ISC2 CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)Security and Risk ManagementEasy
An airline's critical flight control system experiences a complete outage due to a regional power grid failure. The system's disaster recovery plan specifies that operations must be restored within 24 hours to maintain flight schedules and passenger safety. This 24-hour target represents which of the following?
- ARecovery Time Objective (RTO)
- BRecovery Point Objective (RPO)
- CWork Recovery Time (WRT)
- DMean Time To Recover (MTTR)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
The 24-hour target specifies the maximum acceptable duration for restoring operations after a disaster. This is the definition of the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
Why the other options are wrong
- B. RPO defines the maximum acceptable amount of data loss.
- C. WRT is the time required to configure a recovered system and make it fully operational after RTO.
- D. MTTR is the average time taken to repair a failed system.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
The maximum acceptable duration of time that a system can be down after a disaster or disruption.
- Determined by business impact analysis (BIA).
- Measure of desired system availability post-incident.
- Often dictated by regulatory or contractual obligations.
Memory trick: RPO is point, RTO is time; how much loss, how long till fine.