A business service is a capability the organization delivers to customers or internal users, such as payments, email, identity, order processing, or patient records. It is broader than a server, application, or network segment: several technical components, people, and suppliers may combine to make one service work. In risk management, this is the unit that leaders care about because it maps technical failure to business impact.
In cyber security, focusing on business services helps defenders prioritize what to protect, monitor, and restore first. Attackers often target a service rather than a single machine, for example by disabling authentication, corrupting data flows, or taking down a third-party dependency. A service-based view also improves incident response and compliance, because teams can show which controls, backups, and owners support each critical service and what happens if it fails.