Most businesses associate continuity planning with worst-case scenarios such as fires, floods, or natural disasters. In reality, business disruptions are far more common—and are often triggered by security incidents, technology outages, or operational failures, not large-scale catastrophes.

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) focuses on how an organization continues operating during and after disruptions that affect normal business operations, regardless of whether the cause is cyber-related, technical, or operational.

Just as important, a BCP must be owned by the business, aligned with real-world operations, and accessible when it is needed most.

Business Continuity Is Not the Same as Incident Response

Business continuity planning is often confused with incident response. They are related, but distinct.

An Incident Response Plan (IRP) defines how incidents are detected, contained, and escalated.
A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) defines how the business continues operating while incidents are being handled and systems are being restored.

Incident response answers “What happened and how do we contain it?”
Business continuity answers “How do we keep the business running?”

For guidance on incident handling:
Incident Response Plan: What to Do When Something Goes Wrong

A Common Mistake: Treating Business Continuity as an IT or MSP Problem

One of the most common continuity failures is assuming that business continuity is handled by IT or the Managed Service Provider (MSP).

While MSPs should—and typically do—have their own continuity plans, those plans focus on their ability to deliver services, not on how your business operates during disruption.

An MSP cannot define which business processes are critical, how customer commitments are prioritized, how internal teams should operate during downtime, or how leadership decisions are made under stress.

Every organization needs its own BCP, owned by leadership, focused on business outcomes, with IT and the MSP supporting execution.

What Business Continuity Really Covers

A strong BCP addresses more than system recovery.

It typically includes:

• Critical business processes and priorities
• Acceptable downtime for key operations
• Temporary operating procedures
• Internal and external communication plans
• Decision-making authority during disruption
• Dependencies on systems, vendors, and people

Without this clarity, even short disruptions can have lasting business impact.

Security Incidents Are a Common Reason BCPs Are Activated

Many organizations think BCPs apply only to natural disasters or major infrastructure failures. In reality, security incidents are one of the most common reasons a BCP is activated.

Cyber incidents often require systems to be isolated, accounts to be disabled, or access to applications to be restricted. Even when an incident is contained quickly, these actions can disrupt normal operations and force the business to operate in an alternate or degraded mode.

In these situations, the BCP defines how the organization continues operating while the incident is being handled and systems are restored.

Related reading:

• How to Spot Phishing Emails and Train Your Staff
• Incident Response Plan: What to Do When Something Goes Wrong

A Critical Detail: Your BCP Must Be Available During the Disruption

One of the most overlooked continuity risks is plan availability.

It is not uncommon for businesses to have a documented plan, only to discover during a disruption that the plan is stored inside systems that are unavailable, access depends on identity platforms that are down, or only one person knows where the plan is.

This is rarely intentional, but it is extremely common.

A practical BCP should be stored in multiple digital locations, accessible without relying on primary identity systems, available to multiple leaders, and printed and stored securely where appropriate.

A continuity plan that cannot be accessed during a disruption is effectively useless.

Business Continuity Must Be Tested, Not Assumed

Like incident response, continuity plans should be validated through tabletop exercises.

Continuity-focused tabletop exercises help organizations walk through extended outages, validate alternate workflows, test communication plans, identify documentation gaps, and prepare leadership for operational decision-making.

These exercises often reveal issues that would otherwise surface during a real disruption, when the stakes are much higher.

Technology as a Business Enabler During Disruption

BCP discussions are often framed as defensive. In practice, continuity planning can be a competitive advantage.

Organizations that invest in modern, resilient technology are better positioned to support remote or hybrid work during outages, shift workloads quickly, maintain productivity during disruption, and adapt faster than competitors.

Examples include cloud-based systems that reduce reliance on single locations, secure remote access that supports continuity when offices are unavailable, and modern, AI-ready devices that allow employees to remain productive even under constrained conditions.

Businesses that treat technology purely as an expense often struggle to adapt. Those that treat it as an enabler recover faster and perform better.

For background on the risks of aging environments:
The Hidden Costs of Outdated IT Systems

Where Business Continuity Connects to Onboarding and Access

BCP effectiveness is closely tied to identity and access management.

If employees cannot authenticate or access systems during disruption, continuity plans fail.

That’s why strong continuity planning depends on well-documented onboarding processes, clearly defined access requirements, centralized identity management, and secure remote access.

More detail here:
IT Onboarding Checklist for New Employees

Business Continuity Checklist (Quick Reference)

Preparation

• Define critical business processes
• Assign business owners for continuity decisions
• Identify acceptable downtime

Documentation and Availability

• Store the plan in multiple locations
• Avoid identity-dependent access
• Maintain offline or printed copies

Operations

• Define temporary operating procedures
• Document communication plans
• Identify vendor and system dependencies

Testing

• Conduct continuity tabletop exercises
• Validate alternate workflows
• Update plans based on findings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

A Business Continuity Plan defines how an organization continues operating during and after disruptions that impact normal business operations.

Is business continuity the same as disaster recovery?

No. Disaster recovery focuses on restoring systems. Business continuity focuses on maintaining business operations while recovery occurs.

Are security incidents a reason to activate a Business Continuity Plan?

Yes. Cyber incidents are one of the most common reasons Business Continuity Plans are activated because they often disrupt access to systems and normal operations

Is business continuity handled by our MSP?

MSPs support continuity from a technical perspective, but each business must own its Business Continuity Plan and business decisions.

How often should a Business Continuity Plan be reviewed?

At least annually, after major incidents, after tabletop exercises, and whenever systems or business processes change.

About the Author

Andrey Sherman is the President of Xvand Technology, a Houston-based Managed Service Provider (MSP) with over 25 years of experience helping SMBs improve security, productivity, and innovation through technology.

Under his leadership, Xvand has built a reputation for its security-first approach, in-house development capabilities, and a commitment to treating technology as a business enabler, not just an expense.

Reviewed by the Xvand Technology Team.