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a computer must be disconnected from any external network before a purge

what's Data recovery, The bad track problem, Causes of Data Loss and data recovery, What to do, Software for purging, Systemic problems


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bad track

The bad track problem

A compromise of sensitive data may occur if media is released when an addressable segment of a storage device (such as unusable or "bad"
tracks in a disk drive or inter-record gaps in tapes) is not receptive to an overwrite.

As an example, a disk platter may develop unusable tracks or sectors; however, sensitive data may have been previously recorded in these areas. It may be difficult to overwrite these unusable tracks.

Before sensitive information is written to a disk, all unusable tracks, sectors, or blocks should be identified (mapped). During the life cycle of a disk, additional unusable areas may be identified.

If this occurs and these tracks cannot be overwritten, then sensitive information may remain on these tracks. In this case, overwriting is not an acceptable purging method and the media should be degaussed or destroyed.

what's Data recovery

From Wikipedia,

Data recovery is the act of salvaging data stored on damaged media, such as magnetic disks and tapes. There are a number of companies and software products that can help recover data damaged by a disk crash or computer virus.

Of course, not all data is recoverable, but data recovery specialists can often restore a surprisingly high percentage of the data on damaged media. The ability to recover "deleted" data is a problem when equipment used to store sensitive data is to be discarded. See: Data remanence.

Data recovery cases can be divided up into two main categories:
  • Common Recoveries – Involves floppies and hard drives that are usually from single-user personal computers and file servers.
  • Complex Recoveries – Involves hard drives, RAID arrays, tape and optical media or corrupted databases and file systems usually from multi-user, business systems. Data storage at the high end has become a very complex field. In the case of these complex systems data recovery can be seen as "troubleshooting data storage."
    Whether common or complex, each data recovery case is unique and the process can be very resource extensive and exceedingly technical.

Increased Incidents of Data Loss

Despite technological advances in the reliability of magnetic storage, the incidence of data loss continues to rise. Data storage devices are susceptible to damage from natural and human sources.

Consider these facts:
  1. More data is being stored in smaller spaces – Today’s hard drives store in the hundreds of Gigabytes of data over 1000 times the data stored on the drives of a decade ago. Increasing storage capacities amplify the impact of data loss, making mechanical precision more critical.
    A slight nudge, a power surge, or a contaminant introduced into the drive may cause the head to touch the platter. This is commonly referred to as a head crash.
  2. Data has become more mission-critical – Users today store more data on their desktops and networks that is mission-critical to their organizations and to their personal lives. Loss of mission-critical data, by definition, can cause major business processes to stop, requiring data recovery.
  3. Backup technology and practices have failed to adequately protect data – Many users back up their data only to find their backups useless at that crucial moment when they need to restore from them. Failure occurs because backup systems are designed with a set of requirements that rely on a combination of technology and human interaction for success.
    Tape drives and cartridges do not always work properly as well as other media designed for backup fail due to their dependence on mechanical perfection. Backup systems can become corrupted causing corruption of critical data. Users can accidentally back up incorrect information or miss critical information.
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Purging is the removal of sensitive data from a system or storage device in such a way that there is assurance, proportional to the sensitivity of the data, that the data may not be reconstructed through open-ended laboratory techniques.

A computer must be disconnected from any external network before a purge. Purging must be used when the secured physical environment (where the media was used) will not be maintained.

In other words, media scheduled to be released from a secure facility to a non-secure facility or environment should be purged.


What to do ?

Don't Worry

hard driveTo prevent catastrophic data loss, a routine data backup that creates a second copy of important data for storage in a different physical location must be established. A data backup will not insure 100% recovery of data, however a data backup will offer the ability to recover some portion of the lost data with relative ease. The freshness of the recovered data will depend on the frequency of the data backup. The frequency of data backup is dictated in some instances by law, in some instances by corporate policy and in others, by good user practice.

Data backup methodologies like real-time data replication can be quite costly but offer the greatest protection against data loss. This solution may not be suitable for some organizations who may opt to backup data with a scheduled data back up, normally nightly, to storage tapes that can be sent offsite. With a nightly backup, there is a risk of lost data in the interval between the nighttime data backup and a daytime incident that causes data loss. In such cases, normally the data must be recreated. Individual home users can simply copy data on a desired schedule to any number of different storage media types.

Data backup recovery tests should be performed for all backup processes prior to a data loss to verify the integrity of the data backup process.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED DATA LOSS OF IMPORTANT FILES BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO! Some data loss is caused by simple things such as loose wires. Note any efforts you take carefully. Carefully document what happened just before the data loss--events such as software installation, sudden power loss, component installation, system upgrade, and so on. These details can be very helpful for the data recovery team.

