Which control sets should be included in a well-written Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?

In a well-written Business Continuity Plan (BCP), it is essential to include preventive controls. These controls are proactive measures designed to minimize the risk of disruptions to business operations. Preventive controls can include a variety of strategies, such as conducting risk assessments, implementing access controls, establishing training programs to ensure that staff are prepared, and creating backup solutions to protect data integrity. By focusing on prevention, organizations aim to eliminate or reduce potential threats before they can impact operations significantly.

Including preventive controls in a BCP also helps create a culture of security awareness and preparedness within the organization. This approach not only safeguards resources but also aligns with the overall goal of ensuring continuity in the face of various threats, whether they are natural disasters, cyber-attacks, or other unexpected events.

In contrast, detective, compensating, and recovery controls each play specific roles in the overall risk management and response process but do not focus solely on prevention. Detective controls are designed to identify and alert to incidents, compensating controls are alternative measures taken to fulfill security requirements when primary controls are not feasible, and recovery controls focus on restoring operations after a disruption has occurred. While all these control sets are important, a well-rounded BCP must prioritize preventive measures to effectively mitigate risk upfront.