Data loss: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 10:52, 2 January 2023

System Fundamentals^[1]

Data loss is the unplanned or unintended or accidental or purposeful corruption of data. Data is any stored information (user data, operating system data, etc.).

Causes of data loss[edit]

There are hundreds of reasons we can experience data loss. However, these can broadly fit into the categories below.

cause of data loss	for example
malicious activities	External malicious actor who is deliberately causing data loss Internal malicious actor who is deliberately causing data loss Innocent user tricked into running malicious program which causes data loss Deliberate sabotage by an actor (unplugging power, causing physical damage to the system
Natural disaster	Flood, lightning, storm, earthquake, tornado (also called an Act of God) For something to be qualified as an act of God^[2]: (i) which involve no human agency (ii) which is not realistically possible to guard against (iii) which is due directly and exclusively to natural causes and (iv) which could not have been prevented by any amount of foresight, plans, and care
system failure	Loss of ANY computer component (power supply, NIC card, temporary or permanent storage) Loss of HVAC leading to heating / cooling issues

Consequences of data loss[edit]

Data loss can have significant consequences, depending on the nature of the data and the context in which it is used. Here are some possible consequences of data loss in a specified situation:

A business may suffer financial losses if data loss results in the inability to complete transactions or access important financial information.
Data loss in a healthcare setting can have serious consequences for patient care, as it may result in the loss of important medical records or treatment information.
In the education sector, data loss can result in the loss of important grades, transcripts, and other student records.
Data loss in a government organization can compromise sensitive information and potentially have serious security implications.
Data loss in a research setting can be detrimental, as it may result in the loss of valuable data that has been collected over a long period of time.

Overall, data loss can have significant negative consequences for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. It is important to take steps to prevent data loss and have a plan in place to minimize the impact if it does occur.

Preventing data loss[edit]

There are a range of methods that can be used to prevent data loss, including:

Regular Backups: One of the most effective ways to prevent data loss is to regularly create backups of important data. Backups can be stored on a separate device or in the cloud, and can be used to restore data in the event of data loss.
Redundancy: Implementing redundant systems or storage can help to prevent data loss, as it ensures that there is always a copy of the data available.
Data Replication: Data replication involves creating copies of data and storing them in different locations. This can help to prevent data loss due to issues such as hardware failures or natural disasters.
Data Encryption: Encrypting data can help to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information and protect against data loss.
Data Governance: Implementing data governance policies and procedures can help to ensure that data is being used and stored responsibly, reducing the risk of data loss.
User Training: Educating users on the importance of data protection and best practices for handling data can help to prevent data loss due to user error.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Software: DLP software can be used to monitor and control the flow of data within an organization, helping to prevent data loss due to accidental or intentional leaks.

Overall, it is important to implement a range of measures to protect against data loss and ensure the integrity and availability of important data.

Real-world practical advice[edit]

I'm happy to report that data loss is rarer today than it was 10 years ago. However, without careful planning, we can be assured a data loss will occur. Whenever you design a system, you should include fault-tolerance, redundancy, offline/ online storage, and failover into your design.

Standards[edit]

Identify a range of causes of data loss.
Outline the consequences of data loss in a specified situation.
Describe a range of methods that can be used to prevent data loss.

References[edit]

