๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐๐ฌ
Introduction
๐ท️Hope is not a strategy. Especially when your data center is underwater ๐ท️
In today’s hyper-connected organizations, business continuity is no longer an IT problem alone; it is an audit priority. This emphasizes that Information Security, Business Continuity Planning (BCP), and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) are inseparable pillars of organizational resilience. As auditors, we are not just checking controls; we are questioning survival.
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A powerful
analogy discussed before compares BCP to changing a vehicle’s spare tire.
We don’t carry four spare engines, but we prepare for the most likely
disruption. Similarly, organizations cannot plan for everything, but they
must plan for critical business disruptions.
- Are recovery procedures documented?
- Are staff trained?
- Are recovery tools available
and tested?
⏱️ A plan that lives only on paper is already a failed plan ⏱️
Disasters Are Not Equal: Why Impact Matters More Than Events
Not every
disruption is a disaster. Only disruptions affecting critical business
processes beyond acceptable downtime qualify as disasters.
Common disaster categories:
- Natural: floods, fires, extreme
weather
- Technical: power failures, network
outages
- Human: cyberattacks, human error,
sabotage
Business Impact Analysis (BIA): The Auditor’s Crystal Ball
The Business
Impact Analysis (BIA) is described as the most powerful tool for
designing disaster recovery strategies.
Key audit metrics:
- RTO (Recovery Time Objective): How fast systems must be
restored
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective): How much data loss is acceptable
- Are RTO/RPO values approved by management?
- Are they aligned with financial and operational impact?
- Are they realistically achievable?
Risk Assessment: Auditing the “What If” Scenarios
This
highlights Vulnerability & Risk Assessment as essential to IT
continuity. Risks are evaluated based on likelihood and impact,
covering:
- Physical security
- Technology resilience
- Location risks
- IT process dependencies
- Backups are never tested
- Backup data is unencrypted
- Restoration time exceeds RTO
๐ Backups that cannot be restored are just expensive storage ๐
Recovery Strategies: From Cold Sites to Hot Sites
- Verify SLA agreements with
vendors
- Confirm alternate sites exist
and are accessible
- Review cost–benefit
justification
Testing DRP: The Most Ignored Control
This
strongly emphasizes that testing is not optional. DRP testing validates
whether recovery plans work.
Testing
methods:
- Checklist tests
- Walkthroughs
- Simulations
- Full interruption tests
- DRP exists but was last tested “years ago.”
- Test results not documented
- Lessons learned not implemented
⏱️ A disaster is the worst time to read the manual for the first time ⏱️
Why This Matters in Global IT Audit
Global
standards such as COBIT, ISO/IEC 22301, ITIL, and Basel II all recognize
BCP and DRP as core governance and audit requirements.
Regulators
no longer ask if you have a plan, but whether it works under pressure.
Final Reflection
This
reshaped my understanding of IT Audit, from checking compliance to challenging
preparedness. Effective IT audit today means asking uncomfortable questions
before disaster forces the answers. Silence in IT is never accidental;
it reveals what was (or wasn’t) prepared. Business continuity is no longer a
promise on paper; it is a capability that must survive real pressure. For IT
auditors, the true test is not compliance, but resilience. Because when
disaster strikes, only what was tested will speak.
[2]
ISO/IEC, ISO/IEC 22301:2019 — Security and Resilience: Business Continuity
Management Systems, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva,
Switzerland, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.iso.org/standard/75106.html
[3]
ISACA, COBIT 2019 Framework: Governance and Management Objectives,
ISACA, Rolling Meadows, IL, USA, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.isaca.org/resources/cobit
[4] IBM
Technology, “Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Explained,” YouTube,
IBM, [Online Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com
Great! This really changed how I see IT Audit—not just as compliance, but as preparedness and resilience. I like the idea that real assurance comes from asking difficult questions before a crisis happens. A strong reminder that only tested controls and continuity plans truly matter when pressure is real.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I’m really glad it shifted your perspective. That mindset change—from compliance to preparedness,is exactly what modern IT audit is about. Resilience only becomes visible when plans are tested under pressure.
DeleteExcellent article Rangi! You powerfully connect business continuity and disaster recovery with the true purpose of IT audit—testing preparedness, not just documentation. The practical audit insights, real-world examples, and strong emphasis on BIA, RTO/RPO, and DRP testing clearly show why resilience is the real measure of control maturity in the digital age.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I appreciate how you highlighted BIA and RTO/RPO. Those metrics truly separate theoretical plans from real operational readiness, and auditors have a key role in challenging whether they’re achievable.
DeleteThe content clearly defines key concepts, explains the objectives of IT audits, and effectively shows how IT audit supports ISRM through risk identification, control assessment, and compliance verification. The use of real-world examples and the CIA Triad enhances practical understanding and bridges the gap between theory and real business applications.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot! I’m glad the real-world examples helped connect theory with practice. Bridging that gap is essential if IT audit is to genuinely support information security and risk management.
