ISC2 CC Practice Question: Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Incident Response
A company is creating a business continuity plan. Which analysis should be performed first to identify critical business functions and their dependencies?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is the first step in BCP to identify critical functions, dependencies, and recovery requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Vulnerability assessment
Why it's wrong here
A vulnerability assessment identifies weaknesses in assets and controls; it does not determine which business functions are critical or map their dependencies. It is tempting because it informs risk treatment, and it would be the correct choice after a business impact analysis has ranked functions by disruption tolerance.
- ✓
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
Why this is correct
The Business Impact Analysis is performed first, identifying critical business functions, their dependencies and tolerable downtime, which then inform recovery strategies and RTO/RPO targets. It satisfies the stem's requirement to identify functions and dependencies before plan creation.
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Risk assessment
Why it's wrong here
A risk assessment ranks threats and likelihoods; it does not enumerate functions or map their interdependencies. Business impact analysis is the first step, since it identifies critical functions and dependencies that later risk work prioritises. Risk assessment would be correct once those functions are known and you need to quantify threat exposure.
- ✗
Gap analysis
Why it's wrong here
Gap analysis compares current capabilities against a desired future state, so it presupposes that critical functions and dependencies are already documented. It is tempting because it shapes remediation planning, and it would be the correct choice once a business impact analysis has established which functions require continuity provisions.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Key term
Business impact analysis
A systematic process used to identify and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident, or emergency.
Key term
BIA
A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a systematic process used to identify and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident, or emergency.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CC exam.