ISO 22301:2019 Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems

What is ISO 22301?

ISO 22301 is the international standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). It provides a framework for organizations to plan, establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain, and continually improve a documented management system to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and ensure recovery from disruptive incidents.

Why is ISO 22301 important?

This standard is crucial for organizations to enhance their resilience against various unforeseen disruptions, ensuring continuity of operations and services. It helps in identifying risks, preparing for emergencies, and improving recovery time.

Benefits of ISO 22301

  •  Enhances organizational resilience
  •  Improves risk management processes
  •  Ensures a systematic response to crises
  •  Increases trust among stakeholders

ORDER SERVICE

Book a Service

ISO 22301 – Frequently Asked Questions

Official answers from ISO – updated December 2025

Who should use ISO 22301? +
ISO 22301 is intended for any organization that wants to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a business continuity management system (BCMS).

It is particularly relevant for:
• Organizations in critical sectors (e.g., finance, healthcare, utilities, telecommunications, transport, government)
• Companies with complex supply chains or high dependency on IT/infrastructure
• Organizations subject to regulatory or contractual requirements for resilience
• Any entity aiming to protect reputation, stakeholders, and operations from disruptive incidents (natural disasters, cyber-attacks, supply chain failures, etc.)
How does ISO 22301 integrate with other management standards? +
ISO 22301 follows the High-Level Structure (HLS) used by other ISO management system standards, making integration straightforward.

It can be easily combined with:
• ISO 9001 (quality management)
• ISO 14001 (environmental management)
• ISO 45001 (occupational health & safety)
• ISO/IEC 27001 (information security)
• ISO 22316 (organizational resilience)

Organizations often implement an integrated management system (IMS) that covers multiple disciplines, reducing duplication of effort and improving overall efficiency.

Need help implementing ISO 22301 or building business continuity resilience?

Talk to Our Business Continuity Experts