Oh, we’ve all been there and the scenario is all too familiar: we keep on putting off doing a backup of our data (thinking there’s always tomorrow), and, to make a long story short, eventually end up losing precious files and data – to a virus, hardware failure, theft, or simply human error.

They say there’s no use crying over spilt milk but still, you would have to live with that big “If only…” as you scramble for ways to recover the lost data. This brings us to a key argument for backing up over the internet:

Data Recovery Can Cost You

You may think that you don’t have a lot of files to backup anyway and losing them wouldn’t cost all that much to recover. But remember that unless you are trained to do so, you can’t do data recovery yourself and as such, would need to get the services of a professional. The price for restoring lost files depends on a lot of factors like the size of the file, the complexity of the recovery process, and the condition of the storage device itself.

But why even go through the motions of computing the expense for recovering lost files when you can simply avoid the hassle of dealing with such problem? And at a price that’s peanuts compared to the cost of recovery.

Online vs. External Backup

Now you may also ask, “Why backup online and not through the more traditional means such as burning files to a CD or DVD, or using an external hard drive or removable tapes?”

Let me get this straight first: I’m not advocating online storage as the sole method for keeping your files safe. What I’m encouraging users to do rather, is to make sure you have online backup as one of your storage options. I would be the first to admit that restoring files through hard drives is really convenient especially when you can’t be connected to the internet all the time.

When it comes to the ultimate security and peace of mind however, nothing beats having an online backup service. Hard drives fail, laptops could get stolen, and DVDs and tapes may be misplaced. But with an updated copy of your entire PC stored somewhere in the servers of a reliable online backup service, you can rest easy no matter what.

Why There’s No Time to Waste

In this technologically-advanced day and age, personal and business data can only grow, and conventional means of storing them may eventually be error-prone or simply unable to keep up. In addition to your usual storage devices, having online backup is the way to go.

If you don’t have your own data loss sob story to tell now, count your blessings and make sure you never will have to go through such an experience. With the use of services such as top-rated and widely-used Carbonite Backup and Mozy Home, you’ll see why there’s no need to ask, “Why backup online?”. You just have to do it.

Just like its iPhone counterpart, the mobile application for Blackberry smartphones allows Carbonite subscribers to get hold of their backed up files even while on the road and at any time of the day. File formats available through the Blackberry app are varied in range including Word and Excel documents, PDFs, photos, audio files, and even videos.

With Carbonite’s new Blackberry application, subscribers will be able to:

• Browse files. Finding documents will be a breeze as the folders are arranged exactly the way they were in your computers;

• View them. It’s like having a miniature PC right in the palm of your hands. Download and open files, photos, videos, and whatever else you have backed up in your Carbonite account.

• Pass them along. By sending them as email attachments, the downloaded files are yours to share with others.

This latest Carbonite application works with Blackberry smartphones operating on OS 4.6.1 and with a screen resolution of 240×320 or higher. These include BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone, BlackBerry Curve 8300 series, BlackBerry Curve 8500 series, BlackBerry Curve 8900 series, BlackBerry Bold 9000 smartphone, and BlackBerry Tour 9600 series. Now that’s a lot of happy Carbonite and Blackberry users.

The Carbonite Blackberry app is only one of the many quick and easy ways that Carbonite users can access their backed up data other from their main computer. There’s also Remote File Access (access through a remote computer via internet), and Carbonite for iPhone/iPod Touch. Incidentally, the online backup company has also recently introduced an upgrade to the iPhone app version 1.1.

So whether you have a desktop, laptop, iPhone or iPod Touch, Blackberry phone, or a remote computer at your disposal, there’s simply no way you won’t be able to gain access to your Cabonite Online files. Carbonite has made it that easy for you.

According to the Mozy site, with Mozy 2.0 for Windows, users can now:

Enjoy an improved, easy-to-use client interface.
Ease and simplicity for users are what Mozy had in mind when they designed the new client interface. In addition to being more customizable and flexible, users will find this version’s interface to be easier to configure, understand, and navigate.

Enjoy faster backup transfer speed.
Say goodbye to data transmissions that take just about forever. By making some changes in the transfer process, Mozy 2.0 is capable of file uploading that’s up to 25% faster than the speed of the previous version.

