accidental-data-loss-prevention

Accidental Data Loss Prevention

[!CAUTION]

STOP AND VERIFY: Before running any command or tool that results in irreversible data loss, you MUST obtain explicit user consent.

Mandatory Procedure

1. Halt Execution: Do not execute the command.
2. Request Consent: Explain clearly to the user:
   • The impact of this deletion.
   • Why you believe this is necessary.
   • A request for their explicit approval to proceed.
3. Wait: Only proceed if the user provides clear, affirmative consent in the conversation.

Common Anti-Patterns

1. Treating all DELETE operations as safe

Symptom: Treating all DELETE operations as safe Problem: Assuming row-level DELETEs with a WHERE clause are always safe to auto-run. Solution: Always verify the WHERE clause scope. If the delete affects more than a targeted set of rows, surface it for explicit confirmation.

2. Skipping confirmation for TRUNCATE

Symptom: Skipping confirmation for TRUNCATE Problem: TRUNCATE behaves like DROP+CREATE — it bypasses row-level logging and cannot be rolled back in some DB engines. Solution: Always require explicit user consent before running TRUNCATE, regardless of context.