Whether you lose data as a result of hardware failure, theft, fire, flood, or you inadvertently manage to delete the files yourself (the most likely scenario!), the results can be disastrous. This can mean anything from losing all your precious photos, mp3s or personal contacts to losing critical business data. Regularly backing up your valuable data is, therefore, an essential security measure, though one that?s often overlooked or put off. There are several options available if you wish to back up your data:

--Use an external hard disk -- These are convenient if you want to make a full backup of all your data and can be configured to carry out the process periodically or can "mirror" the entire contents of your hard disk any time at the touch of a button. They have several advantages in that they are high capacity, fast and portable.

-- Use removable media such as CDs or DVDs --Most modern computers are equipped with CD or DVD writers and for this reason they represent the most common means to back up important data. CDs are ideal for storing documents, while DVDs, in particular, are useful for backing up digital photos and audio files. Both are cheap, but can be prone to failure. If you use this method then it is worth making several copies.

-- Use online backup -- Many large companies now offer online backup services and their prices are becoming increasingly competitive. For small business users especially this may be a good solution, the main advantages being that storage is offsite and can be fully automated.