Your main concerns should be: • Have you got a copy of all files you should have? • Have you really got very latest version of each of those files? • Was data transferred from hard disk to storage media without error? • Is integrity of storage media 100%? It only takes a scratch on a CD or a kink in a tape to render a lot of data unreadable and thus unrecoverable.

Finally, catch that few people ever think about until too late. Let's say you have an important file that gets updated periodically, a spreadsheet for example. Let's also assume that today someone accidentally deleted some cells or made a significant error in that file that was not caught at time. The file is saved and you take a backup. This goes on for a few days — edit, save, backup — before problem is noticed. What now? Of how much use will your backup be? Even if you are making redundant copies, how far back can you go to recover a pre-error copy of file? For most small businesses answer will be from zero to a couple of days at most.

OK, I could go on and on with examples of problems you can face even if you are making backups, but it's time for some answers.

Look, this is Internet age, right? If it wasn't for Internet you wouldn't be reading this, so I know you are connected. Further, if you are in business you probably have a broadband connection. The Internet connects you to "the world". Look at it another way: In backup terms, Internet connects you to off-site servers. With right accounts and services it connects you to off-site storage. And it's those special services that are available to you that will make all difference.

In my small office I have two tape backup drives, a couple of USB drives, several CD burners, floppy and LS-120 drives, external hard drives and networked computers. That's a lot more storage options than most small businesses would have. For long-term storage of files that I may never need again, but which I have to keep anyway (e.g. accounting records), I burn to CD. For everything else I backup to "the Internet".

That's right. I've got tape drives and tape backup programs and I never use them.

My backup is scheduled to take place in evening after I have finished for day. It is 100% automatic and requires no initiation from me. None at all — no swapping tapes, no inserting CDs, no anything else. It backs up any file that has changed since last backup. Plus, backup system keeps ten most recent versions of every file backed up during last 90 days.

No capital outlay. No extra hardware. No media to deteriorate and need replacing. No need to "remember" to take some action.

Online backup services are not all that new, but finding one that is extremely reliable, very easy to use, very affordable (even for an individual home user), and requires no term contracts is not at all easy. Here's service I have been using for over a year now: http://www.DataSafetyCenter.com

You really have to try this. There's a 15-day Free Trial, after which you are invoiced each month in advance for coming month, and you can quit at any time. This is ONLY way for individuals and small businesses to ensure reliable recovery of data with minimum cost, minimum risk and minimum effort.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what happens if data center itself suffers a catastrophe … each day data you have stored at center replicates itself to another data center in a different geographical location.

In under half-an-hour you can put backup problems behind you forever. Or … you can wait for Mr. Murphy to come calling. You already know he only visits at worst possible time.

If this newsletter has been passed on to you by a friend, please subscribe yourself so you can be sure of receiving next part in this series, when we will discuss a most important but little understood protective mechanism — Firewall.

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Great Feedback Channel

Invite your customers to post their comments in corporate blog and get your blog administrator to act on feedback as soon as possible. This will give image that your organization is very serious about all feedback and you can also rectify problem before it escalates. The more advanced blogs can also provide immediate sms to blog administrators once a feedback has been posted too. Value-add to Your Print Newsletter

A corporate blog can value-add to your current monthly print newsletter. One way is that some online postings can provide article-ideas for future newsletter issues. Blog visitors can also request for print newsletters to be posted to their homes.

Test Out New Products

Your organizational engineers and sales team can use corporate blog to test out new products and ideas. This is an effective and cheap solution as your blog readers should already have a good idea about how these ideas should co-exist with your other products.

Security Measures

Ensure that your corporate blog has security measures that prevents spamming to your blog readers. This will ensure that spamming will not create a definite negative image about your company. Your blog administrator should also ensure that there is no flaming and that all potential debates should not be a battle of personalities. Not Infringe Intellectual Property

Some blog posters may introduce other websites which may have beta versions of new products. To some blog readers, this may be purely educational but implication for your organization is that it may infringe intellectual property