What is ISO 27001 ICT Readiness for Business Continuity?

What is ICT readiness for business continuity?

ISO 27001 ICT readiness for business continuity is a rule within the ISO 27001 international standard. This rule makes sure that a company’s information and communication technology (ICT) systems are ready to deal with disruptions. It’s about planning ahead so that key systems can stay up and running, or be recovered quickly, in an emergency.

Examples

A backup data center: A company might have a second location with all its computer systems. If the main office has a power outage, they can switch to the backup data center to keep working.
Regular system tests: The company might pretend there’s an emergency to see if its recovery plan works. They might test restoring data from a backup tape to make sure it’s possible.
Having a contact list: A list of people to call during an emergency is important. This includes IT staff, suppliers, and emergency services.
Using a cloud service: Storing important files and programs on a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox can help. If a local computer breaks, the files are still safe and can be accessed from another device.

Context

This control is a key part of a company’s business continuity plan. Business continuity is about making sure a business can keep going no matter what happens. The “ICT Readiness” part focuses specifically on the technology side of things. It ensures a company can keep using its computers, networks, and data during and after an event like a natural disaster, a fire, or a cyber-attack. It’s about being prepared so the business can quickly get back to normal operations.

Relevant ISO 27001 Controls

The following controls from the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard are related to ICT readiness for business continuity:

ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 5.30 ICT Readiness For Business Continuity: this is the main ISO 27001 control for ICT readiness for business continuity
ISO 27001: 2022 Annex A 5.29 Information Security During Disruption: this control sets the guideline for business continuity and disaster recovery.
ISO 27001: 2022 Annex A 8.13 Information Backup: this control is the requirement to do backups.

About the author

Stuart Barker

ISO 27001 Ninja

Stuart Barker is a veteran practitioner with over 30 years of experience in systems security and risk management. Holding an MSc in Software and Systems Security, he combines academic rigor with extensive operational experience, including a decade leading Data Governance for General Electric (GE).

As a qualified ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, Stuart possesses distinct insight into the specific evidence standards required by certification bodies. His toolkits represent an auditor-verified methodology designed to minimise operational friction while guaranteeing compliance.