Computers may seem smart, but in reality, they are not much different from any other kind of appliance that runs on electricity. Any appliance can malfunction, because electricity is not a reliable energy source. Most of the malfunctions are so small their effects may not even be noticed, but some can create really big problems. Even worse problems can occur due to activity from malicious attacks, or even innocent mistakes made by your own users. Ransomware is the most serious recently emerged threat, though it is easily overcome by knowledgeable computer administrators. You may occasionally hear phrases like "catastrophic data loss", but until it happens to you, the true meaning [...]

When we talk about data loss, we often talk in terms of big losses. We talk about legal fees due to hacking and the loss of personal information from customers. We talk about the cost of downtime due to computer damage after a natural disaster. We may even talk about the struggle of a small business entrepreneur who loses their home computer system in a disaster or virus attack, and loses their business along with it. These costs are important, but today, let's look at the specific costs of losing actual files that you or your business use on a regular basis. What are the costs, tangible and non-tangible, of [...]