Data recovery restores lost or corrupted data. The causes vary. A hard drive fails. A user deletes the wrong file. Ransomware encrypts the file share. A database crashes mid-write and corrupts the pages. A natural disaster destroys the primary site. The recovery process depends on the cause. Some failures are simple. Restore from the recycle bin. Others require specialized tools or professional services.

Backups are the first line of defense. If the data is backed up and the backup is intact, recovery is straightforward. If not, the options narrow. File recovery software can sometimes retrieve deleted files from a disk before the space is overwritten. Disk imaging tools can extract data from failing drives. Clean room services can recover data from physically damaged media, at significant cost. Ransomware recovery is its own category. If backups exist and are clean, restore them. If not, the choices are paying the ransom or losing the data. Paying does not guarantee recovery. The best recovery strategy is prevention: regular backups, tested restores, and immutable copies that ransomware cannot reach. The second best is speed. The sooner you detect the loss, the more options you have. Data that has been overwritten is gone. Data that is still on disk can sometimes be saved.

Recovery scenarios

• Accidental deletion — restore from recycle bin or backup
• Hardware failure — disk imaging or clean room recovery
• Ransomware — restore from offline or immutable backups
• Database corruption — restore from backup or replay logs
• Disaster — fail over to alternate site

Recovery is a race against time and overwriting. The best preparation is a backup you have tested.