Those were the rather surprising findings from a survey from storage specialists Buffalo Technology, which in June commissioned Insight UK to interview over 350 UK businesses in order to discover the technology issues being faced by small firms in the UK during the downturn.

More than a quarter (28 percent) of firms admitted that they do not backup company data. When asked why not, 34 percent said it was a time issue, 16 percent cited security concerns, while 13 percent said complexity was an issue.

Rather worryingly, 14 percent said they were simply not concerned with backing up their data.

The survey also seemed to suggest a certain amount of having one's cake and eating it on behalf of IT personnel, with 46 percent admitting that they would backup all their data if the process was automated, and 23 percent said they would if it was made quicker and easier.

"What this research highlights is that businesses are still to wake up to the fact that securing their company and customer information is a must," said Paul Hudson, Northern European sales director, in a statement.

"Taking the appropriate steps to backup and secure data, whether on desktop PCs or company laptops, has never been easier and quicker. High capacity, easy to deploy and easy to manage data storage solutions are examples of a technology that can effortlessly transform SME IT systems into robust and secure business networks."

Buffalo said it would provide a 'comprehensive overview' of all the research findings upon request.

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