Fortifying the Future: The Symbiotic Power of IT Security and ISO 22301 Business Continuity

IT Security and Business Continuity (ISO 22301). These two fields are instead very much a part of each other, they almost grow out of the same root which is the need to protect what we have, keep the business going, and which which also is the base for public trust in us. Also, IT security and business continuity are a single unit rather than separate entities as is often thought. They are that which feeds off the same issues, which create the same plans, and which report to the same C level management teams. In all aspects they are linked.

The Ever-Present Imperative of IT Security

Phishing which gets employees to turn over sensitive info, DDoS which is aimed at taking down services, ransomware which locks up important systems and nation state sponsored cyber espionage.

The results of not putting into practice strong IT Security are very serious. We see beyond the initial financial hit of system down time, ransom payments, or data breach remediation that organizations take  we see also large scale damage to reputation, loss of customer confidence, heavy handed regulation fines (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and also legal issues. A large scale security issue can bring an organization to its knees, eat away at market share and in some cases lead to bankruptcy. Also IT Security is not just a tech issue; it is a basic business issue of what we live and die by, which in turn supports all other operational processes including Business Continuity. A well put together IT Information Security Process Playbook is a great asset here which puts in place standard procedures for incident detection, response, recovery, and post incident analysis which in turn ensures a consistent and effective go to plan for dealing with security issues.

Business Continuity: Beyond Disaster Recovery

IT Security is into prevention and mitigation of security incidents. Business Continuity (BC) takes a more extensive, integrated approach. It is the organizational ability to see that products or services are0 still put out at the same quality levels as before a disruptive incident. Also unlike Disaster Recovery (DR) which is mainly about getting IT systems and infrastructure back up after a large scale outage, Business Continuity includes all aspects of an organization  people, processes, physical locations, supply chains, and also of course technology.

A natural event such as a hurricane or earthquake, a large scale power out age, a global pandemic, a supply chain breakdown, a key IT system failure, or also increasing -- a major cyber attack. The goal of BC is not just to get back up and running after the incident, but to see that critical business functions will go on, even if at a reduced level of performance which in turn will see a lessened financial and operational impact of the disruption. What we see in a fully developed Business Continuity program is that we have reduced down time, we see less financial loss, we preserve our market standing, we improve our regulation compliance, and we see an increase in support from our stakeholders. It is a shift from reacting to crises as they happen to proactively plan for resilience.

ISO 22301: The Global Standard for Resilience

Security and Resilience  Business Continuity Management which is a framework put forth by this standard to which is recognized as the international benchmark for the implementation, development, maintenance and continuous improvement of a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS).

• ISO 22301 presents a framework that which organizations may use to guide them through the entire BC process. Key elements include:.
• Understanding the Organization and its Context: Identifying out and in issues which effect BC, also to that of which interested parties require.
• Leadership: Displaying support from senior leadership, defining roles, responsibilities, and authorities.
• Planning: Carrying out in depth risk assessments which identify possible threats and their probability/impact, also we perform Business Impact Analysis which we use to determine the importance of business functions and their Required Recovery Time and Recovery Point Objectives.
• Support: Allocating required resources, ensuring competency, communication, and documented info.
• Operation: Implementing BC measures, developing in depth BC plans and protocols out of BIA and risk assessment, and putting in place incident response actions.
• Performance Evaluation: Monitoring, evaluation of, analysis of and report on the BCMS which also includes regular exercise and testing of business continuity plans. This is key to prove out the success of our strategies.
• Improvement: Addressing nonconformities and improving the relevance, adequacy and performance of the BCMS.

Achieving ISO 20301 certification reports to stakeholders, customers, and regulators that our organization is dedicated to the cause of operational resilience and we have put in place a strong framework to deal with disruptive incidents.

The Symbiotic Relationship: Where IT Security Meets Business Continuity (ISO 22301)

The true power of resilience is in the integration and management of IT Security and Business Continuity (ISO 22301) as a team of complementary functions. One does not fully succeed without the other.

