Internet online backup system provides remote storage for customers using IDs and passwords which were interactively established when signing up for backup services

An online computer system for providing commercial backup services to remote customer computers over the Internet, said online computer system comprising:

• at least one remote storage area for use in storing customer backup information;
• at least one processor;
• a first communications handler operatively coupled to the processor, the first communications handler establishing a first online Internet session with a customer's computer and, in cooperation with the processor, allowing the customer to sign up for backup services over the first online Internet session, the first communications handler and the processor cooperating to establish a customer identifier and associated password for the customer;
• and
• a second communications handler operatively coupled to at least the remote storage area, the second communications handler establishing a second online Internet session with the customer's computer, the second communications handler requesting the customer to input said customer identifier and associated password, the second communications handler at least in part validating the requested customer identifier and password, the second communications handler allowing the customer to access, conditioned at least in part on said validation, the remote storage area over the second Internet session substantially as if the remote storage area was a backup storage device physically and/or locally attached to the customer's computer, wherein the second communications handler receives the customer computer backup data in securely protected form via the second online Internet session, and the remote storage area stores the received backup data.