BCP for Cyber Incidents
Traditional Business Continuity Planning focuses on natural disasters and infrastructure failures. Cyber incidents require fundamentally different approaches because the threat is active, intelligent, and may target your recovery systems.
Key Differences
| Aspect | Traditional BCP | Cyber BCP |
|---|---|---|
| Threat | Environmental, accidental | Intelligent, adaptive |
| Backups | Assumed clean | May be compromised |
| Recovery | Restore from backup | Clean, verify, then restore |
| Communication | Phone/radio | May be compromised |
| Timeline | Hours to days | Days to weeks |
| Scope | Usually localized | Potentially enterprise-wide |
Cyber-Specific BCP Elements
Communication Plan
When email and messaging are compromised:- Out-of-band communication channels (personal phones, Signal)
- Pre-distributed contact lists (printed)
- Communication templates for different scenarios
- Media response procedures
IT Recovery Plan
- Prioritized system recovery order
- Clean build procedures (don't restore from potentially compromised backups)
- Network reconstruction plan
- Credential reset procedures (all accounts, all systems)
Data Recovery
- Immutable backup verification
- Air-gapped backup testing
- Recovery time objectives (RTO) per system
- Recovery point objectives (RPO) per data classification
Business Operations
- Manual processes for critical business functions
- Customer communication templates
- Vendor notification procedures
- Regulatory reporting timelines
Testing
- Annual full-scale cyber BCP exercise
- Quarterly tabletop exercises
- Monthly backup restoration tests
- Regular communication channel testing
Where SuperClue Fits
SuperClue does not provide BCP templates or test your backups. Its ransomware resilience modules ask for evidence of backup integrity and recovery drills, which helps you keep that evidence ready for audits.