Get 2x the backup protection.
Enjoy the best of both (backup) worlds! With the introduction of the Mozy 2xProtect package, it’s now possible to backup your computer files through the company’s online servers and through a local external hard drive using only a single backup service – Mozy 2.0, of course. It’s the ideal setup for anyone who wants the security of an online backup service, and the convenience and retrieval speed of a local backup.

With these new features, no wonder the Mozy guys are beside themselves with anticipation. We can’t wait to try it out ourselves. For Mac users, the wait shouldn’t be long as the company is also coming out with a Mozy 2.0 for Mac later this year.

If you still haven’t gotten around to using an online backup solution, there’s no better time to do it than now. For current Mozy backup subscribers, upgrading to the latest version is absolutely free.

To give you more reasons why you should backup your data now, allow me to reiterate the 5 phases of grief, from data loss that is, as detailed by the author of the article.

Denial. As from any other loss, the person directly involved starts off with denial. In the case of loss of data, the computer user/owner would always assume that it’s just a software issue and a reboot will get things restored just fine.

Anger. Of course, if he’s tried rebooting for the nth time already and nothing seems to be happening that would indicate possible recovery, denial flies out of the window and anger sets in. He could blame the manufacturer of the hard drive he’s been using, he could seethe with anger at the power company causing the outages that eventually led to the demise of his PC, or most of the frustration would be at his own failure to use a backup in the first place.

Bargaining. As soon as the anger abates, bargaining for the most feasible and least costly potential recovery solutions would begin. He may consider buying a new hard drive and transferring the contents himself. Or could it be possible that data loss recovery is no longer as expensive as they once were? You’d sure wish they were but unfortunately, that isn’t the case just yet.

Depression. If he’s gone through all the options and getting back lost files seems to be still way out of reach, what’s a data loss victim likely to do? Wallow in despair, that’s what. Just thinking about the photos, music, notes, important documents, and all other what-have-you’s gathered throughout the years would make anyone just want to have a good, long cry – at the very least.

Acceptance. But after having gone through all these stages however, what else really is left to do? In the end, you’d simply have to come to terms with the fact that you’d just have to forget this particularly frustrating episode in your life, or else spend a fortune on recovering all that lost data.

If you don’t want to waste precious time – and tears – going through all these 5 stages of data loss grief, make sure you have an online backup solution that you can count on. Have a look at our Carbonite review and Mozy review to find out why these two are the top-rated online backup services today.

As were my initial thoughts, you’re probably wondering right now if computer users in these countries were unable to use Mozy Backup previously. Besides, you may also think, the general idea with an online service is that it should be available to anybody who has internet access, right? There’s a simple explanation for this.

Mozy online backup was actually already accessible before via the Mozy.com URL. In fact, about 25 percent of the total number of Mozy subscribers are based from outside of North America. However, there are two drawbacks for users residing in European countries:

• If you were using the paid version, you would be billed in US dollars, and not in pounds (UK) or Euros (Ireland); and

• With the data stored in the US, your files are not covered by the European data privacy laws, which differ from US data retention and privacy rules.

With UK and Ireland subscribers now billed in their local currencies, and in being able to comply with EU data regulations, EMC hopes to attract more subscribers to their online backup services. The Mozy data centers will be located in Cork, Ireland. Mozy Home is priced at £4.99 (about $7.72) per month for unlimited data storage and backup, while Mozy Pro for small businesses costs £3.99 per computer per month, plus an additional 50 pence per gigabyte.

Even business backup firms based in these countries, welcomed Mozy’s entry into the local industry, saying that it would help raise awareness of online backup in the area.

With Mozy online backup going global, isn’t it high time you used online storage solutions too? For about $50 per year, you’d be buying yourself peace of mind and convenience. Check out our Mozy Home review and Carbonite review to find out which service fits your backup and storage needs best.

And with technology being where it is these days, it’s quite easy for travelers to get Wi-Fi or internet access while traveling. Airports, hotels, malls, and other public venues are now hotspots that provide instant Web access. But then again you have to ask yourself: Doesn’t the convenience come with a price? Are you in fact, putting your business or personal data at risk?

