Introduction:
Data is a critical asset of any organization, and it is essential to protect it against any potential loss or damage.
A reliable backup and recovery system is an integral part of an organization’s information security management system (ISMS). ISO/IEC 27001:2013, a widely recognized standard for information security management, outlines the requirements for information backup in control A.12.3.1.
This control requires organizations to establish and maintain a reliable and comprehensive backup policy and procedure to ensure the availability of information.
In this article, we will discuss the requirements of A.12.3.1 control, and provide a sample checklist to help organizations assess the effectiveness of their backup policies, procedures, and associated records.
Sample Checklist:
- Is there a backup policy and procedure in place that covers all relevant systems, data, and metadata?
- Are the backup strategies based on a risk assessment and aligned with business requirements?
- Are backups taken at regular intervals and stored in diverse locations to guard against physical disasters, fires, thefts, etc.?
- Is backup media physically protected and secured to the same level as operational data?
- Are backups regularly tested to ensure they can be restored intact, and are any issues documented and addressed?
- Are archives designed for long-term secure, diverse, assured storage, and restoration?
- Are recovery time and point objectives (RTO and RPO) defined and achievable?
- Are technical and management reviews conducted periodically, and are any findings and actions documented and addressed?
- Are information risks (confidentiality, integrity, and availability aspects) associated with backup and recovery identified and managed?
Conclusion:
A reliable and comprehensive backup and recovery system is essential for an organization to ensure the availability of information in the event of a disaster or data loss.
Control A.12.3.1 of ISO/IEC 27001:2013 outlines the requirements for information backup, and organizations must establish and maintain a backup policy and procedure based on a risk assessment and aligned with business requirements.
The sample checklist provided in this article can help organizations assess the effectiveness of their backup policies, procedures, and associated records, and identify areas for improvement.
By regularly reviewing and updating their backup and recovery systems, organizations can better protect their critical assets and ensure business continuity.
