The activation of a business continuity plan should be based on which of the following?

The activation of a business continuity plan should be based on the duration of the outage because it directly impacts the organization's ability to continue its critical operations. When assessing whether to activate a business continuity plan, understanding how long a system or service will be unavailable is essential. A short outage may not necessitate a full activation of the continuity plan, whereas a prolonged outage could severely affect operations, customer satisfaction, and revenue generation, thus requiring a comprehensive response.

Choosing to activate based on the duration allows organizations to prioritize their resources and actions effectively. It helps in determining the level of response needed — for instance, whether to switch to a recovery site, implement remote work solutions, or engage alternate suppliers. This consideration ensures that the organization can manage the situation appropriately while minimizing risks and impacts.