So the first fact we have is that we need to backup our data. The question is, what is the most effective way to backup your data.

You could easily go out and buy a thumb drive or external hard drive and backup your data on to that drive. This is a little tedious as you need to select the files each time. A bigger concern is the fact that you need to remember to do this on a daily basis and if your drive dies or computer gets lost in between backups then you are in deep trouble. Another issue is that if your computer is stolen or lost or damaged (fires do happen) then the chances are your external drive could be lost along with it. External drives are also prone to getting lost themselves.

So what’s the alternative?

Online backups are the way to go. Anytime your computer is connected to the Internet, which is almost all of the time for most of us, your backup software will automatically be backing up any chants you have made. Storage space is abundant, data is encrypted for security purposes and you have piece of mind. This is hands down the best way to backup your data.

There are two great options out there that I highly recommend. My first choice is The free version of Mozy which offers a 2 GB free or if you really have a lot of data, an incredibly cheap solution for just a few bucks a month and it has saved me personally on numerous occasions. All it takes is a simple installation and the program takes care of the rest for you, automatically backing up pictures, documents and data files on the background while you’re working or your computer is sitting idle. If you need to restore one or more files, it’s as simple as selecting them com a list of backed up files. Even if your computer dies and you buy a new one, you can simply restore all your files to the new machine. I can’t speak highly enough of this program.

If Mozy isn’t the right solution for you for some reason, then I recommend trying Carbonite. It’s also an excellent choice and used by many happy customers. Both have excellent reputations, but you can’t beat Mozy’s free option.

So don’t say you weren’t warned! If you lose your data just once the program will more than pay for itself and as they say, you can’t put a price tag on piece of mind.