What is causing records to vanish from the database?
Hello, I am experiencing an inexplicable issue!
I am currently building a website with codeigniter and over the course of two days, records from my database have been disappearing. First it was one table, then another, then one by one, and finally multiple at a time. Now, for half a day, nothing can be deleted at all.

It makes me feel like someone is intentionally deleting them.
Access is restricted to only myself and the client, and the client has no motive to do this.

When I reached out to hosting support, they assured me that everything is functioning properly on their end.
However, prior to this issue, they had a caching feature enabled which slowed down site changes, but once disabled, this issue began to occur.

There are two options for deleting information: either you or the client can do it. To ensure accountability, a trigger should be created to track when and who deleted the information. This information should then be recorded in a log table for future reference.

it's important to consider why the deletion is necessary. Is it due to outdated or inaccurate information, or is there a legal or ethical concern? By understanding the reasoning behind the deletion, steps can be taken to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.

If you keep a record of all the requests, you'll be able to track the exact date and details of each request made.

Keeping a log of all the requests can prove to be extremely beneficial, especially when it comes to tracking the history of requests made. By having a detailed record, it becomes easier to analyze patterns or trends which can help with decision-making processes. Additionally, it allows for more efficient communication and can save time in the long run by avoiding repeated follow-ups or misunderstandings.

Consider turning off the web server and database logs to investigate who accessed and altered them. This could be an indication of a security issue that needs addressing.

In addition to disabling the logs, it may be worthwhile to review any recent changes or updates to the web server or database. It's important to determine the cause of any potential security breaches to prevent future incidents.

Furthermore, implementing stricter access controls and regularly updating security protocols can help minimize the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information.

One possibility is that there could be a bug in your code that is inadvertently deleting the records. It's important to review your code carefully to check for any unintentional delete operations or logical errors.

Another possibility is that there could be a security vulnerability in your website that is allowing unauthorized access to your database. Make sure you have implemented proper security measures, such as input validation and prepared statements, to prevent any SQL injection or other attacks.

Since you mentioned that access is restricted to only yourself and the client, it might be worth considering if there's any possibility of compromised credentials or unauthorized access. Change your passwords and ensure that only trusted individuals have access to the system.

It's also worth checking if there are any error logs or debugging tools that can provide more information about what is happening when the records disappear. This could help pinpoint the issue more accurately.

Given that disabling the caching feature seemed to trigger the problem, it's possible that there could be some interaction between the cache and your code that is causing the issue. You may want to investigate further into how the cache is implemented and if there are any compatibility issues with your code or database operations.

If you need further assistance, could you provide more specific details about the issue? Here are a few questions that might help narrow down the possible causes:

1. Are there any error messages or logs that you can share? These can provide valuable information about what might be happening when records disappear.

2. Can you confirm if the records are actually being deleted from the database, or if they are simply not being displayed in your website? This will help determine whether the issue lies with the deletion process or the retrieval/display process.

3. Have you made any recent changes to your code or the database schema? Even seemingly unrelated changes could have unintended consequences, so it's worth considering if any recent modifications could be causing the problem.

4. Are there any scheduled tasks or cron jobs running on your system that could potentially interfere with the records in question?

5. Have you tried conducting tests on a separate development or testing environment to see if the issue persists? This can help determine if the problem is specific to your production environment or if it occurs across different setups.