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Failover

What is Failover?

The automatic switching to a redundant or standby system, server, or network when the primary system fails. Failover ensures continuity of operations and is a critical component of high-availability architectures.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as failover. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on failover

Requirements naming failover across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

UR E26 Goals 4 (Respond) + 5 (Recover) require incident response + recovery capabilities. Incident Response Plan (IRP) covers: detection triggers + classification (safety-impact + business-impact);

IACS-UR-E26-Respond-Recover-IncidentResponse-Recovery-Backup-Lessons · IACS UR E26 Respond + Recover Goals - Incident Response + Communication + Recovery + Backup + Lessons Learned

IOSA Section 3 (DSP) Operational Control / Flight Dispatch addresses joint responsibility between Pilot-in-Command and operator dispatch function for safe + efficient + lawful flight conduct.

IATA-IOSA-Section3-DSP-OperationalControl-FlightDispatch · IATA IOSA Section 3 - DSP Operational Control + Flight Dispatch + Flight Watch + Crew Briefing

Apply resilience recommendations for distributed energy resources and substation automation including failover and integrity checks.

IEC62351-12 · Resilience for DER and Substation Automation
ISMAP (Japan)1 control

ISMAP Personnel + Resilience + Supply Chain controls extend security beyond own perimeter. (1) Personnel Security and Background Checks: per ISMAP requirements + tiered background checks for personnel with access to customer data + (a) Standard CSP employees -...

ISMAP-Personnel-BackgroundChecks-Resilience-BCP-DR-SupplyChain-ThirdParty-Subcontractor-FlowDown · ISMAP Personnel Security + Background Checks + Business Continuity + Disaster Recovery + Resilience + Supply Chain Risk Management + Third Party + Subcontractor Flow-Down + Japanese Sovereignty

Design an exercise programme covering tabletop, simulation, live, and full failover with progression.

ISO22313-8.5 · Guidance on exercising and testing

Questions people ask about failover

What is Failover?
The automatic switching to a redundant or standby system, server, or network when the primary system fails. Failover ensures continuity of operations and is a critical component of high-availability architectures.
Why is Failover important for compliance?
Failover is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding failover helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Failover?
Failover appears in the requirement text of IACS Unified Requirements E26/E27 - Cyber Resilience of Ships and On-Board Systems, IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Standards Manual, IEC 62351 - Power Systems Communication Security, ISMAP (Japan), ISO 22313:2020 - Guidance on Business Continuity Management Systems. Across these standards we have identified 6 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Failover?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how failover applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Failover applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.