DeleteThis is a powerful and well-written piece. I really liked how you shifted the focus of IT audit from simple compliance to true preparedness and resilience. The analogies, real-world examples, and emphasis on testing BCP and DRP clearly highlight that continuity plans only matter if they actually work under pressure. It’s a great reminder that in IT audit, silence during a disaster often reveals what was never tested in advance.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really value that insight. The idea that “silence reveals what was never tested” is exactly the uncomfortable truth auditors need to surface before a crisis forces it.
DeleteThis post clearly demonstrates a solid understanding of IT audit principles and control mechanisms. The explanations are concise and well-organized, making complex audit concepts easy to follow. Overall, it reflects strong academic knowledge and practical awareness of IT control environments.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the feedback! I’m glad the structure and clarity came through. Making complex audit concepts understandable is key if audit insights are to influence real decisions.
DeleteWell written and insightful. The emphasis on BIA, RTO/RPO, and DRP testing highlights why resilience is the true measure of audit effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Absolutely, BIA, RTO/RPO, and DRP testing are where audit moves from paperwork to real assurance. Resilience is the outcome that truly matters.
DeleteGreat post! It shows a clear grasp of IT audit principles and control frameworks. The explanations are structured and easy to understand, making complex audit concepts much more approachable. It really reflects both strong theoretical knowledge and practical insight into IT control environments.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot! I appreciate your comment. Combining theory with practical audit insight is essential, especially when discussing continuity and disaster recovery in real-world environments.
DeleteFor "When Systems Go Silent: Why IT Audit Must Test Business Continuity Before Disaster Strikes"
ReplyDeleteExcellent reminder that BCP isn't just a checkbox—real testing saves organizations. This post drives home why auditors should push for realistic simulations!
Thank you! Exactly, BCP without testing is just documentation. Realistic simulations are where auditors can add the most value and help organizations avoid painful surprises.
DeleteThis post effectively highlights the importance of business continuity testing before a disaster occurs. From an IT audit perspective, regularly testing BCP and DR plans is a critical control to ensure system availability and resilience. The discussion could be further strengthened by referencing audit standards such as COBIT or ISO 22301 to show how continuity testing aligns with global best practices.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion! You’re absolutely right, frameworks like COBIT and ISO/IEC 22301 strongly reinforce continuity testing as a governance requirement. I appreciate the insight; aligning audit practice with global standards makes the assurance far more credible
DeleteGreat shift in perspective! You’ve moved the needle from compliance to preparedness. It’s a vital reminder that continuity plans are only as good as the drills that validate them. Well said.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Exactly, preparedness only becomes real when plans are validated through drills and testing. That’s where audit truly adds value beyond compliance.
DeleteThis perspective really reshaped my understanding of IT Audit—not just as a regulatory requirement, but as a proactive approach to strengthening organizational resilience. It highlights how true assurance comes from challenging assumptions and validating controls before real-world stress tests occur.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that perspective. Challenging assumptions and validating controls before real pressure hits is where IT audit shifts from reactive to truly proactive.
DeleteGreat post, Rangi! I love the line 'backups that cannot be restored are just expensive storage.' Since my blog covers Zero Trust, I’m curious—do you think the shift to remote work makes testing DRP more difficult for auditors to verify? Really solid breakdown of RTO and RPO!
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Yes, remote work does add complexity, especially around coordination, access controls, and dependency mapping. But it also makes DRP testing even more critical, auditors now need to verify whether recovery truly works in distributed, zero-trust–oriented environments.
DeleteYour emphasis on testing DRPs really hits the mark. I especially liked the line: 'A disaster is the worst time to read the manual for the first time.' That’s so powerful
ReplyDeleteThank you! That line really captures the essence of DRP testing, because preparation only matters if it happens before the crisis, not during it.
DeleteThis blog clearly explains why Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are critical audit concerns, not just technical tasks. The focus on BIA, RTO, and RPO shows how IT audit has shifted from checklist compliance to resilience testing. A very relevant and well-structured discussion for today’s digital organizations
ReplyDeleteThank you! I’m glad the focus on BIA, RTO, and RPO stood out. Those elements are where IT audit moves from theory into real resilience assurance.
DeleteA powerful and necessary call to action. The line, 'Silence in IT is never accidental; it reveals what was (or wasn’t) prepared,' should be on a plaque in every audit department. You've convincingly argued that testing is the control, and everything else is just documentation. Outstanding work.
ReplyDeleteThat means a lot, thank you! I love that idea of “testing is the control.” Documentation sets intent, but testing is what proves readiness.
DeleteThought-provoking and well-presented article. I like how you clearly explain the critical role of IT auditing in preventing system failures and ensuring business continuity. The discussion on controls, monitoring, and proactive audit practices effectively highlights why organizations must not wait for systems to fail before taking action. This blog provides a valuable perspective on how IT audits support resilience and operational stability in modern digital systems.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the thoughtful feedback. Exactly, waiting for failure is the costliest audit lesson. Proactive controls and continuous monitoring are what truly support long-term resilience.
Delete