In today’s digital age, data has become a critical component of our lives. From personal photos and videos to important business documents, our digital information is irreplaceable. Yet, many people fail to back up their data regularly, leading to potential loss and destruction. In this blog, we will share four horror stories of people and organizations who did not back up their data and the consequences they faced.

Horror story # 1: The Toy Story 2 nightmare 

In 1998, Pixar was working on the movie Toy Story 2 when one of their animators accidentally entered a command that caused the deletion of nearly all the movie’s digital files. The team had not made a backup of the data for a few months, and it seemed like they had lost everything. However, an employee who was working from home had made a backup copy of the data, which saved the movie. This incident demonstrates the importance of having multiple backups of your data in case one backup fails.

The fact that the entire movie was restored from a single computer is a testament to the power of backups and the importance of having a disaster recovery plan in place.

Read the full story here 

Horror story # 2: T-Mobile data breach

In August 2021, T-Mobile, a mobile network operator, experienced a data breach that affected over 50 million customers. The breach resulted in the theft of personal information, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and driver’s license information. The incident once again highlighted the importance of securing customer data and the consequences of not doing so.

Read a full account here.

Horror story # 3: Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack

In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline, a major US fuel pipeline operator, experienced a ransomware attack that resulted in the shutdown of the pipeline. The attack caused significant disruption in fuel supply and resulted in a loss of data, including critical business data. The incident highlighted the importance of securing critical infrastructure and the consequences of not doing so.

Read more here.

Horror story #4: The Equifax data breach

In 2017, Equifax, a credit reporting agency, experienced a data breach that affected over 147 million people. The breach occurred because Equifax had not updated their software and failed to patch a known security vulnerability. This incident highlights the importance of keeping your software up-to-date and securing your data with the latest security measures.

Full account here.

Conclusion

These horror stories demonstrate the importance of backing up data regularly and having multiple backups in case one fails. They also highlight the importance of securing your data with the latest security measures and having strong IT processes and procedures in place to prevent human errors that can lead to data loss. Taking proactive steps to protect your data can help prevent potential loss and destruction.