point “before” installing any software. This way, if your
machine starts acting weird, you can just restore your settings
from the selected point.
With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use
and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.
George Whitecraft Have been writing Ebook and Articles for the last 2 years http://whitecraftshoppingmarketing.biz/info/l/iss
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