BCD-20: Reserve Hardware
Mechanisms exist to purchase and maintain a sufficient reserve of spare hardware to ensure essential missions and business functions can be maintained in the event of a supply chain disruption.
Renumbered: Formerly BCD-15 in SCF 2025.4.
Control Question: Does the organization purchase and maintain a sufficient reserve of spare hardware to ensure essential missions and business functions can be maintained in the event of a supply chain disruption?
US (1)
| Framework | Mapping Values |
|---|---|
| USA Federal C2M2 2.1 | RESPONSE-4c RESPONSE-4l |
APAC (1)
| Framework | Mapping Values |
|---|---|
| APAC Australia ISM June 2026 | ISM-1789 |
Capability Maturity Model
Level 0 — Not Performed
Practices are non-existent, based on the inability to demonstrate an implemented and operational capability. A reasonable person would conclude the control is not being performed.
Level 1 — Performed Informally
SCR-CMM Level 1 criteria definitions are not available for this control: ▪ A reasonable person would conclude this control requires a structured process. ▪ At this level of maturity, the "ad hoc" nature of performing a capability informally would indicate the intent of the control is not met due to a lack of consistency and formality.
Level 2 — Planned & Tracked
SCR-CMM Level 2 criteria definitions are not available for this control: ▪ A reasonable person would conclude a well-defined and standardized process is required. ▪ At this level of maturity, the “requirements-driven” nature of performing the control is focused on a localized and/or regionalized implementation, not uniform and consistent across the organization. ▪ Requirements are narrowly scoped for applicability and are primarily derived from compliance obligations (e.g., laws, regulations and contracts).
Level 3 — Well Defined
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCD) capabilities are standardized across the entity for applicability to People, Processes, Technologies, Data and/or Facilities (PPTDF) to ensure consistency for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with BCD domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with BCD domain capabilities are well-documented and kept current by process owners. ▪ A Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain BCD domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of BC/DR operations (e.g., BC/DR planning software, Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), Orchestration and Automation Tools). ▪ The entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function, works with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with BCD domain capabilities to address Minimum Compliance Requirements (MCR) (e.g., applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements) and Discretionary Security Requirements (DSR) (e.g., entity-required controls). ▪ An implemented and operational capability exists to purchase and maintain a sufficient reserve of spare hardware to ensure essential missions and business functions can be maintained in the event of a supply chain disruption.
Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled
Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ While it may be possible to develop “metrics-driven” capabilities for this control, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.
Level 5 — Continuously Improving
Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 or Level 4 (if available) criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ Level 5 capabilities should be considered “world-class” where the control builds on Level 4 capabilities, but are continuously improving through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Learning (ML) technologies. ▪ While it may be possible to develop responsive capabilities for this control through the use of AI and/or ML technologies, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.
Assessment Objectives
- BCD-20_A01 systems and system components that are or may be hard to replace in a supply chain disruption are identified.
- BCD-20_A02 resources are allocated to obtain identified hard-to-replace systems and system components that support critical business functions.
- BCD-20_A03 a pool of identified hard-to-replace systems and system components that support critical business functions is maintained.
Evidence Requirements
- E-BCD-19 Isolated Recovery Environment & Reserve Hardware
-
Documented evidence of an isolated recovery environment, reserve hardware, redundant secondary systems and/or failover capability.
Business Continuity
Technology Recommendations
Micro/Small
- Basic business continuity plan
- Regular data backup
Small
- Business continuity plan
- Tested backup and restore procedures
Medium
- Dedicated recovery environment
- Dedicated recovery hardware
Large
- Dedicated recovery environment
- Dedicated recovery hardware
Enterprise
- Dedicated recovery environment
- Dedicated recovery hardware