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High Availability

What is High Availability?

System design and implementation that ensures a predetermined level of operational performance and uptime, typically 99.9% or higher.

Business Continuity

Terms that appear alongside high availability

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

Frameworks that govern high availability

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →ISO 27001:2022View framework →

What the standards actually require on high availability

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

Australian Information Security Manual2 controls

Where a high availability requirement exists for website hosting, CDNs that cache websites are used.

ISM-1438 · Where a high availability requirement exists for website hosting, CDNs that cache websites →
ASD Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents1 control

Multi-factor authentication including for VPNs, RDP, SSH and other remote access, and for all users when they perform a privileged action or access an important (sensitive/high-availability) data repository.

ASD37-20 · Multi-factor authentication (Essential) →
ITU-T X.805 - Security Architecture for End-to-End Communications1 control

Security Dimension 7 Availability per X.805 Clause 6.7: Availability ensures that there is no denial of authorized access to network elements + stored information + information flows + services and applications due to events impacting the network.

X805-Dim7-Availability-Network-Resources-Information-Authorized-Access-No-Service-Denial · ITU-T X.805 Security Dimension 7 - Availability + Network Resources + Information Accessible to Authorized Users + Denial-of-Service Prevention + Resilience + Redundancy + Disaster Recovery + Business Continuity + DDoS Mitigation →
Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions1 control

Business Continuity + Cyber Resilience is core per FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines + intersects with FSA Operational Resilience Framework (2023) + BCBS Principles for Operational Resilience (March 2021) + CPMI-IOSCO Guidance on Cyber Resilience for FMIs.

JP-FSA-CYB-Business-Continuity-Cyber-Resilience-RTO-RPO-Backup-Immutable-Air-Gapped-Disaster-Recovery-Ransomware-Resistance · Japan FSA Cybersecurity Business Continuity + Cyber Resilience + RTO + RPO + Backup + Immutable + Air-Gapped + Disaster Recovery + Ransomware Resistance + Operational Resilience + Critical Function Mapping + FSA Operational Resilience Framework →
NIST Privacy Framework1 control

Apply Maintenance (PR.MA-P) including system maintenance + repair with approved tools + remote maintenance with prevention of unauthorised access.

NISTPF-7 · Protect-P Maintenance and Protective Technology (PR.MA-P, PR.PT-P) →
NIST SP 800-921 control

Design and operate the log management infrastructure per NIST SP 800-92 Chapter 3 (Log Management Infrastructure) + Chapter 5 (Operational Processes).

NISTSP92-3 · Log Infrastructure: Architecture, Centralisation, Transport Security, SIEM Governance →

Questions people ask about high availability

What is High Availability?
System design and implementation that ensures a predetermined level of operational performance and uptime, typically 99.9% or higher.
Why is High Availability important for compliance?
High Availability is a key concept in Business Continuity. Understanding high availability 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 High Availability?
High Availability appears in the requirement text of Australian Information Security Manual, ASD Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents, ITU-T X.805 - Security Architecture for End-to-End Communications, Japan FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Institutions, NIST Privacy Framework. Across these standards we have identified 7 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about High Availability?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how high availability 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 High Availability applies across compliance frameworks

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

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