If you make changes to the media in an effort to recover data it could easily make the situation worse. If the information is important, it's a good idea to work from a bit-for-bit copy of the media rather from the original media. Any reputable data recovery lab will know how to make such a working copy.

Don't be tempted to open a hard disk drive "to see what's wrong". The smallest spec of dust could render the drive useless. Hard disk drives should be opened for repair only in a dust free class 100 or better clean room environment.

If you have a disk that is making scraping, grinding or clicking noises turn off the computer immediately and leave it off. Pack up the disk carefully (as though it was eggs) and send the drive to a reputable data recovery lab. Those sounds could be indicative of your disk platters being damaged. The longer the platters are exposed to abuse the less likely the data will be recovered, every second counts.

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Data remanence is the residual physical representation of data that has been in some way erased. After storage media is erased there may be some physical characteristics that allow data to be reconstructed. As early as 1960 the problem caused by the retentive properties of computer storage media was recognized. It was known that without the application of data removal procedures, inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information was possible should the storage media be released into an uncontrolled environment.

Degaussing, overwriting, data encryption, and media destruction are some of the methods that have been employed to safeguard against disclosure of sensitive information. Over a period of time, certain practices have been accepted for the clearing and purging of storage media.

Disk encryption
Several software products, including Apple's Mac OS X and PGP, can encrypt all data before it is stored on a hard disk or other storage medium. If enabled beginning when the computer is first purchased or first used for sensitive information, disk encryption can alleviate the need for degaussing and destruction.

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Software for purging

software-based data destruction methods are inexpensive and easy to use for the average computer userTo purge the AIS storage media, the DoD requires overwriting with a pattern, then its complement, and finally with another pattern; e.g., overwrite first with 0011 0101, followed by 1100 1010, then 1001 0111. The number of times an overwrite must be accomplished depends on the storage media, sometimes on its sensitivity, and sometimes on differing DoD component requirements. Software developers must design the software such that the software continues to write to all addressable locations on the media, in spite of intermediate errors. All such errors in usable sectors should be reported with a listing of current content. Unusable sectors must be completely overwritten, because the unusable sector list will not show whether the sector ever contained any sensitive data. If any errors occur while overwriting or if any unusable sector could not be overwritten, then degaussing is required.

There are additional risks to trusting overwrite software to purge disks. The environment in which the software must operate is difficult to constrain. For this reason, care must be exercised during software development to ensure the software cannot be subverted. The overwrite software should be protected at the level of the media it purges, and strict configuration controls should be in place on both the operating system the software must run under and the software itself. The overwrite software must be protected from unauthorized modification.

Despite its issues, software-based data destruction methods are inexpensive and easy to use for the average computer user. Darik's Boot and Nuke[1] (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) is an open source, GPL-licensed data destruction program that fits on a single 3.5 inch floppy disk. Its programmers claim that, when used on boot media, the program can reliably destroy all data on IDE and SCSI hard drives. This is intended to defeat most forensic data recovery methods and bring the program into compliance with United States Department of Defense and Royal Canadian Mounted Police standards, among others.

Systemic problems with clearing and purging in practical systems

Disk storage systems in modern computers systems are both buffered at the disk and within typical operating systems. It is not, generally possible to have any assurance that a particular sector on disk has actually been written, as the data may have been buffered at the disk (or within the operating system)and not written prior to a power down or reset. In addition, some disk management software is intelligent and may notice that the same sector is being re-written several times, and simply cancel all but the last.

Despite overwrite of a disk sector, it has been shown that, with sufficient care and resources, the chance of recovering some or all of the supposedly erased and overwritten data is substantial. Peter Gutmann of the University of Auckland investigated this possibility in the middle '90s and his paper recounting his results is surprising. In light of this, it will be clear that intelligent buffering of sensitive data can, in some systems, be inadequate to render that data unavailable.

hard driverIn addition, a similar recoverability has been observed in RAM, and it is therefore, generally, not possible to assume that removing the power from volatile RAM will always render the data stored in it unrecoverable. There are slow memory biasing mechanisms in some RAM circuits, usually connected to charge migration in semiconductor structures, which can retain data across such power cycling.

When the data being temporarily stored is of an extremely sensitive nature, such as cryptographic keys, considerable care is required, and must be based on the particular characteristics of the operating system, RAM, and long term storage in use. There is no universal solution, and for a particular system, there may be no solution at all which ensures data is unrecoverable.

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Operating systems which guarantee that a particular system call will securely erase and overwrite a specific block of memory, and disk drives which will guarantee that specific data will be committed to storage without optimization, and an interface which controls that mechanism will be required, at minimum. There are no readily available operating systems nor storage devices which provide such facilities.

