Small businesses are increasingly turning to remote backup services in attempts to keep their data safe, according to one industry commentator.

Kate Craig-Wood, managing director at SquirrelSave, made her comments to online business resource mad.co.uk, noting that 96 per cent of people do not regularly back up data.

However, she acknowledged that some firms and individuals may have concerns about whether or not their data is safe and that the backup service provider is protecting it both during transit and once stored.

Ms Craig-Wood urged them to check the provider has backup generators to protect stored files in the event of a power cut and that they protect clients' data with a firewall.

However, she acknowledged that issues such as cost and a reliance on the web mean some firms may hesitate to use a backup service.

"Online backup is feasible for most businesses and can even be used as an alternative or in addition to traditional methods if you're already backing up," the commentator concluded.

The British government initiative Get Safe Online reminds businesses that under the Data Protection Act, they are duty bound to protect any data they hold regarding individuals.

It urges firms not to transfer information to other countries without ensuring it will be adequately protected and people's privacy guarded.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent)