The DANA that has devastated, in particular, the Valencian Community during the past week has produced a tragic balance of deaths, missing persons and material damage. Although the first concern has been human lives, the panorama ahead for the survivors is bleak. Tens of thousands of people have been lost vehicles that are now irrecoverable, thousands of businesses, homes and, in general, livelihoods.
An aspect that, obviously, has not been the priority but will be very relevant for many affected in the coming months is the loss of data stored on hard drives of computers, mobile phones and tablets. With the floods, a multitude of this type of devices with all kinds of professional and personal information have been submerged for hours under the water and mud of the floods, and recovering that data is essential for many people.
For that reason, the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), in collaboration with the National Cryptological Center (CN-CERT), the Valencia City Councilthe Civil Guardhe Joint Cyberspace Command (ESPEDEF-CERT) and the Association of Internet Usersamong other organizations, have launched an initiative to help those affected by the floods recover their lost data.
It has been called Help in Data Recovery for Companies Affected by DANAand through it people affected by DANA can request recovery of data stored on your devices. They have to access this form and complete it, after which they will have to wait for them to contact them within a period of 24 hours to proceed with the delivery of the material and the eventual recovery of data.
How to proceed if your mobile phone or computer has gotten wet in the floods
INCIBE also gives a series of tips for handling these devices and maximizing the possibilities of recovering the information.
The most important thing: Do not try to turn on or plug affected devices into power.. INCIBE assures that, if they were turned off at the time of the floods, the possibility of recovering the data is high, although not 100%.
It also recommends the user remove the hard drive for shipping If you know how to do it, something relatively easy on a computer but much less so on a mobile phone or tablet. If it is not possible, You can also carry the entire device.
Another measure is to separate the moving components and dip them in ricewhich helps absorb moisture. If a dryer is used to apply hot airit is advisable to do it not too often and from a certain distance.
Lastly, it is recommended pack it before moving it to the delivery points that will be enabled. If you need help with the process, you can request it at INCIBE 017. The institute emphasizes that ‘We take the confidentiality of your information very seriously’ and? ‘if any criminal behavior is observed in the recovery process, our obligation is to communicate it to the relevant authorities’.
The program also supports requests for volunteers who want to help with data recovery. They must fill out this form.