The NIST CSF Recover function

By Sam Rivera, Founder, SentinelPanda · June 19, 2026 · 1 min read · NIST CSF

Recover is the function that gets you back to normal — and proves, through testing, that you actually can.

Getting back to normal

The Recover function covers restoring the systems, services, and operations impaired by a cybersecurity incident, and doing so in a planned, orderly way. It is the counterpart to Respond: Respond contains the fire, Recover rebuilds. Together they determine how long an incident actually disrupts the business.

It is BC/DR

Recover maps onto the business continuity and disaster recovery work you build for SOC 2 and HIPAA: recovery plans, backups, and the ability to restore. The load-bearing requirement is the same — backups you have actually tested restoring, because an untested backup is a hope, not a recovery capability.

Communicate during recovery

Like Respond, Recover includes communication — keeping stakeholders informed as you restore, and managing reputation. Coordinated recovery communications are part of the function, not an afterthought.

Learn from it

Recovery feeds improvement: each incident should leave the recovery capability stronger. Keep the recovery plan, the restore-test evidence, and the post-incident lessons. SentinelPanda tracks the recovery/BC-DR controls and their test evidence.