The Recovery domain (RC) defines how NIS entities restore normal operations after an incident and sustain resilience under adverse conditions. In practice, recovery readiness depends on coordinated restoration procedures, continuity planning, backup integrity, and traceable progress reporting.
Sources: ACN incident management guidance, ACN baseline obligations determination
Key takeaways
- Recovery is not an afterthought; it is a structured phase of the incident lifecycle.
- Restoration actions should be predefined in continuity and disaster-recovery planning.
- Backup execution, protection, and restore testing are core resilience controls.
- Recovery progress and outcomes should be documented for governance and oversight.
Sources: ACN incident management guidance, ACN baseline obligations determination
Recovery operating model
1. Recovery activation (RC.RP)
Once initiated by the response process, recovery activities should restore normal operation of affected information systems and network services.
2. Continuity and disaster-recovery alignment
Recovery execution should follow approved continuity/disaster plans, including restoration order, required resources, and recovery objectives.
3. Backup reliability controls
Organizations should maintain periodic backups, protect backup integrity/confidentiality, and run restore tests to validate usability.
4. Recovery communication and coordination
Recovery status and progress should be communicated to relevant internal stakeholders and governance functions.
5. Closure and resilience feedback
Recovery outcomes should feed improvement actions for plans, controls, and operational resilience posture.
Sources: ACN incident management guidance, ACN baseline obligations determination
Minimum evidence set for RC readiness
| RC area | Practical objective | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery execution | Structured restoration of affected services | Recovery procedure, activation records, restoration logs |
| Continuity alignment | Recovery follows approved continuity/DR plans | Continuity plan, disaster-recovery plan, restoration order |
| Backup reliability | Recoverability validated in practice | Backup schedule, offline copy evidence, restore test reports |
| Progress communication | Decision-makers informed on recovery evolution | Recovery status reports, stakeholder communications |
| Post-recovery learning | Resilience posture improved after incidents | Lessons-learned log, plan updates, remediation actions |
Sources: ACN incident management guidance, ACN baseline obligations determination
90-day execution checklist
- Validate restoration runbooks for critical systems and service dependencies.
- Reconcile continuity/disaster plans with current operational architecture.
- Verify backup coverage and enforce periodic restore testing with evidence.
- Define recovery reporting cadence for operations, leadership, and governance.
- Capture post-incident recovery lessons and convert them into tracked improvements.
FAQ
Is backup execution alone enough for RC compliance?
No. Recovery requires tested restoration capability, documented procedures, and coordinated execution, not only backup creation. Source: ACN incident management guidance
When does RC start in the incident lifecycle?
RC begins when the response process triggers restoration activities according to the incident and approved plans. Source: ACN baseline obligations determination
What should be documented during recovery?
At minimum, teams should document objectives, selected activities, restoration progress, effectiveness checks, and resulting updates. Source: ACN incident management guidance
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