Free automated backup of remote files?

That depends on what you mean by "best" ;)

By setting up a VPN you could use the built in backup software and push your backups from your business PC to your home PC.

Alternatively, depending on how much you have to back up Windows Live Sync or Windows Live Meshmay be worth looking at since it keeps both systems in sync. There's also Crashplan which allows you to back up unlimited data between computers you own, though it's not free for non-personal use - but you need to think about whether the cost ($60 per computer, once) pays for itself in the time you won't spend trying to do it yourself with a VPN and the built in software.

Personally I'd suggest that Crashplan is probably the most cost effective in terms of time spent getting it up and running.

I cannot allow myself to give you a simple answer to this non-trivial subject. Backup is a very important aspect of IT, and can be a somewhat complex topic.

Many small businesses wish to simplify this, some even try to outsource the entire task of setting it up, but without any service agreement for further follow-ups and assistance later. I would strongly recommend against simplifying backup and disaster recovery planning. It is easy to understand that someone would want to simplify this task, especially in a small environment with no dedicated IT staff. But if you understand the risks and pitfalls involved, and how much it could mean to your organization if you were to lose large amounts of critical data, you will probably want to put some thought into it.

Way too many organizations learn the hard way that backup must be taken seriously. You don't need expensive hardware or software products, and you don't need to be a skilled IT specialist. You just need to take some time and think about what you need and then find a solution that will satisfy those needs.

You would probably want to invest some time to specify and document your backup requirements, the solution you end up with, and any procedures you need to follow to restore a backup, and to regularly double-check that it works as expected. When a disaster occurs, and panic hits in, a year or more from now, you need to know what you have backed up, and how to restore it. You really don't want any surprises when your business critical data is on the line.

It's hard to give you specific suggestions without knowing more details about your needs, but I agree with Cry Havok that it could be wise to set up a VPN, and perform the backup operations via the VPN connection. The built-in software in Windows is surely better than nothing, but you should investigate its features and capabilities, and decide for yourself whether that is good enough for your needs (only you can make that decision).

If you have several servers and clients, you might want to check out the free and open-source Amanda backup software. If you're wiling to pay a small fee, there are other (simpler to use) Zmanda products available that are likely to be able to suit your needs, including cheap cloud storage.

A small song, for motivation :-)

Yesterday,
All those backups seemed a waste of pay.
Now my database has gone away.
Oh I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
There's not half the files there used to be,
And there's a milestone hanging over me
The system crashed so suddenly.

I pushed something wrong
What it was I could not say.
Now all my data's gone and I long for yesterday-ay-ay-ay.

Yesterday,
Need for backup seemed so far away.
Seemed my data were all here to stay,
Now I believe in yesterday.

Most simple way I have found to backup files from a remote system to your local home PC is using Gbridge http://www.gbridge.com/ - easy to use and has worked excellent for me.

Hi,

I use CWRSYNC (windows rsync client with ssh included) for the differential copying (keeps bandwidth usage low) of the files multiple times a day (task scheduler) + daily backup of the files. Basically I tar, linux-talk for zip, the destination folder. MO-TUE-WED-THU-FRI-SUN are saved for only one week, SAT is kept for 2 months.

caveat: you still need a rsync daemon (server) running at destination.

regards, Koen

By "Small Business" you may be saying you are using Exchange, SQL, and have a Domain Controller server. If so, you need some real software to do that. A VPN connection to your residential computer probably won't run Microsoft Backup or NTBackup.

You may want to use these programs with a couple of portable hard drives and take one home every few days.

A good fully managed backup commpany is at http://www.datasafedeposit.com. they will handle you backups from start to finish, audit them daily and provide you with reports confirming the backups were successful. Starts at $50 per month.