A cyberattack has been thwarted, systems have been isolated, and backups are available.
And yet, business operations still haven’t resumed.
What appears at first glance to be a technical problem often turns out, in practice, to be a strategic gap. While data can be restored, there is a lack of clarity regarding which applications, processes, and dependencies are actually necessary to become operational again.
This focus on rapid, transparent recovery capability is becoming even more important because regulations such as NIS-2 and DORA are significantly tightening requirements for cyber resilience, incident response, and the restoration of critical services. For many organizations, cyber recovery is thus becoming not only an operational necessity but also a central component of compliance.
This is precisely where the concept of Minimum Viability comes into play.
In recent years, many companies have invested heavily in backup, disaster recovery, and security solutions. Yet real-world cyber incidents consistently follow a similar pattern: recoveries take longer than planned, dependencies only become apparent during a crisis, and operational decisions are delayed.
A key reason for this is that traditional disaster recovery approaches are designed for predictable events. Hardware failures or natural disasters follow known patterns. Cyberattacks, on the other hand, specifically target systems, identities, and data that are critical for recovery.
In such situations, it is not enough to restore data as quickly as possible. What matters is getting back up and running in a clean, prioritized, and trustworthy manner.
The statement “We have backups, so we’re prepared” falls short in cyber scenarios. Crucial questions often remain unanswered:
Without clear answers, recovery becomes improvisation. This increases downtime, costs, and risks to reputation and compliance.
Minimum Viability refers to the state in which a company is once again able to perform its essential functions following a cyber incident. It refers to the minimum necessary combination of applications, data, processes, and responsible personnel required to ensure the continuity of business operations.
It is important to make a clear distinction:
Minimum Viability is not a product or a single technical solution. Nor is it a comprehensive security strategy. It is a business state that must be deliberately defined.
This clarity is crucial because it sets realistic expectations and prevents technology from being confused with organizational responsibility.
Minimum Viability is not an end goal, but rather the first achievable milestone on the path to sustainable cyber resilience. Companies that define this vision are shifting their focus.
Instead of focusing solely on recovery speed, the focus shifts to when the company will be operational again.
This shift in perspective is also relevant for management, as it directly links IT decisions to business continuity, regulatory requirements, and the trust of customers and partners.
In practice, it has been shown that Minimum Viability only works when three levels work together.
People
Roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority must be clearly defined in advance. Coordination between IT, security, and business units is particularly important.
Processes
Critical workloads and dependencies must be known. Recovery scenarios should be tested regularly, not in production, but in controlled environments.
Technology
Technical platforms must enable clean, isolated, and verifiable recoveries. This also includes the protection of business-critical identity and access systems.
When implementing Minimum Viability in practice, it quickly becomes clear that traditional backup and disaster recovery approaches are insufficient. While data is available, there is often no way to test restores in isolation, resolve dependencies, and bring critical systems back online in a controlled manner.
Traditional recovery approaches reach their limits, particularly in hybrid and multi-cloud environments as well as with business-critical identity and access systems. Without a technological foundation that supports clean recovery, validation, and orchestration, Minimum Viability remains a theoretical goal.
Against this backdrop, companies are turning to specialized cyber-recovery platforms. Commvault specifically addresses this use case, as the platform is designed to create the technical prerequisites for Minimum Viability. These include isolated recovery environments for verifying data and systems before restarting, automated and validatable recovery processes, and the protection of core identity services.
These capabilities make it possible to technically implement predefined priorities in the event of an emergency. At the same time, the distinction remains clear: Commvault does not define what constitutes minimum viability for a company. That decision is a business and organizational matter. However, the platform provides the technological foundation to achieve Minimum Viability.
SoftwareOne helps companies not only understand the concept of minimum viability but also implement it in practice. The focus is on aligning business goals, organizational requirements, and suitable technology platforms.
This approach replaces isolated, individual measures with clear objectives, prioritized roadmaps, and a solid foundation for decision-making when it really counts.
Cyberattacks cannot be completely prevented. However, the ability to emerge from them in an organized and effective manner can be developed.
Minimum Viability is therefore not merely an IT issue. It is a strategic decision in favor of preparedness, clarity, and accountability. Companies that adopt this approach do not merely plan for system recovery; they ensure their ability to continue doing business even under pressure.
How clearly is it defined in your organization which capabilities are indispensable in an emergency? An in-depth discussion can help review existing assumptions and further refine your vision.
Together, we’ll determine how your company can quickly resume operations after a cyber incident.
Together, we’ll determine how your company can quickly resume operations after a cyber incident.
