Most Common Reasons for Data Loss

With all the media coverage that computer crime gets, you might think it was the number-one cause of data loss. It isn't, but many people and organizations focus their energy on securing their systems against crackers and script kiddies and often ignore the more likely threats to data.

Do you want to know what the most common cause of lost and destroyed data is? It's computer users. That's right, you and I are the most likely ones to lose or destroy our own information, usually through accidental deletion. If you've ever accidentally overwritten a file, or hit Delete, only to recognize your mistake one second too late, then you're in good company.

Mobile devices increase the risk of data loss because they are so easy to lose. Airlines, transit departments, rental car companies, and hotels recover thousands of PDAs, phones, and even laptops every year. Many of these items make it back to their owners, especially if they have taken steps to facilitate this. What do you do if you never get a lost device back?

Accidental damage to devices is another common cause for data loss and another way that users threaten data. Portable devices are easy to drop, crush, and spill upon actions that could damage hard drives and memory cards, erasing data in the process. Now that we have established that you are a danger to your own devices and data, we can move on to less common, but equally devastating threats.