Due in part to the rising frequency and severity of data breaches over the last few years, it's more important now than ever for IT professionals to have an active role in the business continuity plans of their employers. Since business owners may be looking at their disaster recovery plans with cost in mind, the advice of an expert during the process can allow them to make better decisions that could ultimately lead to a quicker, more efficient small business recovery when finally put to use.

Highlighting this disparity was a recently article published by CSO Australia, security and risk management company based in Queensland, which released tips for business owners due to the recent earthquakes that have hit New Zealand and Japan.

According to the news source, the biggest mistake companies can make is by only putting in place basic security measures to secure their data. While beneficial, a firewall, data backups and strong passwords can only provide so much support. Since customer and business data could be lost, the financial records of thousands of individuals can be at stake. And while it is possible, but unlikely, that an instance of data loss might not result in significant harm to consumers or the company, the damage the company's reputation could suffer, as a result of lost data, could be far worse than any material loss.

While working together, however, IT professionals and business owners may only be able to accomplish so much, especially if it's a young business where neither party has prepared this type of document before, or in instances where tensions arise. In this case, a disaster recovery consulting firm with years of experience can be the most beneficial asset to a company.

In addition to providing valuable advice and a fresh, objective prospective, these consulting organizations can arrange for training to be completed with one of their representatives, allowing employees to engage in table top exercises and other beneficial security protocols.