ISC2 CC Practice Question: Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Incident Response
An organization is evaluating recovery site options. Which TWO factors are most critical when selecting between a hot site and a warm site? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests the cost-versus-RTO trade-off for recovery sites — candidates are drawn to plausible distractors like 'geographic diversity' or 'regulatory compliance', which apply to all tiers and do not distinguish hot from warm.
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
✓
Cost
Option A (Cost) is correct because a hot site is fully equipped with duplicate hardware, live data replication, and staff ready to take over almost instantly, making it far more expensive to build and maintain than a warm site, which has hardware but requires data restoration and configuration—so budget is a primary decision factor between the two. Option D (Recovery time objective, RTO) is correct because the RTO defines the maximum tolerable downtime, and a hot site typically delivers near-zero to minutes of recovery while a warm site may take hours or days; the required RTO therefore directly dictates which site type is appropriate. Geographic diversity (B) matters for any alternate site to avoid a shared disaster, but it does not distinguish a hot site from a warm site. The number of employees (C) affects capacity sizing and seat counts but is not the deciding factor between hot and warm configurations. Regulatory compliance (E) imposes requirements on the overall DR strategy but does not by itself determine whether a hot or warm site is chosen.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Cost
Why this is correct
Hot sites duplicate production with live data and near-instant failover, while warm sites hold hardware without current data; that capability gap drives the substantial cost difference. Cost is therefore a decisive factor when choosing between the two.
- ✗
Geographic diversity
Why it's wrong here
Geographic diversity is a siting principle applied to any recovery facility, hot or warm, so it does not distinguish them. It becomes the deciding factor when placing primary and alternate sites relative to regional risks such as floods, seismic zones or power grids.
- ✗
Number of employees
Why it's wrong here
Headcount affects seat capacity and licensing at either site type, not the hot-versus-warm decision. Staffing numbers would drive sizing and workspace design once a recovery strategy is already selected, not the choice between mirrored and partially equipped facilities.
- ✓
Recovery time objective (RTO)
Why this is correct
RTO defines the maximum tolerable downtime and therefore dictates whether a hot site (near-immediate failover) or warm site (hours to days) is appropriate. Selecting between them hinges on how quickly operations must resume, making RTO the decisive factor alongside cost.
- ✗
Regulatory compliance
Why it's wrong here
Compliance obligations apply equally to hot and warm sites, so they do not differentiate the two. Regulatory requirements would be decisive when choosing hosting location, jurisdiction or provider certification, not when weighing recovery-time capability against standby cost.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Key term
General Data Protection Regulation
A European Union law that gives individuals control over their personal data and sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, and process that data.
Key term
Recovery
Recovery is the process of restoring systems, data, and operations after a security incident, failure, or disaster to return to normal functioning.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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