Johan Rock is absolutely right that backups are still one of the least appreciated aspects of IT until, in many cases, it is too late (Back up or face the consequences, letters.computing.co.uk).

I still come across businesses that are so cavalier with their data it is a wonder that they stay in business - unfortunately, many fail after a serious event such as a fire or flood.

What I find even more amazing are the companies that spend large amounts of money on exotic backup architectures, but never find time to test a restore of their backups. Many home PC users are just as much in the dark, which is surprising when just about every PC has a read-write device and with free backup software available on the internet it could not be easier.

It is even more incredible when you think that 8GB memory sticks are now available for less than £50 - less than it costs to fill the average family car with petrol.

Mike McNamara