The first step in the implementation of the contingency plan is to perform:

The implementation of a contingency plan begins after a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) has identified the organization's most critical assets. In virtually all modern organizations, data is the most critical and irreplaceable asset. While operating systems, applications, and firmware are essential for functionality, they can typically be restored from vendor media or standard images. Organizational data, however, is unique and its loss can be catastrophic. Therefore, the foundational and primary step in implementing the technical controls of a contingency plan is to ensure that this critical data is securely and regularly backed up. This action directly addresses the highest-priority risk identified by the BIA.

A. A firmware backup: Firmware is important but changes infrequently and is specific to hardware. It is not considered the primary or initial asset to protect in a general contingency plan.

C. An operating systems software backup: While necessary for recovery, the OS can often be rebuilt from standardized images or installation media, making its backup a secondary priority to unique organizational data.

D. An application software backup: Similar to the OS, applications can typically be reinstalled from original sources. The data generated and used by these applications is far more critical to protect first.

1. NIST Special Publication 800-34 Rev. 1

Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems.

Page 26

Section 4.2.1

Data Backup: "Data backup is a primary component of any contingency strategy. The BIA should be used to determine the appropriate backup requirements for the system data." This establishes data backup as a primary and foundational element driven by the BIA

which is the precursor to implementation.

2. Swanson

M.

Bowen

P.

Phillips

A. W.

Gallup

D.

& Lynes

D. (2010). Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems (NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1). National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Page 17

Section 3.2

Business Impact Analysis (BIA): The guide explains that the BIA's purpose is to "identify and prioritize critical IT systems and components." The output of the BIA directly informs the implementation of protective measures

with the highest-priority components (typically data) being addressed first.

3. University of California

Berkeley

Information Security Office. Business Continuity Planning & Disaster Recovery.

In their guidance on Business Continuity

the focus is consistently placed on identifying critical functions and the data required to support them. The section on "Recovery Strategies" implicitly prioritizes data by discussing Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)

which is a measure of data loss tolerance

making data backup and recovery the central implementation concern.

4. Snedaker

S. (2013). Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals. Syngress. (Academic/Professional Textbook).

Chapter 5

"Business Impact Analysis": This chapter details how the BIA identifies critical business processes and the assets that support them. The text consistently emphasizes that data is the asset upon which processes depend

making its protection the logical first step in implementing recovery solutions. The entire strategy is built around protecting and recovering data.