Example # 243 of why you need tested backups

Message

drl · #1 Post by **drl** » 2007-03-23 18:11

Hi.

From the SANS newsletter:

--Technician's Error Erases Disk and Back-Up For $38 Billion Fund (March 20 & 21, 2007)
In July 2006, a technician's error wiped out data regarding a financial account worth US $38 billion while the technician was reformatting a disk drive at Alaska's Department of Revenue. The technician accidentally reformatted the back-up drive, and when the organization tried to recover the data from back-up tapes, they discovered that they were unreadable. ... More at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/20/lost.d ... index.html

Most us don't have data that's worth 34 billion, but we have data that may be difficult to replace. The point here is not the technician error -- we all make mistakes, and need to be prepared to deal with them -- but that the backup tapes were not tested.

Best wishes for your backups and successful recovery ... cheers, drl

garrincha · #2 Post by **garrincha** » 2007-03-23 18:25

And the only backup was the paperwork itself -- stored in more than 300 cardboard boxes.

Are you kidding me? This is like the scene from the secret room in the series X-Files.

thamarok · #3 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-03-23 18:27

I can't find it right now, but in a recent LINUX Format magazine, there was a backup program mentioned that creates a ready-to-burn ISO snapshot of the systems' current state.. Google doesn't reveal it, but if I find it, I'll inform you guys..

dmn_clown · #4 Post by **dmn_clown** » 2007-03-23 18:46

You have to love the efficiency of the Alaskan Government...

Metalqga · #5 Post by **Metalqga** » 2007-03-23 18:48

mondo

Grifter · #6 Post by **Grifter** » 2007-03-24 01:58

backup is great, unfortunately, the only time i start thinking about it is after something happens :(

Lavene · #7 Post by **Lavene** » 2007-03-24 06:44

Back in the stone age I worked as a service technician on access control systems. This particular customer had a fairly large system (for that time anyway) with a couple of thousand employees. A full backup of the database was some thirty 5 1/4 floppies and was supposed to be done every friday. It was very simple; just select 'Backup database' on the menu and swap discs when prompted.

Well, one day the old IBM crashed and their IT department replaced it. Then the guy responsible for the access control system called me to reinstall it. So I did a fresh install of the software and asked for the latest database backup. He returned with one single disc neatly dated last Friday. When I asked for the rest of them he said that there was no more. Further inquiry revealed that every Friday he would start making a backup, do the first disc and then cancel. I asked him why and he said "Well, I never thought we would really need it!"

To this day I have no idea why he even bothered to do the first disc which he religiously would do every Friday...

Tina