Ontrack Data Recovery

Ontrack Data Recovery is the world leader in data recovery services and data recovery software ensuring the fastest, most convenient and cost-effective solutions. Some of the benefits that Ontrack provides our customers include:

  • Free data recovery consulting, 24/7/365 global service, choice of service levels with varying prices and turn-around times
  • Pre-service evaluation package including a comprehensive report documenting all recoverable data so you can make an informed decision before committing to a service
  • Nearly 20 years of experience with offices, clean labs, and dedicated, multilingual data recovery specialists and engineers located around the world
  • The largest team of data recovery engineers located around the globe, ready to provide constant service
  • Recommended and authorized by major hard drive manufacturers to open drives for data recovery without voiding manufacturer's warranty

ONTRACK DATA RECOVERY ADVISES COMPUTER USERS ABOUT SEVERE SUMMER WEATHER

July 19, 2005

Predictions of Bad Hurricane Season Dictate Proactive Measures Against Data Loss

MINNEAPOLIS – The hurricane season can be as destructive to computer data as it is to property, according to Ontrack Data Recovery, the industry’s leading data recovery provider. With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting 12 to 15 tropical storms this year, the Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf Coast will likely be in for another bad hurricane season.

“Last year’s hurricane season was devastating to many businesses in Florida and the Gulf Coast as several were unprepared to deal with the downtime caused by significant computer damage and data loss,” said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. “If damaged computers are not handled properly, valuable information could be lost. Ontrack can usually recover data from computers that have been corrupted or seemingly destroyed due to severe summer weather of any kind.”

To help computer users prepare for the upcoming hurricane season and other severe summer weather, Ontrack offers these tips to help protect against damage from severe weather and lessen the chances of data loss if damage does occur:

* Do not shake, disassemble or attempt to clean any hard drive or server that has been damaged – improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult which can lead to valuable information being lost;

* Lightning can be a significant problem during summer storms. Make sure to install a surge protector between the power source and the computer’s power cable – and spend the extra $20-$30 to get an actual surge protector, not a power strip;

* Check protection devices regularly: At least once a year you should inspect your power protection devices to make sure that they are functioning properly. Most good ones will have a signaling light to tell you when they are protecting your equipment properly;

* Businesses with network servers should invest in some form of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which uses batteries to keep servers running during power outages;

* Summer heat also can be a significant problem. Keep your computer in a cool, dry area to prevent overheating;

* Never attempt to dry water-damaged media by opening it or exposing it to heat – such as that from a hairdryer;

* Do not attempt to operate visibly damaged devices;

* For mission critical situations, contact a data recovery professional before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat.

About Ontrack Data Recovery

Ontrack Data Recovery (www.ontrack.com) is the largest, most experienced and technologically advanced provider of data recovery products and services worldwide. Ontrack is able to recover lost or corrupted data from virtually all operating systems and types of storage devices through its do-it-yourself, remote and in-lab capabilities, using its hundreds of proprietary tools and techniques. Ontrack Data Recovery is a brand name of Kroll Ontrack Inc., a technology services subsidiary of Kroll Inc., the global risk consulting company.

ONTRACK DATA RECOVERY LAUNCHES NEW VERSION OF “DO-IT-YOURSELF” RECOVERY SOFTWARE PRODUCTS

June 28, 2005

Ontrack? EasyRecovery? 6.10 Answers Recovery Demand with Enhanced Support and Capabilities

MINNEAPOLIS – Ontrack Data Recovery?, the industry’s largest, most experienced and technologically advanced provider of data recovery products and services has launched a new version of its EasyRecovery? family of “do-it-yourself” data recovery and file repair software. Ontrack? EasyRecovery version 6.10 enhances support to include the latest file types and improves functionality for newer hardware configurations, helping users find the recovery solution most suitable for their specific needs.

“With more than 100,000 requests for recovery service in 2004 alone, Ontrack understands the need for more powerful ‘do-it-yourself’ recovery options," said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. “Since a majority of EasyRecovery users are small businesses, it is particularly important to provide software offering an immediate impact on their business continuity, thus minimizing the many disruptions a data loss situation can create.”

The EasyRecovery 6.10 family of products delivers a variety of enhancements giving data loss sufferers more control over the recovery process. New features include:

  • Microsoft Office 2003 support for FileRepair components
  • Microsoft Outlook 2003 support for EmailRepair components
  • Added support for Serial ATA (SATA) device identification
  • Enhanced device detection for a wider range of digital media and external media devices (USB, FireWire, USB key drives)
  • Improved functionality of ER-DOS product, including support for drives larger than 137 GB
  • EasyRecovery? Professional now supports more than 290 specific file types in the raw recovery feature

The EasyRecovery product family consists of five distinct product offerings that provide a no-risk method for data recovery/file repair needs, helping both business and home users minimize downtime and the cost of lost productivity:

