Tabletop Exercises (BCM-004-R002) - BCM-004

Requirement Details & Guidance

BCM-004-R002 · BCM-004

Why This Requirement Exists

This requirement exists to test BCDR plans, decision-making, communications, and team readiness through scenario-based discussion and to ensure BCDR capabilities remain aligned with business needs, recovery objectives, and organizational risk.

Implementation Guidance

Establish and document the process for test BCDR plans, decision-making, communications, and team readiness through scenario-based discussion. Define accountable owners, required inputs and outputs, approval or validation points, criteria and thresholds, review frequency, exception handling, monitoring, reporting, and evidence requirements. Integrate the activity with risk management, incident response, technology operations, asset management, third-party management, and relevant business processes.

Practical Application & Audit Readiness

BCM-004-R002 · Field Guidance

Business Examples

Common Audit Findings

Common Mistakes

Best Practices & Ownership

BCM-004 · Recommended Approach

Recommended Practices

Typical Owner

Cross-Mapped Regulatory Frameworks

Harmonized Control Mappings

FRAMEWORK CODE	FRAMEWORK NAME & DETAILS	FAMILY / CATEGORY	VERSION	ACTION
CIS-V8	CIS Controls CIS Controls are a prioritized set of cybersecurit... Clause: Control 17 – Incident Response Management: 17.7 – Conduct Routine Incident Response Exercises	CIS Best Practice	vv8	View →
COBIT2019	COBIT COBIT is an enterprise governance and management f... Clause: 4.4 – Deliver, Service and Support (DSS) > DSS04 – Managed Continuity > DSS04.04 – Exercise, test and review the business continuity plan (BCP)	COBIT Governance Framework	v2019	View →
DORA	Digital Operational Resilience Act The EU Digital Operational Resilience Act establis... Clause: Article 11(6)(a) – Annual testing of ICT business continuity and response/recovery plans Article 11(6)(b) – Testing of crisis communication plans Article 24(1) – Digital operational resilience testing programme	EU Regulation	vCurrent	View →
GDPR	General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The General Data Protection Regulation is a bindin... Clause: Article 32(1)(d) – Testing, assessing and evaluating security measures	EU Regulation	vCurrent	View →
HIPAA	Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA is a U.S. federal law supported by implement... Clause: § 164.308(a)(13) Standard: Contingency plan	US Law	vCurrent	View →
IRDAI	IRDAI Information & Cyber Security Guidelines IRDAI information and cyber-security requirements... Clause: §2.13-3.3.3 – Testing of BCP	India Guideline	vLatest	View →
ISO22301	ISO/IEC 22301 ISO 22301 specifies requirements for a Business Co... Clause: 8.5 – Exercise programme; 8.6 – Evaluation of business continuity documentation and capabilities	ISO Standard	v2019	View →
NIS2	NIS2 Directive The NIS2 Directive establishes EU-wide cybersecuri... Clause: Article 21(2)(c) – Business continuity, including backup management, disaster recovery and crisis management	EU Directive	vCurrent	View →
NIST-CSF	NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides high-lev... Clause: ID.IM – Improvement \| ID.IM-02 – Improvements are identified from security tests and exercises, including those done in coordination with suppliers and relevant third parties	NIST Framework	v2	View →
NIST80053	NIST SP 800-53 NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 presents control families, i... Clause: 3.6 – CONTINGENCY PLANNING; CP-4 – CONTINGENCY PLAN TESTING, CP-3 – CONTINGENCY TRAINING	NIST Control Catalog	vRev. 5	View →
NPCI-ISR	NPCI Information Security Requirements NPCI information-security requirements define cont... Clause: Operational Review; Business Continuity Plan – DR Drills	India Standard	vLatest	View →
PCI-DSS	PCI DSS PCI DSS is an industry security standard maintaine... Clause: 12.10.1 – An incident response plan exists and is	PCI Standard	v4	View →
RBI-CSF	RBI Cyber Security Framework / Master Directions RBI cyber-security requirements and directions set... Clause: 19) Incident Response & Management – 19.5 Resilience capabilities and coordinated testing across interconnected systems, vendors and partners; 19) Incident Response & Management – 19.6 Crisis communications, reputation management and capacity planning in resilience testing	India Regulation	vLatest	View →
SEBI-CSCRF	SEBI Cyber Security & Cyber Resilience Framework SEBI’s Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framewor... Clause: 6.1 RC.RP: Incident Recovery Plan Execution; 6.3 RC.IM: Improvements	India Regulation	vLatest	View →
SOC2	SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria SOC 2 is an independent examination and reporting... Clause: A1.3 – Availability – The entity tests recovery plan procedures supporting system recovery to meet its objectives. CC9.1 – Risk Mitigation – The entity identifies, selects, and develops risk mitigation activities for risks arising from potential business disruptions.	AICPA Audit Framework	vLatest	View →

Parent Domain Context

Governance Domain Baseline

Domain Name:

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCM)

Purpose:

To maintain business operations and recover technology systems in the event of a disruption.

Scope:

Enterprise

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Parent Control Context

Control Baseline

Control Name:

BCDR Testing & Exercising (BCM-004)

Summary:

Establishes BCDR testing including tabletop exercises, technical recovery testing, DR exercises, BC exercises, test validation, lessons learned, corrective action tracking, review, and continuous improvement.

Business Description:

Establish and maintain a program for testing, exercising, validating, and continuously improving business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities through tabletop, simulation, technical, and recovery exercises.

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