Question: Are recovery and restoration procedures validated after incidents to confirm systems return to a trusted state?
Why This Matters
Restoring systems without validation may re-introduce compromise. Controlled recovery ensures business resumption with integrity and confidence.
Maturity
0 — Unaware
Systems restored ad-hoc; no validation.
Systems restored ad-hoc; no validation.
1 — Ad Hoc
Basic restoration from backups.
Basic restoration from backups.
2 — Defined
Documented recovery and validation steps.
Documented recovery and validation steps.
3 — Managed
Post-recovery verification and sign-off recorded.
Post-recovery verification and sign-off recorded.
4 — Integrated
Security validation part of BCP/DR tests.
Security validation part of BCP/DR tests.
5 — Optimized
Automated integrity checks and attestation reports.
Automated integrity checks and attestation reports.
How to Level Up
| From → To | Actions |
|---|---|
| 0 → 1 | Document backup and restoration paths. |
| 1 → 2 | Add verification checklist post-restore. |
| 2 → 3 | Require dual sign-off (Security + Ops). |
| 3 → 4 | Integrate verification into BCP/DR schedule. |
| 4 → 5 | Automate hash and integrity validation. |
Enablers
- People: BCP Lead, Ops Manager, SOC Engineer
- Process: Restore → Validate → Sign-off
- Technology: Backup software with hash verification, DR test tools
Evidence
- Recovery checklists and sign-offs
- Hash comparison or validation reports
- DR test summaries
KPIs
- Mean time to restore verified systems
- Percentage of restorations validated
- Number of failed integrity checks
Low-Cost / Open-Source Options (MSME)
| Purpose | Tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Backup | Restic / Veeam Community | Integrity verification |
| Validation | Tripwire Open / Auditbeat | Hash comparison |
| Automation | Ansible | DR test playbooks |
Common Pitfalls
- Restores performed without security input
- Validation steps skipped under pressure
- No sign-off or audit trail
Compliance Mapping
| Standard | Clauses / Notes |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | A.8.21 (Availability / Recovery) |
| CERT-In 2022 | Section 36 (Recovery Testing) |
| DPDP Act 2023 | Sec 9 (Data Integrity Safeguard) |
| NIST CSF 2.0 | RC.RP / RC.MI |
| NIRMATA Mapping | IR-Q10 verifies secure recovery and trust validation. |