  • EasyRecovery? Professional data recovery software is the complete solution for your data recovery, email repair, file repair and disk diagnostic needs. EasyRecovery Professional incorporates all the features and benefits of EasyRecovery? DataRecovery, EasyRecovery EmailRepair? and EasyRecovery FileRepair? into one simple product, plus adds superior disk diagnostics including Data Advisor? and advanced data recovery capabilities and options.
  • EasyRecovery? DataRecovery is a simple, yet powerful tool that recovers lost, inaccessible or deleted data with added file repair capabilities for zip files. It allows you to recover deleted files, folders and complete partitions quickly and easily, making it the ultimate do-it-yourself solution for causes of data loss.
  • EasyRecovery FileRepair? works on files that are accessible but cannot be opened and repairs and restores corrupt files into new readable files. It is the complete file repair and restore solution for corrupted zip files and Microsoft? Access, Excel, PowerPoint? and Word files.
  • EasyRecovery EmailRepair? repairs and restores Microsoft? Outlook, Outlook Express and zip files that are accessible but cannot be opened. This powerful software gives you the ability to retrieve and restore deleted messages and repair corrupted Microsoft Outlook Express (DBX) and Microsoft Outlook (PST & OST) files, including those Outlook 2000 or earlier files exceeding the 2GB limitation.
  • EasyRecovery? Lite is a more cost-effective version of EasyRecovery? DataRecovery that allows you to recover up to 25 files per recovery session.

Product Features

ontrack data recovery Available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, the EasyRecovery 6.10 family allows recovery from various types of media including IDE/ATA/EIDE/SCSI and now SATA hard drives, zip removable media, floppy diskettes, Jaz removable media, external media devices (USB/Firewire drives, USB key drives) and digital media (i.e. CompactFlash, SmartMedia, flash memory, memory sticks) for files created on DOS, Windows 3.x, 95, 98, Me, 2000, NT and XP systems.

EasyRecovery Professional is available for $499, EasyRecovery DataRecovery for $199, EasyRecovery FileRepair for $339, EasyRecovery EmailRepair for $279, and EasyRecovery Lite for $89. All five products are available via the Ontrack Web site at www.ontrack.com/software or by calling Ontrack at 800-872-2599. Volume and corporate licensing opportunities are also available for EasyRecovery Professional. Please contact Ontrack for more information.

About Ontrack Data Recovery

Ontrack Data Recovery is the largest, most experienced and technologically advanced provider of data recovery products and services worldwide. Ontrack is able to recover lost or corrupted data from virtually all operating systems and types of storage devices through its do-it-yourself, remote and in-lab capabilities, using its hundreds of proprietary tools and techniques. Ontrack Data Recovery is a brand name of Kroll Ontrack Inc., a technology services subsidiary of Kroll Inc., the global risk consulting company.

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Causes of Data Loss

Data loss happens for a number of reasons. Anything that is considered important should exist in AT LEAST two distinct physical locations. Unfortunately most people don't commit the time/effort/resources to ensure that a good backup is in place otherwise data recovery would be unnecessary.

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It has become a major problem over the last few years as more and more digital information is being stored on media that fails. It’s estimated that only 3% of the worlds information is backed up. If backups are not done or not done correctly simple failures can leave you without any data, or with the wrong data.

Causes of Loss in Databases:
  • Backup files not recognizable by the database engine
  • Database locked as ‘suspect’ preventing access
  • Deleted or dropped tables
  • Accidentally deleted records
  • Data deleted with criminal or malicious intent
  • Corrupted database files
  • Damaged individual data pages
  • Accidentally overwritten database files and devices
  • Flood, Fire or Earthquake (natural disasters)

Remember that at some point everyone who works on a computer will experience data loss. It’s not a question of if data will be lost but when data will be lost.A data loss situation is usually characterized by the sudden inability to access data involving a previously functioning computer system or backup or the accidental erasure of data or overwriting of data structures.

What is Data Loss?

Typical Characteristics of a Common Data Loss Situation:
  • Accidental deletion of data
  • The sudden inability to access data from a previously functioning computer system or backup
  • Accidental re-formating of partitions
  • Hard disk crash or hard disk component failure
  • Ticking or grinding noises coming from the system unit where the hard drive is located while powering up or trying to access files. This symptom almost always indicates a failing hard drive and is often accompanied by some of the other symptoms.

    Note – Most drives will emit a light mechanical hum that a user may notice under normal operation. An indication of impending failure is when the “normal sound” changes to louder ticking or grinding noises.

    This symptom may precede actual data access problems as the drive utilizes spare sectors
  • Computer won’t boot. Blue or black screen after power up. The system will not load Windows or other operating systems
  • Applications that are unable to run or load data
  • Trying and failing to start an application such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word
  • Opening folders that should be full of files but appear to be empty
  • Inaccessible drives and partitions
  • Corrupted data
  • Visible fire or water damage
  • Media surface contamination and damage

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