ISO (the International Organisation for Standardisation) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the specialised system for worldwide standardisation. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective organisation to deal with particular fields of technical activity. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.

Over the years, information and communication technology (ICT) has become an integral part of many of the activities which are major elements of the critical infrastructures in all organisations. The proliferation of the Internet and other IT capabilities of systems and applications, has also meant that organisations have become ever more reliant on reliable, safe and secure ICT infrastructures. This reliance means that disruptions to ICT can constitute strategic risks to the reputation of the organisation and its ability to operate.

Failures of ICT services, including the occurrence of security issues such as systems intrusion and malware infections, will impact the continuity of business operations. Thus managing ICT and related continuity and other security aspects form a key part of business continuity requirements. In order for an organisation to achieve ICT Readiness for Business Continuity (IRBC), it needs to put in place a systematic process to prevent, predict and manage ICT disruption and incidents which have the potential to disrupt ICT services.