Too many computer users do not have any backup plans in place and are putting their information at risk, it has been asserted.

A poll of the American market carried out by digital management expert Memeo suggests that people were not backing files up on a regular basis even though the average person owns 1,800 digital files including documents, photos and files they may potentially lose forever.

Hong Bui, the chief executive officer of Memeo, emphasised the importance of disaster recovery and noted that people rarely understood the importance of data until it was lost.

"The reality is that most people need a combination of online and offline backup options to keep their important data safe in the event of a disaster as well as quickly accessible," he added.

In November, justice secretary Jack Straw announced that the Information Commissioner's Office would be able to prosecute and fine companies and businesses guilty of losing important personal information, such as the details of clients and customers.

New research from Connect found that, on average, it takes businesses that use backup tapes take 11.6 hours to retrieve and restore files. Connect is now recommending that SMEs switch to www.connect.co.uk/services/online_backup.