What is an ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan?

How do you respond when your critical digital systems suddenly no longer work?

This is what an ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan should help you answer. When systems fails due to a cyber attack, natural disasters, a human error, or a malfunction — your organization may be in big trouble. To manage this, your organization needs a disaster recovery plan. A widely recognized standard for creating such a plan has been registered in the ISO 27001 standard.

Understanding ISO 27001

First off, what is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is an international standard that outlines how to manage information security in an organization. It provides a framework for protecting sensitive data and ensuring that information systems are secure and reliable. By following ISO 27001, companies can systematically manage their information security risks.

→ Learn more about the ISO 27001 standard

What is a disaster recovery plan (DRP)?

A disaster recovery plan is a detailed set of instructions that helps a company respond to unexpected events that disrupt their operations. The aim is to quickly restore business functions and minimize any downtime or data loss. Think of it as a safety net that catches the company when things go wrong.

Within ISO 27001, the disaster recovery plan is a crucial part of the overall information security management system (ISMS). Here’s how it fits in:

1. Annex A Controls: ISO 27001 includes a list of controls (best practices) in Annex A. Some of these controls specifically relate to disaster recovery, such as:
   • A.17.1.1: Having policies and plans for business continuity.
   • A.17.1.2: Ensuring critical business processes can continue during a disaster.
2. Risk Management: ISO 27001 requires organizations to identify and manage risks. The disaster recovery plan is a key tool for managing the risk of operational disruptions.
3. Continuous Improvement: ISO 27001 encourages regular review and improvement. This means continuously updating the disaster recovery plan to ensure it stays effective.

What are the benefits of having an ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan?

• Minimizes downtime: A steady DRP enables you organization to quickly get back on its feet after being disrupted. This helps to prevent or reduce any financial or operational losses.
• Protects data: It ensures that critical data is backed up and can be restored if lost.
• Ensures compliance: ISO 27001 auditors will thoroughly check the existence and quality of a disaster recover plan.
• Maintains reputation: A reliable DRP demonstrates a company’s commitment to resilience, maintaining customer trust and confidence.

How to create an ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan for your organization

First, you’ll need to decide who is going to create your disaster recovery plan. Some organizations decide to hire somebody internally, most work with consultancies who specialize in ISO 27001 compliance.

Key components of a disaster recovery plan

Overall, a complete ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan should contain the following elements.

1. Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis:
   • Risk Assessment: Identify potential threats like cyber-attacks, natural disasters, or hardware failures that could harm your systems.
   • Business Impact Analysis: Determine which business functions are critical and assess how disruptions would affect them.
2. Recovery Objectives:
   • Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The maximum amount of time your systems can be offline without causing serious damage to your business.
   • Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The maximum amount of data you can afford to lose, measured in time (e.g., last 24 hours of data).
3. Recovery Strategies:
   • Develop methods for recovering data, such as using backups and alternative work sites.
   • Ensure critical systems have redundancy so they can quickly switch to backup systems.
4. Plan Development:
   • Create detailed steps for responding to each type of disaster.
   • Assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members.
5. Testing and Maintenance:
   • Regularly test the disaster recovery plan to ensure it works.
   • Update the plan as needed to keep it relevant and effective.

Conclusion

An ISO 27001 disaster recovery plan is essential for any organization that relies on digital systems. And let’s face it, that’s pretty much all organizations at this point.

A DRP prepares a business to handle unexpected disruptions efficiently, ensuring that critical operations can continue with minimal impact. By implementing a DRP within the ISO 27001 framework, companies can protect their data, maintain their operations, and uphold their reputation in challenging situations.

Think of it as your business’s emergency kit, ready to be deployed whenever disaster strikes.