Business Continuity Plan

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) provides the operational blueprint for keeping an organization functioning during a crisis. While disaster recovery focuses specifically on IT systems, business continuity encompasses the broader organizational response, including personnel management (alternative work arrangements, succession planning), process continuity (manual workarounds, alternative procedures), communication plans (internal notifications, customer updates, media relations), supplier contingencies (alternative suppliers, contract activation), and regulatory obligations (notification requirements, reporting). The BCP is informed by the business impact analysis, which identifies critical functions and their recovery priorities.

Business continuity planning is a compliance requirement across frameworks. ISO 27001 Annex A control A.5.29 addresses information security during disruption, and A.5.30 covers ICT readiness for business continuity. The related standard ISO 22301 provides a comprehensive framework specifically for business continuity management systems. SOC 2's Availability criteria require that organizations plan for and can maintain system availability. NIS2 explicitly mandates business continuity as a cybersecurity risk management measure, including backup management, disaster recovery, and crisis management. GDPR's requirements for ensuring ongoing availability of processing systems (Article 32) are supported by business continuity planning.

An effective BCP requires ongoing commitment beyond initial document creation. The plan should be based on current business impact analysis results, reviewed and updated at least annually or when significant organizational changes occur, and approved by senior management. Testing is critical — options range from document reviews and tabletop exercises to simulation exercises and full interruption tests. Each test should be documented, with lessons learned incorporated into plan updates. The BCP should be accessible during an actual emergency (not locked on a server that might be unavailable), and key personnel should know their roles and responsibilities without needing to read the plan from scratch. Organizations should also consider interdependencies between their BCP and those of critical suppliers, and ensure alignment through contractual requirements and joint testing where appropriate.