What is an outcome of failing to perform a Business Impact Analysis?

• A. Increased budget approval
• B. Delayed software updates
• C. Unclear restoration priorities after an incident
• D. Improved employee morale

Answer: (C)

Failing to perform a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) can lead to unclear restoration priorities after an incident. A BIA is crucial for identifying critical business functions and evaluating the potential impact of disruptions to those functions. Without a thorough analysis, organizations may not have a clear understanding of which systems, processes, or resources are essential for operations. This lack of clarity can result in confusion during recovery efforts following an incident, such as a cyberattack or natural disaster, as teams may not know which areas require immediate attention and resources for restoration.

Furthermore, a well-executed BIA helps to prioritize recovery strategies based on the assessed impact to business operations. When this foundational analysis is omitted, organizations risk inefficiencies and may face prolonged downtime, affecting customer service, revenue, and overall business continuity. In contrast to outcomes like increased budget approval, delayed software updates, or improved employee morale, which do not directly tie to the failure of conducting a BIA, the ambiguity in restoration priorities is a direct consequence of not understanding the business's critical functions.