Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)Incident ManagementHard
An organization is conducting a disaster recovery (DR) exercise. During the exercise, it is discovered that while primary applications are restored, critical inter-application dependencies are not correctly re-established, leading to downstream system failures and an extended recovery time. Which of the following activities should the CISO prioritize to prevent this issue in future DR scenarios?
- AUpgrading network infrastructure to support higher bandwidth for DR operations.
- BDeveloping and regularly validating an inter-application dependency map.
- CImplementing a comprehensive backup and restore strategy for all application databases.
- DConducting regular user acceptance testing (UAT) on individual restored applications.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Developing and regularly validating an inter-application dependency map.
The core problem is 'critical inter-application dependencies are not correctly re-established'. Developing and regularly validating an inter-application dependency map directly addresses this by providing a clear understanding of how systems are interconnected, which is essential for ensuring their correct recovery order and configuration after a disaster.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Network bandwidth upgrades improve performance but do not solve the logical problem of understanding and re-establishing dependencies.
- C. Backup and restore ensures data availability but doesn't guarantee the correct re-establishment of application connections.
- D. UAT on individual applications confirms their functionality in isolation but fails to test their interactions with other systems.
Inter-Application Dependency Mapping
The process of identifying, documenting, and visualizing the relationships and dependencies between different software applications and systems.
- Crucial for understanding the impact of failures and planning recovery.
- Helps determine the correct order of recovery for interdependent systems.
- Often involves discovering data flows, API calls, and shared services.
Memory trick: To fix the web, you need a map of its threads.