A very strong information technology security posture which in turn reduces the chance and scale of cyber related outages is what we see today as the most common trigger for BC plan activation. If systems are broken into or data is breached regularly then full scale business recovery becomes a very large issue. Proactive IT security measures  for instance robust firewalls, intrusion detection systems, endpoint protection, and staff security awareness training  put out many issues before they grow into full business disruptions thus reducing the load on BC plans. Also a well put together IT Information Security Process Playbook has that which when a security incident does happen there is quick and coordinated response which in turn minimizes the damage and brings about fast recovery.

• BC Validates and Informs IT Security: Business continuity planning which includes Business Impact Analysis is a key element in determining IT security priorities. The BIA which we do see as the root of the issue, identifies which are the critical business processes and what IT systems support them, also we see what is the max allowed down time (RTO) and the bearable data loss (RPO). That info is what we live for in the IT security teams’ world, it guides where we put our resources for better protection, redundancy and faster recovery. For example if we have a very important database with a very low RTO we will put most of our security effort in to that which may include high availability, robust backup systems and quick recovery plans. Also BC testing gives us a real world look at how well our IT security controls and incident response do in action.
• Integrated Incident Response: The IT Security Playbook is a key interface between IT Security and Business Continuity. In the event of a cyberattack which may be a ransomware issue for example, the Playbook sets off the first round of IT security actions such as isolation and containment. As the attack progresses and may start to impact our business functions the BC team jumps in, using data from BIA and the living IT recovery efforts. At the same time the BC plan will include action items like what is going to be the go forward work models, how will we talk to our stakeholders, what is the game plan for supply chain management, and at the same time the IT systems are put back online as per the recovery plans laid out in the Playbook.
• Data Backup and Recovery: In the base of both IT security and Business Continuity is what we term a strong data backup and recovery strategy. IT security which sees to the integrity and confidentiality of data during the backup processes and Business Continuity which puts forth the recovery objectives (RPO/RTO) for that data thus making it available when you need it. Also we see that regular testing of these backups which is often included in a BC exercise  a way to prove out their value.
• Continuous Improvement Cycles: Both IT Security and ISO 22301 Business Continuity are not one time projects but rather are on going processes of continuous improvement. We learn from security incidents which we apply to update our BC plans, and at the same time we identify vulnerabilities in IT security which require correction. This is an iterative process which in turn improves the over all resilience of the organization.

Building a Resilient Enterprise: Key Best Practices

To put together IT Security and ISO 22301 Business Continuity frameworks, organizations should:.

1. Foster Top-Down Commitment: Leadership should push for success in both IT security and business continuity which also includes putting in the required resources and support.
2. Conduct Integrated Risk Assessments and BIAs: Comprehend threats and their which they do to IT systems and business operations at the same time.
3. Develop and present responses to typical cyber threats which include details of roles, responsibilities, and technical recovery procedures.
4. Ensure that plans include all key business functions and are updated regularly.
5.  Regularly Test and Exercise: Run large scale simulations which include IT security and BC teams out which to test the plans’ effectiveness and identify gaps.
6. Invest in Training & Awareness: Empower staff to serve as the first line of defense in IT security and train them to react effectively during a disruption.
7.  Monitor and Review Continuously: As the threat landscape and business environment change so must our plans and controls.
8. ISO 22301 is a standard for BCMS, also we see that ISO 27001 which puts forth a framework for infosec management has a very broad approach which in turn secures info assets across the organization.

Conclusion

In today’s interconnected world, for organizational survival and success resilience has become a core issue. The strategic fit between IT Security and Business Continuity (ISO 22301) goes past mere compliance and has become a strategic priority. By creating a seamless framework which puts into use the proactive defense of IT security, as laid out in a workable IT Information Security Process Playbook, in concert with the wide range of risk management services provided by ISO 20301, organizations are not only able to reduce the effect of disruptive events, also they will come out of these issues strengthened, more agile, and better set up to face the future. Resilience isn’t in fact about eliminating all threats, it is about designing systems and processes that can handle a hit, bounce back quickly, and still do well.