[1] ttp://www.flaticon.com/

[2] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_God

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 == Consequences of data loss ==
-The list below is an example to spur your thinking:
+Data loss can have significant consequences, depending on the nature of the data and the context in which it is used. Here are some possible consequences of data loss in a specified situation:
-* email is lost / gone
+# A business may suffer financial losses if data loss results in the inability to complete transactions or access important financial information.
-* bank balance is wrong / gone
+# Data loss in a healthcare setting can have serious consequences for patient care, as it may result in the loss of important medical records or treatment information.
-* loss of your grades
+# In the education sector, data loss can result in the loss of important grades, transcripts, and other student records.
-* loss of all your pictures
+# Data loss in a government organization can compromise sensitive information and potentially have serious security implications.
-* your music is gone
+# Data loss in a research setting can be detrimental, as it may result in the loss of valuable data that has been collected over a long period of time.
+Overall, data loss can have significant negative consequences for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. It is important to take steps to prevent data loss and have a plan in place to minimize the impact if it does occur.
 == Preventing data loss ==
-{| style="width: 95%;" class="wikitable"
+There are a range of methods that can be used to prevent data loss, including:
-|-
-| '''Strategy for prevention''' || '''Description'''
+# Regular Backups: One of the most effective ways to prevent data loss is to regularly create backups of important data. Backups can be stored on a separate device or in the cloud, and can be used to restore data in the event of data loss.
-|-
+# Redundancy: Implementing redundant systems or storage can help to prevent data loss, as it ensures that there is always a copy of the data available.
-| failover systems || a failover system is a standby/ redundant system which is used to eliminate or reduce downtime on users by automatically taking over if the primary system suddenly becomes unavailable. A failover system does not have to be on the same physical server.
+# Data Replication: Data replication involves creating copies of data and storing them in different locations. This can help to prevent data loss due to issues such as hardware failures or natural disasters.
-|-
+# Data Encryption: Encrypting data can help to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information and protect against data loss.
-| redundancy || when we have duplicate subsystems. For example, 2 power supplies, extra memory (unused), 2 network interface cards, etc... This is VERY common in servers, as if one system fails another is immediately available.
+# Data Governance: Implementing data governance policies and procedures can help to ensure that data is being used and stored responsibly, reducing the risk of data loss.
-|-
+# User Training: Educating users on the importance of data protection and best practices for handling data can help to prevent data loss due to user error.
-|removable media || when we can remove data on a CD or tape drive we reduce the chance that a failure on the system will damage data, because the data isn't on the system.
+# Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Software: DLP software can be used to monitor and control the flow of data within an organization, helping to prevent data loss due to accidental or intentional leaks.
-|-
-|offsite/online storage || moving data to another physical location helps to protect it from problems in the original location. Online storage works the same way.
+Overall, it is important to implement a range of measures to protect against data loss and ensure the integrity and availability of important data.
-|}
 == Real-world practical advice ==
@@ Line 64: / Line 65: @@
 I'm happy to report that data loss is rarer today than it was 10 years ago. However, without careful planning, we can be assured a data loss will occur. Whenever you design a system, you should include fault-tolerance, redundancy, offline/ online storage, and failover into your design.
-== Do you understand this material? ==
-A small business has a computer kiosk inside the store which allows customers to sign up for a email newsletter. If a customer signs up for a newsletter inside the store, they will get a 10% discount on their first purchase at the store. The owner hopes this 10% discount will be an incentive for customers to sign up for the email newsletter.  The business will then regularly  email the customers special offers and savings. The business owner expects to benefit from this system by having increased sales. The customers expect to benefit from this system by having access to special offers, to save money, and to see what is new and trendy at their store.
-* Question 1: What would the consequences be if the system experienced data loss?
-* Question 2: How could the owner safeguard against data loss (please be very specific with your ideas)
-== Do you have an advanced understanding of this material? ==
-A school of 900 students has a secure web-based application which manages attendance data. The school administrators carefully track attendance for the students so it can identify when students have been absent for a customizable threshold. For example, the school might set a threshold of 5 absences within 30 days, which then automatically notifies the student, parent, and teacher there is a problem with attendance. The threshold might be 3 times within 10 days, or something like that. The system keeps track of attendance and tardies. The system has customizable attendance codes. For example, "absence for school trip", "excused absence", "medical absence" are all allowed absence codes.
-School administrators expect to benefit by having data about attendance so they can support students and parents to be in school. School administrators also expect to benefit by giving parents and students information about attendance (so parents can support their children to be in school). Finally, school administrators expect to benefit by using attendance data to apply for government funding (as they can prove how many students were in class on a specific day).
-Parents expect to benefit by knowing when their children are in school or miss school. This way parents can support their children to be in school. Being in school is a '''shared value''' between the school and the parent.
-Students expect to benefit by understanding how many days of school of they have missed. The school expects students to have a strong "ownership of learning" and manage their attendance.
-* Question 1: What would the consequences be if the system experienced data loss?
-* Question 2: How could the school safeguard against data loss (please be very specific with your ideas)
 == Standards ==