To have lost your files would be enough to worry about; there should be no added stress thinking about who else may have access to them. We adhere strictly to UK data-protection law, are registered with the ICO, and do all of our recoveries using our own staff/engineers. Therefore, your files will always stay in our possession while being restored, and will never leave the UK.
We are registered with the ICO, and compliant with GDPR. The only people who will touch your drive are our engineers. It will be kept confidential from beginning to end. All copies of the data will be removed from our computers as soon as it is returned to you.
We follow all UK data-protection laws (UK GDPR & the Data Protection Act 2018) and are registered with the ICO. We treat any personal data we use for a recovery in a lawful manner, securely, and only for the purpose of completing the recovery and returning it to you.
Each recovery is completed by one of our engineers. Never does your drive get passed to anyone else, nor does it ever leave the UK. There seems to be an unusual number of labs which simply send someone else’s drives off to another lab for processing. From the time you deliver your device, to the time we return it to you, your drive is always in our possession.
Confidentiality is built into each of the recoveries we perform. We can work under a non-disclosure agreement without additional charge. The confidentiality extends beyond your files, including the fact that you even came to us. Only you, or whomever you specify, will receive the recovered files/data, along with any findings.
For legal, HR, insurance or forensic purposes, we can create an auditable chain of custody regarding any evidence submitted to us. Each item received is booked in, and the original items are secured prior to imaging using a hardware write blocker. The images produced are then validated against the originals via MD5 and SHA-256 hashes. Receipt, handling, and return of each item are also documented. Therefore, your device is fully accounted for throughout its time with us. If required, we can complete our forensic recoveries to court-ready standards.
Your data remains confidential and secure while our engineers perform the task in hand, and only those engineers have access. Once the project is complete and your data has been returned to you (either through a secure download process or written onto brand-new, encrypted media), we securely remove the recovered version of your data from our systems: either, a confirmed overwrite meeting NIST 800-88; or, a controller-level secure erase on solid-state storage devices; never just a simple deletion. In addition, we do not retain any copies of your data.
Quick responses to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Yes, we operate under ICO reference number ZC173784, which anyone is welcome to verify at ico.org.uk. Compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 is automatic for all clients.
Absolutely. All recoveries are conducted in-house by our engineers, and your files are kept private. Also, should you require a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) prior to commencing, we offer it without charge. As soon as we have handed over your files to you, they are removed from our systems.
No. All recovery work takes place on-site by our own engineers, and none of it leaves the country. We send drives to nobody and ship them nowhere outside the United Kingdom, unlike companies that quietly subcontract their work.
Yes, free of charge. Simply let us know and we will put one in place before we start; this is normal procedure for ransomware, forensic, legal and HR projects.
After completion, your data will be delivered back to you via secure download or provided on a newly created piece of encrypted media, along with your original device. Once this has been completed, the data stored within our systems relating to your case will be completely deleted and no copies retained.
Yes. We maintain a documented chain of custody for legal, HR, insurance and forensic purposes. Our forensics section meets court-ready standards as and when required.
Just as much as is required by the job. Opening a few sample files checks that a recovery was successful. Rebuilding a file system shows the folder structure and file names but after that point, your data is viewed by no-one. Each case is dealt with by one single engineer, under our ICO registration (reference number ZC173784) and GDPR. An NDA can also be agreed prior to receiving your case.
The reputable ones are. It is the way things are done which matters rather than what is promised. All media received is read-only duplicated upon receipt and all work is performed against that duplicate, therefore the integrity of the original remains intact. Upon choosing a company please ensure that you have a chance to visit their premises. Also ensure that there is a written quote provided at the start of your relationship. Ensure there are clear terms regarding payment (with us, in most cases you only pay if we recover your data). And make sure to get a simple answer as to who performs the actual technical work.
If it’s confidential information related to either your business or personal files you could never replace, they will be treated safely and securely within the UK. First contact us for a complimentary diagnostic or discuss arranging an NDA prior to sending us your media.