Have you ever wondered how much it costs to retrieve lost or stolen data? To answer that complicated question let’s start at the beginning. Most electronic data can be recovered using special services that are easy to come by. They are available for most PC hard drives, Mac desktop hard drives, laptop hard drives, Mac laptops, external hard drives, as well as SD cards, USB drives, and CompactFlash cards.
What cannot be retrieved in that manner must be solved by professionals. They will be able to recover data of any size, starting from a few megabytes all the way up to multi-terabytes, taking in files, photos, emails and other business or personal items stored on the device.
You will need to contact the professionals whenever any of the following occur. Data storage devices stop being recognised, data becomes corrupted, the data has been deleted, an internal device makes unusual clicking or whirring sounds, or your data has become infected by trojans or viruses.
All threats are unique although they sometimes have similarities. It then stands to reason that the cost of data recovery will depend on several factors. You will need to perform a full diagnosis. Many data recovery companies such as 4Sight provide free diagnosis tests to help determine a more accurate estimation of the cost of recovering the stolen data.
The most common system is to pay a flat, fixed rate per month, perhaps on a one or two year contract. That way any threats that turn up are promptly dealt with under the terms of the agreement. This would include a certain number of service hours and a flat data retrieval fee across the board.
To get a clearer idea of the cost of data retrieval, research performed in 2017 in the USA yielded some unexpected results and conclusions. Residential data recovery rates are around $250 for the first three hours and $60 for each extra hour. Commercial, business, government and educational data recovery costs can be anything around $250 for the first hour, with $120 for subsequent hour billed, generally in quarter-hour increments.
Data recovery from a thumb drive or flash drive stands at $225, and from a hard drive, the cost of data recovery is in the region of $375. If there is a physical issue with the hard drive, then the cost of data retrieval shoots up with replacement parts and additional man-hours on the job.
Another variable factor that will affect the cost of data retrieval is the amount of data a client need to be recovered, as well as the techniques required to perform the task. Data recovery professionals will first assess the situation then provide a quotation. Prices for data recovery in the USA currently range on average from $49 to $200. There is generally a minimum service fee for on-location data recovery performed at the client’s business premises.
The minimum fee typically covers the time spent on the job and possibly even transportation expenses. Prices for this kind of remedial action tends to be in the region of $250 for on-site service visits. If it is a real emergency, it might cost more as professionals might have to leave and put aside less urgent jobs to take care of yours, possibly also working evenings or weekends.
These rough cost indications of data recovery should be enough to make you think seriously about adequate data backup procedures and measures. Should the unimaginable happen, and your business is maliciously attached, your data will be safe and sound, and you will save a headache and heartache of trying to recover your data after the event, at a far higher cost.
We can assist you with adequate and suitable backup systems for your precious and confidential company data.
Contact us for an obligation free consultation. We will find a solution for you. Act now, save over time and rest assured your data can be collected and never lost!