Disaster Recovery Journal Spring 2023

people/processes/systems which might be exploited by malicious actors who are intent on doing harm to the company’s data or resources. Despite the dissimilarities between BCM and ISMS there are areas where

effective. Both systems aim to protect the security of both physical and digital assets from malicious actors which could harm or disrupt their operation. Additionally, both require organizations to identify potential risks which may affect their operations or assets so they can be pre vented or mitigated adequately. This involves developing preventive measures such as access control measures, training users on security protocols, implement ing incident response plans, and regular system audits. Another similarity between BCMS and ISMS is both rely heavily on policies to define roles, responsibilities, best prac tices, and procedures for protecting data security within an organization. Policies must be regularly reviewed and revised to remain updated with the latest trends in cyber security threats. Both systems require companies to implement controls such as authentication processes like multi-factor authentication, user monitor ing controls, encryption of data at rest or in transit against external threats, antivirus software installation on all endpoints, and patching of applications regularly to stay safe against malicious attacks. All these measures need to be considered when establishing either system for an organiza tion. The Differences Between BCMS and ISMS Although there are many points where BCMS overlaps with ISMS such as risk management techniques or policies implementation, there are also differences between them too. The most important difference is while ISMS focuses mainly on the protection of information technol ogy systems from external threats like malware or cyberattacks, BCMS has a much wider scope focusing not only on IT systems but also other physical elements such as personnel, premises, and commu nication links which could be affected by any type of disaster such as fire, floods, etc. This means while ISMs would focus mostly on preventive measures, BCMs would need to implement additional recovery strategies like having backup copies of data stored off-site in case all

Focus of Each Business continuity management focuses on minimizing the impact of dis ruptions caused by unforeseen events such as power outages, natural disasters, cyber attacks, human error, etc. The goal is to

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ensure essential services/ products remain available even in cases when opera tions have been disrupted. BCM includes activities such as conducting risk assessments, developing disaster recovery plans, enacting emergency response procedures, and establishing communica tion protocols for stake holders during a crisis. Information security management revolves

these two fields overlap significantly, most nota bly when it comes to risk mitigation strategies involving cyber threats which have become increasingly prevalent over recent years with an exponential growth in digitization across indus tries all over the world. In order for organizations to protect themselves from cyber-related incidents, it is necessary their BCM processes integrate ele ments from ISMS in order to anticipate malicious attacks before they occur as well as limit damage if/when they do happen by having appropriate preventive measures and contingency plans ready ahead of time. Overall, understanding how business continu ity processes fit together with information security procedures is essential for any organization looking

For example, while BCM typically focuses on preparing for potential crises by having contingency plans in place before they happen; ISMS sets up safeguards against potential threats before they manifest themselves into actual problems.

around safeguarding con fidential information from threats such as unauthor ized access or disclosure. ISMS typically involves activities such as person nel awareness training regarding best practices surrounding data security; policy development out lining how sensitive infor mation should be handled; implementation of tech nical measures such as encryption software or antivirus programs; regu lar reviews and audits to detect potential vulnerabilities. Emphasis of Each While both BCM and ISMS offer value to an organization’s operations, there are distinct differences between them. For example, while BCM typically focuses on preparing for potential crises by having contingency plans in place before they happen; ISMS sets up safe guards against potential threats before they manifest themselves into actual problems. BCM puts more emphasis on understanding risks posed by external events while ISMS focuses more on iden tifying internal weaknesses relating to

to optimize its investments in risk man agement initiatives, no matter what indus try they may belong to or what size their operations may be. By being aware of what commonalities exist between BCM and ISMS along with recognizing differ ences among them will enable organiza tions everywhere to make better informed decisions about risk mitigation strategies which provide effective protection. What BCMS And ISMS Have in Common Both BCMS and ISMS are designed to ensure a company’s systems, opera tions, processes, information assets, and services remain secure, efficient, and “

32 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | SPRING 2023