G 0.45 Data Loss

Data loss is an event that results in a data inventory no longer being usable as required (loss of availability). A common form of data loss is when data is unintentionally or unlawfully deleted, for example through misoperation, malfunctions, power failures, contamination, or malware.

However, data loss can also result from damage, loss, or theft of equipment or storage media. This risk is often particularly high with mobile end devices and mobile storage media.

Furthermore, it should be noted that many mobile IT systems are not always online. The data stored on these systems is therefore not always up to date. When data inventories are synchronized between mobile IT systems and stationary IT systems, data loss can occur through negligence or malfunction.

Examples:

• The smartphone falls out of the shirt pocket and shatters on the tile floor, a tablet is retrieved by the dog instead of the newspaper, unfortunately with consequences. Such and similar events are the causes of many total losses of data on mobile end devices.
• There are malicious programs that deliberately delete data on infected IT systems. With some malware, the deletion function is not executed immediately upon infection, but only when a defined event occurs, for example when the system clock reaches a certain date.
• Many internet services can be used to store information online. If the password is forgotten and not backed up, it can happen that the stored information can no longer be accessed if the internet service does not offer a suitable procedure for resetting the password.
• Hard drives and other mass storage media have only a limited lifespan. If appropriate redundancy measures are not taken, technical failures can lead to data loss.