Organizations in today’s world face an array of threats that can disrupt their daily operations. Everything, from natural disasters to cyberattacks, can cause downtime, which can lead to a loss of income, reputation, or even legal ramifications, depending on the nature of the disruption. Hence, a standardized framework that ensures the continuation of operations during or after a disruption is critical for every company; this is where ISO 22301 comes into play.
What is ISO 22301?
ISO 22301 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). The BCMS is a framework through which companies can identify threats, calculate their impact, and design a plan to ensure they can maintain their critical operations in the face of such threats.
Key definitions used in ISO 22301
ISO 22301 and its complementary standard ISO 22313 use some key definitions that are integral to business continuity:
Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption (MTPD)
The MTPD represents the maximum downtime that an organization can experience before the consequences reach a critical level.
For example, a bank may set an MTPD for its online payment processing system at 12 hours; anything over that, the customer’s losses may become critical, and the bank may face potential regulatory ramifications.
Minimum Business Continuity Objective (MBCO)
The MBCO is the minimum level of service that an organization has established to provide in the event of a disruption. Think of it as a modified Service Level Agreement (SLA) in times of disruption.
For example, a telecommunication company might set a target of 50% capacity for basic voice and SMS coverage if they are experiencing a network outage.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
The RTO is the targeted time period in which the organization’s disrupted services are expected to be restored. This value should be lower than or equal to the previously defined MTPD.
The bank in the first example sets 6 hours as its RTO for restoring the online payment processing system.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
The RPO is the maximum acceptable amount of data that can be lost during a disruption period. Critical services typically have lower RPOs, while non-essential services may have higher RPOs.
For example, a hospital’s patient monitoring system has an RPO of zero minutes, since the service is vital and no data can be lost. At the same time, the hospital’s billing system may have a higher RPO of up to 24 hours, as data can be manually re-entered.
The Importance of Business Continuity and ISO 22301 Certification
These concepts are defined during the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and help organizations fine-tune their business continuity efforts to fit their unique needs and circumstances. A strong BCMS safeguards the future by building resilience against potential disruptions. Earning an ISO 22301 certification demonstrates an organization’s commitment to maintaining business continuity, protecting critical operations, and ensuring long-term stability.
To support this journey, PECB offers three specialized ISO 22301 training courses:
Each training course is carefully designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to establish, manage, and audit an effective BCMS. By completing these courses, practitioners gain the expertise to strengthen organizational resilience and drive business continuity excellence.
Author:
Albion Beqaj is a Content Editing Specialist in the PECB Marketing Department. He is responsible for evaluating the written material, ensuring its accuracy and suitability for the target audience, and ensuring that the material meets PECB standards. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at .
