Blackout shines light on data recovery

The effects of the recent blackout in some areas of the US and Canada are still being felt by IT professionals. Kroll Ontrack Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kroll Inc., reported a 39% increase in the number of calls it received from clients looking to save their data.

Many companies who are in the business of managing and protecting data were in a panic after the blackout and, at times like these, according to Jim Reinert, Director of Ontrack Data Recovery, there is a "misperception that data cannot be recovered after such an unforeseen and disastrous event."

These fears can prove unwarranted, however. Technology exists that makes it possible to recover much of the data that is feared lost.

For businesses or individuals who are worried they have lost information, Reinert offers the following advice:
• Don't assume that data cannot be recovered.
• Do not shake, disassemble or attempt to clean any hard drive or server that has been damaged.
• Do not attempt to operate visibly damaged devices.
• For critical situations, contact a data recovery professional before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat.

For more information, log on to Ontrack's website at www.ontrack.com.