bMighty Q&A: Leaders Talk IT For Your Business

Sam Gutmann, CEO of Intronis Technologies, equates backing up online to an insurance policy for smaller businesses. And for those smaller businesses that rely on their data to function, he has a point. CDs, DVDs, or tapes are all at the mercy of human error -- whether it's leaving the material on site or forgetting to do the backup. Online backup is done automatically and the data is never housed in the same location as the company, making this a no-brainer for most businesses. But the key for smaller companies is that it's also affordable. bMighty talked with Gutmann about the virtues of online backup, what smaller businesses need to know, and what features they should look for when choosing a service.

bMighty: Why should small to midsize businesses consider online backup?

Gutmann: It's automatic, it's off-site, it's encrypted. At least some are -- you should look for an encrypted service. And don't use the service provider's encryption key, because then they have access to it, especially if you're a doctor's office. You wouldn't want to use a provider that doesn't offer a unique key.

Don't Miss: The rest of Gutmann's answer and the complete Q&A