# BSI C5:2020 OPS-08 — Data Backup and Recovery - Regular Testing

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-08-data-backup-and-recovery-regular-testing
- Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [BSI C5:2020 (Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020) › Operations Security (OPS)
- Last updated: 2026-06-05
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**BSI C5:2020**·Criterion `OPS-08`·high·Component: **Operations Security**

## What this control requires

> Tests restore procedures annually to verify compliance with RTO/RPO and contractual agreements. Reports deviations for prompt corrective actions, ensuring reliable data recovery and minimizing cloud customer data loss during disruptions.
> 
> — BSI C5:2020, Criterion OPS-08

### In plain English

Tests restore procedures annually to verify compliance with RTO/RPO and contractual agreements. In practice, this means you can prove you risk agreements-level controls on a defined cadence.

## Why it matters

BSI C5 is the default cloud-security baseline German public-sector buyers and many DAX-listed enterprises expect; gaps here directly block procurement in the DACH region and frequently appear as must-have items in EU public-tender documents.

This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation.

## What an auditor looks for

A C5 attesting auditor (under ISAE 3000 / IDW PS 860) tests both the design and — for a Type 2 — the operating effectiveness over the attestation period. For each criterion they look for both the Basic and any in-scope Additional objectives.

Within **Operations Security**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Criterion OPS-08) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

## How to implement

#### Cloud Posture

**CSPM.** Run Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center over every account; auto-ticket findings above your accepted-risk threshold.

#### Code Review Testing

**Pipeline.** Require at least one human reviewer plus passing CI (lint, type, unit, security scan) before merge — protected branches enforce this.

### Operational checklist

-   **Risk.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Review.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Protection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Scope:** agreements, protection, cloud customer data.

## Evidence to collect

-   **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.
-   **Infra Scan.** Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings.

Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Data Backup and Recovery - Regular Testing.

## Common pitfalls

-   Treating CSPM findings as a backlog instead of a hot queue: findings older than the policy SLA accumulate until the auditor asks why.

## Related controls in BSI C5:2020

-   [**Criterion OPS-22** — Testing and Documentation of known Vulnerabilities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-22-testing-and-documentation-of-known-vulnerabilities)
-   [**Criterion OPS-19** — Managing Vulnerabilities, Malfunctions and Errors - Penetration Tests](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-19-managing-vulnerabilities-malfunctions-and-errors-penetration-tests)
-   [**Criterion OPS-06** — Data Protection and Recovery - Concept](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-06-data-protection-and-recovery-concept)
-   [**Criterion OPS-05** — Protection Against Malware - Implementation](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-05-protection-against-malware-implementation)
-   [**Criterion CRY-01** — Policy for the use of encryption procedures and key management](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/cry-01-policy-for-the-use-of-encryption-procedures-and-key-management)
-   [**Criterion DEV-09** — Approvals for provision in the production environment](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/dev-09-approvals-for-provision-in-the-production-environment)

## References

-   [Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI) — BSI C5:2020](https://www.bsi.bund.de/EN/Topics/CloudComputing/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue_node.html)
-   Catalogue identifier: `Criterion OPS-08`

Topics: governance riskdata protectionbackup recoverycloud posturecode review testingdata loss prevention

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.