Note: As of May 2025, the standard was updated to . What is ISO/IEC 27031?
GreenTech Inc. had successfully implemented the ISO 27031 standard, and it had become a model for other organizations in the industry.
Technical teams require explicit, documented step-by-step procedures to follow when a disruption occurs. This involves creating formalized incident detection protocols, step-by-step failover execution runbooks, and detailed failback processes to return operations safely to primary systems once the crisis resolves. 6. Suppliers
Write a clear policy documenting the scope of your ICT continuity plan, assigning explicit ownership to specific IT roles.
Control 5.30 ("ICT readiness for business continuity") in ISO 27001:2022 Annex A directly incorporates the principles of ISO/IEC 27031, requiring organizations to ensure the availability of ICT even during disruptions. Organizations implementing ISO 27001 can rely on the detailed ICT readiness guidance of ISO 27031 to fully satisfy Control 5.30 requirements. iso 27031 standard pdf
Aligning IT recovery objectives (RTO and RPO) with overall business requirements.
: Note that while you can be certified against ISO 22301 (Business Continuity), ISO 27031 is typically used as a
The ISO/IEC 27031 standard is an essential resource for any organization seeking to build genuine ICT resilience in an increasingly digital and threat-prone world. The 2025 revision brings the guidance firmly into the modern era, addressing cloud dependencies, board-level accountability, and the critical need for integration with information security (ISO 27001) and business continuity (ISO 22301) frameworks.
Identify your most important business services. Decide how fast they need to be recovered after a crash. Note: As of May 2025, the standard was updated to
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Understanding ISO 27031: The Standard for IT Disaster Recovery
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You cannot afford to recover everything . ISO 27031 forces you to classify systems based on . had successfully implemented the ISO 27031 standard, and
A common point of confusion is how ISO 27031 differs from (the standard for Business Continuity Management Systems).
ISO/IEC 27031 is an international standard that describes the concepts and principles of . It provides a framework of methods and processes to identify and specify all aspects—including performance criteria, design, and implementation—for improving an organization's ICT readiness to ensure business continuity.
Pro-tip: Check if your local library or university has a "standards subscription" that allows free viewing.
The most reliable way to obtain the standard is through the official ISO Store.