• How much more space do you need?
• What will you use it for?
• Who needs access?
• Does this data need to be available online?
• Where will any new devices go?
• How do you want them connected?

Working out a plan for storing and backing up files is complicated by the wide range of choices available these days. But I found an article at Macworld.com that helps sort out one section of the puzzle—online storage. It’s a side-by-side comparison of seven online storage solutions.

CrashPlan, one of Macworld’s favorite picks for online storage

The article points out some of the obvious benefits of online storage: protection against data loss from a fire, natural disaster, theft, or hard‑drive failure. The solutions Macworld.com reviewed will let you restore files from anywhere through a web browser.

But there’s some potential downside. What happens to your data if your online storage provider goes out of business? And what about privacy and legal issues? Unless the backup site provides a personal encryption option, your data may be more vulnerable than it is behind your own firewall. (My advice: If your data is sensitive, don’t back it up online! Keep a local or secure off‑site backup instead.)

Enough scare tactics! For plain old work files, family photos, music, and so on, online storage is great. You’ll need a fast internet connection, but the best solutions are rated as pretty easy to use. You can schedule your backups to take place while you sleep, then have peace of mind that your data is safe out there in the ether.

Macworld’s favorite online storage/backup solutions? CrashPlan and Jungle Disk. Read the article to find out more.