The simple answer to this is yes. You have to remember that the public hotspot you are currently using is also being utilized by many other individuals. And if someone with malicious intent attempts to hack or gain access to any of the data being sent over the wireless network, he could certainly do so. Further, constantly bringing your laptop with you obviously puts you at risk for theft.

To lessen the chances of losing data or falling victim to hackers, here are some tips to help protect your data while traveling:

• Keep your laptop closely guarded. Laptops are portable, and therefore thin and light, and basically, easy to get from right under your nose. To physically safeguard your laptop from thieves, nothing works better than making sure it’s close to you at all times. If you feel the need to sleep while in trains or public transports, put your laptop in its designated bag first and then wrap the bag’s strap around your arm.

• Avoid using public networks when transmitting sensitive information. This rule applies even when you’re not on the road and you’re simply accessing the web through a coffee shop or from your hotel room.

• Use encryption technology. If using Wi-Fi in public can’t be avoided or even if you use it sparingly, it’s always best to use protection that deters hackers from infiltrating your system. This is especially necessary if you are constantly handling sensitive or confidential information. With the use of effective encryption technology, data loss can be avoided.

• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware tools. Viruses, spyware, and other malware wreak havoc on any PC or laptop, sometimes causing it to slow down drastically, or worse, wiping off files and important documents. Stop such infiltrations by installing protection on your laptop particularly when you’re not confident of the security of your internet access.

• Use online backup and storage. When you know that your important files and data are being automatically and regularly backed up, you can always rest easy knowing that whatever happens, you won’t ever have to deal with the consequences of data loss.

The risks of viruses, theft, hacking, and consequently data loss, are unavoidable for those who travel often or even just occasionally. But if you put in the necessary precautions to protect your data such as installing security tools or using online backup solutions like Carbonite or Mozy Home, you should have little to worry about.

So if you’re not yet altogether convinced about going online for your storage solutions, here’s yet another great reason to consider jumping into the online backup bandwagon, particularly with Carbonite Backup. With the Carbonite for iPhone app, your documents, pictures, presentations, or anything you have entrusted to Carbonite’s servers, are literally right at your fingertips!

Here are the things you can do with Carbonite app on your iPhone or iPod Touch:

• Browse through all the files you have in your Carbonite account.

• View your word documents, presentations, PDF files, pictures, and videos right on your iPhone or iTouch.

• Share any of these files with colleagues, friends, or family members. The documents will be sent as email attachments.

• Access cached files offline or even without Wi-Fi or 3G connection.

Don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Not to worry. You can still access your files by simply logging into your Carbonite account from a remote location through the Remote File Access feature. Just remember that for both features, files from your initial backup, your most recent backup, and those requested for immediate backup are accessible.

And what’s the best thing about these value-added services from Carbonite Backup? They’re absolutely free. You simply have to pay the affordable $55 yearly subscription fee and get to avail of Carbonite’s reliable online backup and storage service, plus Carbonite for iPhone app and other services the company has to offer. Now, that’s online backup at its simplest – and best.

What is Remote Files Access?

If you were going on a business trip or on vacation, wouldn’t it be ideal if you were still able to access important documents even if they are stored on your home computer? That is the ultimate convenience that Carbonite’s Remote File Access offers. One hour after your files are uploaded to the servers, you can already access them from a remote location, whether through your own laptop or from an internet café. According to the company website, you can do this for files from your “initial backup, changed files, or files you mark to be backed up immediately.”

It is important to note however, that Carbonite is programmed to backup newer file versions once every 24 hours and only after the initial backup is complete. So if you want to access edited documents while you’re away and the initial backup up is not yet done, be sure to mark it as a file that Carbonite has to backup immediately.

How to Restore Files

Restoring files through the Carbonite Remote Access feature is quite simple. But bear in mind that this is only applicable for single restore files. If you want to do a retrieval of all your files, you would have to go through a different process.

In using Remote File Access, here are the steps to take:

1. Go to http://carbonite.com/remote and sign in with your email and password.
2. Once logged in, you can find a list of your backed up folders. You will know if there any subfolders found within the listed folders because there will be a small triangle found on the left side.
3. Click on a folder and the documents contained within it will be displayed on the right side.
4. Once you find the file to restore, click on it and you will be asked to confirm through a File Download window.
5. Click Save and choose your preferred location.

