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With the cost of external removable hard drives so low and many online backup services available free of charge there is no excuse for failing to have a disaster recovery plan in place, it has been claimed.

According to PC Pro, the first hurdle is having a backup regime that is not overly complicated, followed by knowing which files to backup and how regularly it needs to be done.

The news provider states users should preferably use multiple backup techniques to ensure data remains safe.

PC Pro says: "If the local backup is the first line of defence, an online backup provides a failsafe."

It adds that online backup is ideal for critical files and documents and that it's there to protect you should your local backup be lost or destroyed.

Meanwhile, according to new research by an IT support specialist, one-fifth of UK small and medium-sized enterprises are opting for online backup software as opposed to traditional tape storage.

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.