Erfolgsfaktoren für das Business Continuity Management bei fortschreitender Digitalisierung – Eine empirische Studie am Beispiel behördenerfahrener IT-Dienstleister in Deutschland

This dissertation explores the situation of Business Continuity Management in Germany and in the public sector in particular. A review of the literature and studies shows that the situation in Germany is lagging behind when compared internationally. This applies not only to Business Continuity Management but also to digitalisation. This thesis focuses on the identification of success factors and recommendations for action based on qualitatively analysed empirical information and their comparison with theoretical knowledge. Digitalisation should and must continue to develop rapidly in Germany and the question arises as to whether we are becoming too dependent on IT systems. Military attacks, cyber attacks, major fires and natural disasters can put large parts of the IT infrastructure out of action for extended periods at any time. Will security authorities such as the police, fire brigades and armed forces remain capable of acting in a digital world in the future? This is the task of Business Continuity Management, which is explored here. Interviews were conducted with IT service providers and consultants who currently provide IT services for Germany and will continue to do so in the future. Using the expert interview method, it was possible to obtain the background, identify correlations and achieve an objective view of the situation. The qualitative analysis of the interviews made it possible to understand motivations and discern logical recommendations. The BSI 200-4 standard published by the German Federal Office for Information Security in 2023, the ISO 22301 standard and the European NIS-2 guideline form a theoretical framework for the implementation of which success factors were developed. Forecasts were analysed to identify the greatest challenges to effectively establishing Business Continuity Management in the future. Recommendations in the areas of personnel, procedures and information on technological aspects were identified. The public sector faces the major challenge of not losing control of its processes as digitalisation continues. The results of this work offer transparency on the current situation and a promising approach in order to avoid failures of the past.