According to Scott May, PC support specialist at Central Missouri Community Action, a data backup plan needs to be worked into a business before it is needed.

"The most common mistake made by computer users when creating a backup is to waste time and drive space backing up program files," May wrote in the Columbia Daily Tribune. "In the event of a crash, software applications need to be reinstalled from their original source, not a data backup. Instead, concentrate on backing up files that can’t be easily replaced. It helps to know where to look."

May said in the news source that people should work to back up their email, personal data and media, among other things. He wrote that email is the thing businesses most often forget to back up, but older versions of email servers may need to be updated and backed up.

Click Newz's website said anyone who has important files should use offsite or online backup to store their files. The website said the time to backup files is as soon as possible, and businesses that wait until after files are gone will suffer.