Business Continuity Policy
| Classification | PUBLIC |
|---|---|
| Owner and approver | Paul Gardner |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Annex A controls 5.29, 5.30 and 8.14 |
Purpose
This policy sets out how we keep our services running when something goes wrong, how quickly we restore them, and how we keep information secure while we do.
Scope
This policy applies to every service medDigital provides to clients and users, and to the systems and people needed to run them.
Built to keep running
- Our applications run on multiple servers, in separate data centres in the UK.
- Our production database keeps a standby copy in a second data centre and fails over to it automatically.
- The loss of a server or data centre is handled automatically, usually within minutes.
- Client materials are kept in central storage, not on laptops, so a lost or broken laptop loses no work.
- Staff work from company laptops and online services, so they can work from anywhere.
Recovery targets
If a service has to be restored, these are our targets:
| Service | Restored within | Data lost at most |
|---|---|---|
| Our applications and their databases | 4 hours | 5 minutes |
| Files stored by our applications | 4 hours | Minutes |
| Client materials | 4 hours | 24 hours |
| Directory services | 1 working day | 24 hours |
| Development and build systems | 2 working days | 24 hours |
Earlier versions of individual files can usually be restored to within two hours on working days.
How we recover
- Servers are rebuilt by automation from configuration kept under version control, and our applications are redeployed through the normal release process.
- Databases can be restored to any moment in the last 30 days, and from monthly backups kept for 7 years.
- Files stored by our applications can be restored to any moment in the last 35 days.
- Other systems are restored from encrypted backups, as described in the Backup Policy.
Security during disruption
Security controls are not relaxed to restore a service. If a temporary change is unavoidable, the directors approve it, it is recorded, and it is reversed as soon as normal service returns.
People
Every security role has a named deputy, as set out in the Organisation, Roles and Risk Policy. Emergency access to our critical systems is arranged so the business can continue if the ISMS owner cannot be reached.
Testing
- Restores from backup are tested every quarter.
- A full recovery exercise is carried out every year.
- Each test is recorded with what was restored, how long it took and what we learned, and any problems are fixed.
How we check
Test records are reviewed at the yearly management review. The yearly internal audit checks that every quarterly test and the yearly exercise took place and met the recovery targets.
Exceptions, breaches and review follow the Information Security Policy.
History
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 29th October 2026 | Rewritten for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 as Business Continuity, replacing the Information Continuity Policy, and moved to www.meddigital.com. Recovery targets added |
| 10th June 2025 | Periodic review |
| 19th June 2023 | Periodic review |
| 6th June 2022 | Periodic review |
| 16th February 2021 | Periodic review |
| 28th April 2020 | Frequency of backup restore tests set |
| 12th February 2020 | Periodic review |
| 15th May 2018 | Periodic review |
| 15th November 2016 | Moved to the web |
| 17th May 2016 | Change of location |
| 30th July 2015 | Periodic review |
| 8th September 2014 | Rebranding |
| 2nd July 2014 | Initial version |