ISO 31000
International guidelines for risk management principles
ISO 22301
International standard for business continuity management systems.
Quick Verdict
ISO 31000 offers voluntary risk management guidelines for all organizations, embedding risk into strategy. ISO 22301 provides certifiable BCMS requirements for continuity. Companies adopt 31000 for broad resilience, 22301 for audited recovery plans and compliance.
ISO 31000
ISO 31000:2018 Risk management — Guidelines
ISO 22301
ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems Requirements
Key Features
- PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and Risk Assessment
- Annex SL structure for IMS integration
- Operational planning with testing exercises
- Leadership commitment and policy requirements
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
ISO 31000 Details
What It Is
ISO 31000:2018 Risk management — Guidelines is an international, principles-based framework providing non-certifiable guidance for systematic risk management. Its primary purpose is to help organizations identify, analyze, evaluate, treat, monitor, and review risks to create and protect value, applicable to any size, sector, or context.
Key Components
- **Three pillars8 principles (e.g., integrated, customized, continual improvement), framework (leadership, integration, design), and process (communication, assessment, treatment, monitoring).
- No fixed controls; flexible, iterative PDCA-aligned approach.
- Non-certifiable; relies on internal governance and audits.
Why Organizations Use It
- Drives strategic decisions, resilience, and opportunity capture.
- Meets regulatory benchmarks, reduces losses, builds stakeholder trust.
- Enhances efficiency, capital allocation, and competitive edge.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: diagnose/design, build/deploy, operate/optimize, institutionalize.
- Involves policy, training, tools, integration into processes.
- Suited for all organizations; scalable for SMEs to enterprises, global applicability.
ISO 22301 Details
What It Is
ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard titled "Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements." It is a certifiable framework specifying requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). Its primary purpose is to protect against, reduce likelihood of, respond to, and recover from disruptions, ensuring continuity of critical products/services. It uses a risk-based PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach aligned with Annex SL for integration.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10 form PDCA core: context/scope (4), leadership/policy (5), planning/BIA/RA (6), support/resources (7), operations/testing (8), evaluation/audits (9), improvement (10).
- No fixed controls; ~20-30 key requirements focused on BIA, risk assessment, strategies.
- Built on high-level structure for IMS synergy (e.g., ISO 27001).
- Certification via accredited bodies: two-stage audits, 3-year validity with surveillance.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mitigates downtime from cyber, disasters, supply issues; reduces losses, insurance premiums.
- Meets regulations (e.g., NIS Directive); builds stakeholder trust, competitiveness.
- Enhances resilience culture, recovery times (40-60% faster).
Implementation Overview
- Gap analysis, BIA/RA, policy development, training, testing, audits.
- Applicable to all sizes/sectors; tools accelerate (e.g., 6 months).
- Certification optional but proves compliance.
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 31000 | ISO 22301 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Enterprise-wide risk management principles and process | Business continuity management system requirements |
| Industry | All sectors, sizes, global applicability | All sectors, sizes, global with critical focus |
| Nature | Voluntary guidelines, non-certifiable | Certifiable management system standard |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews, continual improvement | Exercises, simulations, internal/external audits |
| Penalties | No legal penalties, loss of alignment | Loss of certification, no direct fines |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 31000 and ISO 22301
ISO 31000 FAQ
ISO 22301 FAQ
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