<p>In a ray of hope for the Maharashtra secretariat where a large number of computers were damaged in fire, the data from the damaged hard disks can be retrieved through Magnetic Ferrous Microscope (MFM), a cyber forensic expert has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Even if the hard disk is submerged in water, the data can still be recovered. The hard disk should be carefully picked up from the spot, properly packaged into anti-static bags and then forensically examined, the chief executive officer of Intelligent Quotient Security System, Dr Harold D'Costa told PTI.<br /><br />If the Maharashtra secretariat had established a disaster recovery plan, all the data lost could have been stored on secondary and parallel devices. This would have saved critical data, even if the hard disk were totally burnt, , said D'Costa, who is a trainer and senior consultant for Maharashtra and Goa government in cyber crime.<br /><br />The secretariat should have initiated steps to avoid such type of disaster by establishing a cold site wherein the data stored in the main server could be stored at another end in real time, may be 100 kms away or in another city.<br /><br />If the cold site is placed at a far off place, the data is still intact at the other location, the expert who has worked on over 2,000 cases of cyber crime said.<br /><br />The government should set up an Incident Response Team to develop risk assessment plan and contingency steps for fast recovery of the data, besides setting up a fire proof system and a strong locker room where critical servers are placed.</p>
<p>In a ray of hope for the Maharashtra secretariat where a large number of computers were damaged in fire, the data from the damaged hard disks can be retrieved through Magnetic Ferrous Microscope (MFM), a cyber forensic expert has claimed.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Even if the hard disk is submerged in water, the data can still be recovered. The hard disk should be carefully picked up from the spot, properly packaged into anti-static bags and then forensically examined, the chief executive officer of Intelligent Quotient Security System, Dr Harold D'Costa told PTI.<br /><br />If the Maharashtra secretariat had established a disaster recovery plan, all the data lost could have been stored on secondary and parallel devices. This would have saved critical data, even if the hard disk were totally burnt, , said D'Costa, who is a trainer and senior consultant for Maharashtra and Goa government in cyber crime.<br /><br />The secretariat should have initiated steps to avoid such type of disaster by establishing a cold site wherein the data stored in the main server could be stored at another end in real time, may be 100 kms away or in another city.<br /><br />If the cold site is placed at a far off place, the data is still intact at the other location, the expert who has worked on over 2,000 cases of cyber crime said.<br /><br />The government should set up an Incident Response Team to develop risk assessment plan and contingency steps for fast recovery of the data, besides setting up a fire proof system and a strong locker room where critical servers are placed.</p>