50 Best Websites 2007

Backing up all your computer files is like flossing: it's a chore, but you know you should do it, or you risk losing something forever—not your teeth, of course, but your digital photos, music, financial records or that rough draft of your first novel. Mozy can keep all of that stuff safe and encrypted on its own servers. It will store 2 gigabytes worth of your files for free (enough to cover, say, a couple thousand pictures, depending on the image resolution), or an unlimited amount for $4.95 per month. You download and install the Mozy program and it does all the work; you tell it precisely what you want to protect. The first backup can take hours, but after that, Mozy will continue to work behind the scenes to backup new files. (Fortunately, this little backup engine is trained to take a break when you are using your computer, to avoid slowing everything down.) Mozy also lets you view your backed up files from any PC, and let you restore files as needed.