Avoid Data Loss in the Cloud | Antivirus With Data Recovery Software

The advantages of Cloud Computing are clear. The data can be stored there and thus be accessible almost anywhere and at any time. It can also be replaced easily and reduce IT costs. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not yet fully benefiting from their potential. While some fear data loss or virus attacks, which will prevent them from using cloud storage, others store their data there with blind trust. What many companies don't realize is that recovering data from the cloud is successful in most cases, especially when certain technical, legal, and security aspects are taken into account.

Technology that seems vague at first glance to many users is increasingly accepted in German companies. Public cloud computing is replacing the proprietary server by providing storage, compute capacity, and software as a service over the internet. Some experts, such as Dieter Kempf, president of Bitkom, predict that the use of cloud computing may soon become a major competitive factor(article in German). Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, would benefit from its many technical advantages, as well as lower costs. Not only does the high initial investment in hardware disappear, but the follow-up costs also remain manageable, as IT training is reduced and companies need significantly fewer employees to install and manage their systems; software license fees also remain constant or predictable.

The 2013 Cloud Monitor study, carried out by industry association Bitkom and international audit firm KPMG, shows that 65% of large companies in the IT and telecommunications sector rely on the services of Cloud Computing, while they are 44% in the transport and logistics sector. Private Cloud Computing services are increasingly popular among listed companies. As a result, IT services are performed on corporate servers. According to the report, 83% of the companies surveyed had a positive experience. For public cloud computing services that are outsourced, at least 74% of companies say they are taking advantage of the new technology. However, small and medium-sized businesses are often reluctant to entrust their data to external cloud computing providers, despite the advantages that this technology could offer them. Dieter Kempf is convinced that SMEs could achieve a much higher level of security by using cloud computing services rather than their internal IT systems. However, this would require greater awareness of the risks and the appropriate precautionary measures involved.

The risks associated with cloud computing are real

In the cloud, the risk of data loss or attack by hackers and viruses is hidden. "Also, cloud computing can easily cause data protection problems because it is difficult to know where the data is stored," says Jim Reinert, CEO, and specialist in information management and data recovery at Ontrack. The expert also highlights another risk: that sensitive data may be exposed unintentionally and repeatedly through providers, administrators, and other users of cloud computing. According to another study by Kroll Ontrack, conducted among IT professionals in various businesses and IT companies, 62% of those surveyed already use cloud computing. However, only a third of them have prepared a data recovery plan that includes guidelines for emergencies.

Checking the validity and accessibility and hosting sensitive data internally

The importance of a contingency plan becomes clear when you take into account the additional risks. Weather data is stored on traditional, virtualized, or cloud storage solutions, no business is immune to lose. “Backup systems are never 100% reliable, ” says Peter Böhret, data recovery specialist. "Also, it may also happen that important data from the previous backup was not backed up."As companies increasingly use cloud computing for their core functions, it goes without saying that they also need virtual backup systems. It is important to remember that the standard contracts of cloud computing providers include a detailed disclaimer of liability for lost, destroyed, deleted, or damaged files. Currently, the only exception is service level agreements (SLAs). Therefore, it is necessary to always closely monitor the validity and accessibility of data. Companies should also ensure that the cloud computing provider's servers are located in France, as accountability and the current debate on data protection are necessary considerations. Experts even recommend that the data be classified by priority and in particular that sensitive information remain hosted internally, for greater security.

Data recovery specialists should be included from the start

If a business decides to opt for a cloud computing solution, it's important to involve a data recovery specialist early in the contingency planning process. External cloud providers should also work with knowledgeable data recovery specialists to be able to react quickly in the worst-case scenario. Given the growing volume of structured and unstructured data, both in cloud computing and virtual environments, data recovery is far from straightforward. Additionally, data is typically located in different places and constantly moved from one storage layer to another to speed accessibility. If this system is rather useful, "To avoid such risks, companies need a solution for their information management and, more importantly, an effective strategy for the management and recovery of critical data", emphasizes Peter Böhret.

Learn about the cloud computing provider

To leverage public cloud computing, organizations must ask a host of technical, legal, and security questions before making a final decision.

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Technical questions

• Power outages or surges can cause data loss or corruption or limit its availability. Is your cloud computing provider prepared for it?
• What type of data storage does your provider use? Redundant RAID? Which hypervisor is it using? Are its employees and treatment centers certified?
• Does your service provider have established backup protocols and systems that meet all of your company's data protection standards?
• Does it provide disaster recovery or business continuity plan beforehand to a data recovery specialist? In the event of data loss, there must be already contacted with competent data recovery specialists,
• What are the SLAs and provisions for data recovery, liability for loss, improvements, and operational results?
• Can the data be split between different cloud computing services, if necessary? In the event of termination of the contract, can you recover your data? If so, in what format? Is there an absolute guarantee that all other copies have been destroyed?

Questions about data security

• What measures does the provider take to protect your data?
• If the data is marked for deletion, is it actually deleted? Who guarantees that the data has been deleted?
• Is the customer the rightful owner when data is stored in cloud computing?

Legal issues

• Does the cloud computing provider protect data by complying with your company's backup policies?
• What guarantee does the cloud computing provider have of its compliance with data protection agreements?
• In the event of a dispute or investigation, can you or your external data recovery specialist access the data to extract it or secure the information?
• Where exactly is your data stored? Where is the cloud computing processing center located?

Find the right data recovery specialist

As mentioned earlier, data recovery from the cloud is successful in many cases. Sometimes it is even more likely to be successful than recovery from physical disks. However, even then, the process is not easy. Businesses should verify that the data recovery specialist can recover data from complex cloud computing, virtual, SAN, and RAID environments. Also, it must be able to repair and restore data from damaged files. This includes e-mail messages in the desktop system and server, as well as databases and office applications. Finally and especially, the service provider must have the tools to recover the encrypted data and the data must be capable of being restored in an encrypted form after recovery. If all these points can be guaranteed, nothing stands in the way of safe and satisfactory use of public cloud computing services.