Planning for the unexpected: How business continuity management strengthens DND/CAF’s resilience

Planning for the unexpected: How business continuity management strengthens DND/CAF's resilience

June 03 , 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time: 1:25

Today's world is increasingly complex and unpredictable. For DND/CAF, the ability to navigate disruptions, whether they are caused by natural disasters, cyberattacks, or other crises, is more important than ever. This is where business continuity management (BCM) plays a role.

What is business continuity management?

Business continuity management (BCM) helps organizations identify their critical services and functions and aides to build the resilience needed to maintain or quickly restore those services during disruptions. Events such as floods, power outages, or cyberattacks can impact normal operations. When disruptive events occur, organizations MUST know what is most important so they can prioritize efforts and assign resources to continue delivering their most critical services.

How does BCM support DND/CAF operations?

DND/CAF operates in an ever-evolving threat landscape defined by global instability, cyber risks, supply chain disruptions, climate events, and reliance on increasingly interconnected systems. BCM supports the continuation of critical services during disruptions by:

• Identifying critical services and their resource requirements;
• Established continuity strategies to address capability gaps;
• Developing business continuity plans that support decision making during disruptions; and
• Bridging resilience disciplines to enable a whole-of-department approach to organizational resilience.

At any time, DND/CAF can be called upon to respond to events within or outside Canada. BCM is the tool that strengthens operational readiness, mission assurance, and public trust.

Why does BCM matter to me?

Building a resilient Defence Team requires a shared commitment to preparedness at every level - from the Level 1 to the Level 5. Business Continuity Awareness Week is an opportunity to better understand BCM and its role in supporting DND/CAF. By embedding business continuity into how we plan, operate, and make decisions, we strengthen DND/CAF and ensure that we can achieve our vision in which Canada is strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world.