Using Your Encryption Keys

If you are one of those who have opted to manage your own encryption keys (as opposed to letting Carbonite store it for you), there is one more step that you have go through before you can do remote access: upload your private encryption key to Carbonite’s servers. This is the file you were instructed to save during initial installation, which is by default named Carbonite-Encryption-Key.pem.

To upload you keys, go to http://carbonite.com/manage. Find the My Protected Computers tab and then choose the computer to which that encryption key belongs. Click on the link Upload My Encryption Key. Once you receive the verification in the My Protected Computers page that your key was successfully uploaded, you should now be able to use Carbonite Remote Access.

As mentioned, not too few Carbonite users or would-be users are concerned about how exactly the backup data is stored without compromising security. The most important questions they are asking are, “How secure are my files with Carbonite?”, and perhaps more specifically, “Who has access to my Carbonite files?” This post will try to give straight answers to these questions.

Safety with Carbonite

This may have been mentioned in previous posts but let’s just briefly rehash Carbonite’s security layers. Upon backup, the data goes through a 448-bit Blowfish encryption. Now the encryption process itself may be beyond what non-geeks can grasp but any programming guru can tell you that this is a very secure method, used even in financial systems. Then, upon data transfer to Carbonite’s servers, another extremely reliable and protected method is used – the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.

These processes alone should tell you that Carbonite Backup takes painstaking measures to keep your files protected from interference or hacking during backup and transfer. So if you are certain about the safety of the methods used, this now begs the question:

“Who has access to my Carbonite files?”

When tackling Carbonite security issues, perhaps the most pressing concern would be knowing if other people can gain access to the files. The simple answer is that, unless you share your login information with other people, then no one else would have the means to open your Carbonite account and get to your files.

The Importance of Encryption Keys

If you are 101% sure that no one would be given the chance to access your backup account from your end, the last thing you would want to know is if someone from Carbonite can. Here is where you need to understand how the company secures your files by encryption. In simpler terms, encrypted data is scrambled so that no can hack it as it leaves your computer. To “unscramble” the files when you retrieve them, you need to have the encryption keys.

Carbonite can store your encryption keys for you and while this is most advisable, it does put access to backed up files at the hands of someone else other than yourself. But then again, of the billions of data stored within the company’s servers, the chances of an employee actually choosing your files to hack and take advantage of are practically non-existent. Further, given the reputation that Carbonite has, for sure they also have guidelines and precautionary measures in place that would prevent the unauthorized access to client files.

Of course, you also have the option of managing your own encryption keys. But Carbonite puts in plain terms the consequences would be if you were to lose them:

Note: If you lose the encryption key, you will be unable to access your backed up data. If you elect to manage your encryption key, you cannot access your files through Remote File Access.

If you ask me, I’d put these Carbonite security issues to rest and just trust them. They are not the leading online backup service provider for nothing, after all.

The study entitled “Business Risk of a Lost Laptop” was conducted in 2009 by Ponemon Institute covered 3,100 IT and security professionals across the US, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Mexico, and Brazil. The results yielded were an interesting insight into how people in different countries reacted in stress and anger.

For instance, one in three laptop-using employees in Mexico and Brazil wrought damage by succumbing to laptop rage — that’s a whopping 33%. On the other hand, only 13% of the respondents in the US rated rage as a leading cause of laptop damage while British users exercise even more restraint with only 6% putting the blame on laptop rage.

Other than poorly-managed anger, food spills and improper handling during travel also rank high as leading causes of laptop damage. Americans may have put a lid on the rage factor, but they’re not exactly the most careful eaters or travelers as 34% said that spilled food or beverages cause damage to laptops, and 25% attribute it to road mishandling. The French are apparently also sloppy around food as a higher 36% voted food spills as the top reason for “tech injuries.”

Regardless of whether you may be disposed to laptop rage, have a tendency to mix coffee with your work (literally), or have travel habits that are not exactly ideal for a laptop, one thing has become evident with this study: it’s crucial to backup your data now. You never know when any of these top causes of damage may hit you.

Click here to Get 10% Off Carbonite or here to Get 20% Off Mozy Home