Recovery readiness is the set of plans, backups, and restoration procedures that let an organization resume operations quickly after a cyber incident. It goes beyond simply making backups: the data must be recent, protected from tampering, and tested so it can actually be restored when needed.
In cyber security, recovery readiness matters because attackers often target availability as well as confidentiality. Ransomware, destructive malware, and accidental deletions can stop business systems, but strong recovery planning can reduce downtime and limit leverage. Good readiness includes offline or immutable backups, clear restore priorities, access to clean recovery accounts, and regular drills that prove systems, applications, and customer data can come back in the right order.